University of Virginia Library

Shannon To Consider
Request For Moratorium

By Rob Buford
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

A promise of "most serious consideration"
was all that Student Council President
Bud Ogle could extract from President
Shannon in reference to Council's
unanimous resolution that Mr. Ogle meet
with Mr. Shannon to discuss the possible
cancellation of classes on October 15, the
day of the Vietnam Moratorium.

Mr. Shannon has promised to give
Council an answer as soon as possible. Mr.
Ogle said that he did not expect an
answer before the next meeting of the
Board of Visitors.

Three Alternatives

Three alternatives were discussed by
President Shannon and Mr. Ogle. The first
was a day-long cancellation of classes on the
15th. Another idea was to have a meeting of
the general faculty in order that they might
decide. A third possibility was the cancellation
of all classes between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the
day of the Moratorium.

Plans for local activity are still in the
making. Mr. Ogle, a Moratorium leader, said
that several congressmen will be speakers. Also,
a former Goldwater speech writer and adviser,
Karl Hess, will be at the University on October
15. Mr. Hess is currently working against the
war.

Depending on whether or not classes are
cancelled, Moratorium events may include a
rally at the Rotunda, teach-ins, large discussion
groups and seminars. "A number of top University
professors have expressed an interest in
participating," Mr. Ogle reported.

Mr. Ogle further stated that some Moratorium
participants plan to go to Lane High
School on October 15 in order to involve
interested students there in the action. Several
Lane students were present at the organizational
meeting of the local Moratorium committee
held last week. The chairman of the
group is Steve Squire.

McGovern To Speak

Yesterday, the Student Legal Forum
announced that its next speaker will be Senator
George McGovern (D-S.D.). Senator McGovern,
a long-time critic of the Vietnam war, will
speak on Friday, October 10 at 8:30 p.m. The
president of the forum, Mike Cardozo, said the
speech will take place in Cabell Hall Auditorium.

Nationally, the Moratorium is picking up
steam across the country. From an eighth floor
office on Vermont Avenue in Washington, the
Vietnam Moratorium Committee is promoting
its nationwide drive to rejuvenate anti-war
sentiment. One floor above, the New Mobilization
Committee to End the War in Vietnam
is planning its own strategy. Included is a
November 15 "March Against Death" in Washington.

Moratorium Plans

Moratorium plans at this point include
special hourly masses in Georgetown University's
Dahlgren Chapel, a mock funeral march
through downtown Milwaukee, a bell tolling
every four seconds at Bethel College in Kansas.
October 15 will be marked by black armbands,
marches, rallies, prayer vigils, speeches,
teach-ins, poetry-readings, radio plugs, newspaper
ads and leaflets. In short, organizers hope
to make clear their message to President Nixon
—it's time to end the war.

At his press conference Friday, Mr. Nixon
stated, "Under no circumstances will I be
affected by it." Coordinators of the Moratorium
reacted to the President's statement with
amazement. "This is a deeply disturbing statement,
which was surely unintended," said Sam
Brown. Mr. Brown, a Moratorium organizer, is a
former divinity student at Harvard and
McCarthy organizer.

Mr. Brown continued, "President Nixon
cannot mean that he will not be affected by
opposition to the war. The other aspect of this
statement which is distressing is the degree of
isolation which it reflects. It is the kind of rigid
stance which contributed so much to the
bitterness of debate during the last days of the
Johnson administration."

David Hawk, another of the Moratorium's
national coordinators and a former McCarthy
crusader, said, "The administration seems to be
under the impression that students are against
the war simply because they or their friends are
about to be drafted. In fact students oppose the
war because Americans and Vietnamese are
dying needlessly and because the war is, in
every respect, a disaster for America." Mr.
Brown and Mr. Hawk were quoted in Sunday's
Washington Post.

The Post article continued, "Although Mr.
Nixon may try to ignore the Moratorium, the
administration will doubtless take keen note of
the breadth and intensity of the turnout, as will
Hanoi and the Vietcong, who view American
anti-war sentiment as one of their strong suits.
Mr. Nixon and his advisers are aware that public
opinion at home can play a role in defining
their political elbow-room for scheduling troop
withdrawals and negotiating in Paris."

Troop Withdrawal

In any event, Mr. Brown says the Moratorium's
goal is the complete withdrawal of all
American troops from Vietnam. "We are not
looking for a Korea-type settlement," he said at
a Saturday news conference.

Leaders of the Vietnam Moratorium and
New Mobilization say their renewed peace
offensive has yet to zero in on Mr. Nixon the
way the earlier drives attacked President
Johnson.

Says Mr. Brown, "People have discovered
the futility of personalizing the war. You beat
one guy and the war goes on. The important
thing is to change American policy."

Elsewhere, the Nixon role draws mixed
responses. The Student Mobilization Committee
to end the War in Vietnam, loosely
linked with the New Mobilization Committee
and using adjoining office space, is expected to
announce a "No Peace for Nixon" drive, with
demonstrations at all presidential public appearances
until all troops are withdrawn.

A number of peace movement coordinators
say the President has shown little or nothing
yet with his draft-overhaul proposals, trimmed
draft calls and limited troop pullbacks.