Dorgan Threatens Suit Against Russell To Prevent Him From Lecturing in Fall

Unless he receives a reply from President Conant within the next few days. Thomas Dorgan, legislative agent for the city of Boston, plans to take action in the equity courts of Massachusetts against Bertrand Russell. Dorgan bases his case on Russell's "bad moral influence" on Harvard students, he said in a telephone conversation with CRIMSON last night.

Russell is to come here next year as a visiting lecturer, sponsored by the William James fund. He was prevented from teaching at the City College of New York last week by a state Supreme Court decision, following a suit brought by a Brooklyn housewife.

Fund Donors Would Be Vexed

"Harvard University was founded on moral principles," Dorgan declared. "If the donors of the James fund had known that they had created a chair for such men as Russell, they would have been greatly disgusted."

Dorgan cited the General Laws of Massachusetts and the State Constitution as the basis of his case. Chapter 71, Section 30 of the former says, in part: "The presidents, professors and tutors of the university at Cambridge . . . shall exert their best endeavors to impress on the minds of children in youth committed to their care and instruction the principles of piety and justice . . . chastity, moderation, and temperance . . . and also to point out to them the evil tendency of the opposite vices."

Dorgan Cites Constitution

Chapter 5, Section 2 of the Massachusetts Constitution also says in part: "It shall be the duty of the legislators . . . to cherish the interests of literature and the sciences, and all seminaries of them, especially the university at Cambridge."

Dorgan further declared that the Board of Overseers, who could be held responsible for Russell's appointment, had their authority from the state government. He said that he was willing to stake his reputation on getting rid of Russell. "He won't see one day at Harvard if we can get hold of him."