Leighton Calls Yardling 'Fiery Cross' Deplorable

The recent Yard cross-burning was termed a "deplorable incident" by Dean of Freshmen Delmar Leighton yesterday, but he contended, "it does not represent the attitude of the undergraduate body on racial discrimination."

"Inquiries among the students reveal that there is a very general condemnation of the act." Dean Leighton stated. So far, however, the perpetrators of the act have not been uncovered: If they are, the Administrative Board will consider say disciplinary action, he said.

The main purpose of University investigation was to determine if there were definite racial feelings among any group of freshmen. It is understood that no sentiment along these lines has been uncovered.

Petition but No Action

Meanwhile, the Harvard Society for Minority Rights yesterday voted to with sold action on the matter, but agreed a sign any petition that might be circulated condemning the incident which occurred before the rooms of nine Negro freshmen on February 5. The Liberal Union announced last night that it would go along with H.S.M.R. policy. Paul A. Levine '54, president of the H.L.U., said that his group would probably send a petition to all undergraduate organizations condemning the incident.

Walter C. Carrington '52, former president of the H.L.U. who spoke yesterday before the H.S.M.R. executive board meeting, suggested that "the people who performed the act should be punished." He maintained that "people have been punished for much less" and recommended that the cross-burners be placed on probation.

Meanwhile, two students criticized sharply an article appearing in the Boston Post which stated that the incident "has been hushed up by University officials."

The two students. J. Max Bond, Jr. '55 and James J. Boone, Jr. '55, said that University officials "did not know about the incident."

Bond also denied a statement attributed to him that "it never entered my mind that such a thing could happen at Harvard. I know now that it was no more than a stupid, vicious prank. It wasn't intended actually to scare us--just to remind us."

"I saw the flames," Bond said," I didn't think of the Klan right off the bat. When I did realize what it was, I was shocked and I didn't know what to do."

The Freshman Union Committee has already decided, according to its secretary, Geoffrey Ball '55, to allow the matter to be handled through University Hall. He stated: "If we learned that there was any maliciousness, we would have taken definite action."