Advocates of Forum Attack HYRC Stand

Three advocates of the proposed Political Forum last night defended the "informal group of political club presidents" against attacks made Thursday by the Young Republican Club, and announced they would go ahead with the Forum, with or without the HYRC.

William C. Brady '57, president of the New Conservative Club, called the position taken in the HYRC's new weekly, the Harvard Times-Republican, "sadly misinformed and misleading." Brady declared that "the issue is simple: cooperation or non-cooperation between the political clubs. You can't have closer association by not associating, as the HYRC seems to think."

The HYRC had called the proposed Forum the product of "dewy-eyed optimism" with "no practical reason" for its formation. A political club built around a national party, the Republican group argued, should operate "in a completely independent and distinct frame of reference."

Countering the HYRC claim that the Forum would contain "incipient unification," David Titus '56, president of the United Nations Council, said that "We do not wish to unite. We only want to discuss common problems.

George Frederickson '56, past president of the Debate Council, agreed with Titus. "The Forum would only have the power to call meetings and allow discussion among the presidents on joint programs," he declared.

Frederickson also attacked the HYRC suggestion that the Debate Council should take over sponsorship of public debates. "The Debate Council," Frederickson said, "is not set up to do this sort of thing. If we planned the program with no consultations, most clubs would probably not participate," he said. "Each club wants a certain amount of control over the program."

All three Forum proponents agreed that no club would be forced to take a group stand in a public debate. "I can see why the Republicans cannot speak on the Bricker Amendment," Titus said, "but there are other topics on which the Republican Party is united and for which the HYRC should be able to speak as a group."

Frederickson added, "In a letter to the Times-Republican, we have set forth detailed arguments against the HYRD position. "I hope they print it," he said.