Conferees on Aid Kill Bill's Disclaimer Rule

Senate-House conferees preparing a compromise foreign-aid authorization bill yesterday rejected the Senate's requirement that U.S. contractors disclaim "belief in" any subversive organization.

Harvard, other universities, and many business firms had campaigned against acceptance of the Senate amendment. The University has made clear that it would probably refuse funds granted under the foreign-aid program if the Government asked for disclaimer affidavits.

No such affidavits have ever been required in university contracts with foreign aid agencies. This summer Harvard helped train 60 Peace Corps volunteers bound for Malawi. The Business School has also taught advanced management techniques as part of a contract with the Agency for International Development.

Charles P. Whitlock, assistant to the President for civic and governmental affairs, called the conferees, action yesterday "reassuring," but he warned that either house of Congress could revive the disclaimer amendment.

By coincidence, the House yesterday voted a three-year extension of the National Defense Education Act of 1958, which for several years also required recipients to sign disclaimers. The NDEA bill was approved by 320-20 margin and sent to the Senate, where passage by a similar majority is expected this afternoon.

Since the new bill removes the ceiling from NDEA grants to institutions, Harvard's share is expected to rise sharply from the $360,000 it received last year. University officials hope to receive about $800,000 for the 1964-65 term. This would be the largest amount ever given to an institution under the act.

The NDEA bill also raises the maximum size of loans to graduate and professional students from $1000 to $2500 a year and the maximum total for undergraduate and graduate training from $5000 to $10,000. The increase in students' loans would free the University funds now used to supplement NDEA grants.

Republicans in the House at first attempted to send the NDEA measure back to conference committee to bar grants to public school funds for acquiring equipment to teach English, reading, history, geography, and civics. The only eligible subjects now are science, mathematics, and modern foreign languages.

When the Republican motion came to a vote, however, the House defeated it by almost two to one, and passage of the bill--by 16 to one--followed soon