University May Decide To Decline Air ROTC

Some doubt that the University will request the Air Force to continue to operate a AFROTC unit here was expressed yesterday by reliable sources. President Pusey and Dean Bundy are out of town and no official announcement concerning the reestablishment of the program is expected until they return Monday or Tuesday.

Observers also indicated that the Air Force might attach certain conditions to maintaining the unit. These conditions, it was learned, might be totally unacceptable to Administration officials. There has also been some University dissatisfaction reported in the past with the service's refusal to integrate civilian courses with the regular Air Science program.

Col. Waldo B. Jones, professor of Air Science and Tactics, added credence to the reports yesterday when he advised students who had transferred to the Army ROTC unit to "continue with whatever course of study they had started." He also instructed them to act as if the Air Force had not decided to withdraw its original order, which would have discontinued 24 of more than 180 Air ROTC units throughout the country.

Six freshmen and fourteen sophomores have unofficially transferred to the Army program. According to Col. Trevor N. Dupuy, professor of Military Science and Tactics, two from each class have already expressed a desire to return to the AFROTC unit if it is accepted by the Administration. Most of the other students are still undecided.

"Of course, we'll just have to wait and see what the College decides," Dupuy said yesterday. "We are not going to advise students in any way. We feel that it is their decision and we will allow them to make it freely."

Any action will affect some 47 sophomores and freshmen in the unit here who might not have been able to receive their commissions if the original order had been carried out.