Faculty Committee Stalls Anew On Approval of African Club

The Faculty Committee on Student Activities yesterday again failed to act on the constitution of the proposed Harvard Association of African and Afro-American Students. The issue has now been before the Committee for over six months.

One committee member, however, indicated that the group would refuse the Association official recognition because of the allegedly discriminatory clause in its constitution. "The Committee is pretty unanimous in agreeing that a closed constitution would be against what we have always stood for," he said.

He also pointed out that Harvard organizations have always had "open" constitutions, "no matter what they may do in practice," and that the Committee felt that this pattern should be maintained.

The disputed clause says that membership shall be open to "African and Afro-American students" at Harvard and Radcliffe.

Maybe Next Time

Dean Watson, chairman of the FCSA, insisted that "we'll probably get a decision in the next few days," but admitted that no committee meeting has been called yet. The present delay, he said, involved "simply a question of trying to get from them [the AAAAS] exactly what they're driving at."

"We've been in lengthy correspondence with them," Watson said, "and we've been trying to ponder and go through this correspondence." Another committee member supported Watson's statements, contending that "we're moving towards a final decision." He also, however, refused to estimate when the decision would be reached.

Anochie Will Hear First

At present, the Committee is attempting to draw up a formal statement of its position. According to Watson, the decision will be communicated first to O. Martin Anochie '64, spokesman for the AAAAS, in a personal letter.

Last night Anochie took a wait-and-see attitude. "We can see what we can do if the University does reject our application. Our reaction to any moves or decisions by the Committee will be based purely on principles enunciated in our letters to the Committee as well as on the consideration of the efficiency of efforts to achieve our goals."