Divinity Faculty Asks Aid for War Resistors

The Faculty of the Divinity School has unanimously adopted a statement calling for funds to aid the eight Divinity School draft resistors.

In the statement adopted at its meeting yesterday afternoon, the faculty encouraged "members of our school community to join those who have pledged financial assistance to help defray the legal costs incurred by the resistors."

Seven of the protestors handed in their draft cards to William Sloan Coffin, Yale Chaplain, in Old South Chu rch on October 16. The eighth turned in his card at a service on November 16.

According to their lawyers, the eight will almost certainly be prosecuted. One of them, Ricard C. Behm, third year student at the Divinity School, has been reclassified 1-A. His case will probably go to court in January.

The faculty statement, which is addressed to the resistors, acknowledges that there are "different opinions" among the faculty members "about the tactics of protest chosen by those students who turn in their draft cards."

Faculty Unanimity

But the faculty unanimously agreed that it is "unjust to use the Selective Service System as a means of punishing conscientious dissent,"

Also included in the statement is a condemnation of "any policies that have aims other than the establishment of security for all people in Vietnam."

"We urge, insead of striving for victory, negotiations among the United States government, Saigon, Hanoi, and the National Liberation Front, if possible under U.N. auspices," the statement continues.

The proposal adopted at yesterday's meeting was drawn up by a committee of faculty members appointed on November 1 to come up with specific recommendations in support of the resistors.

Committee Members

Committee members were Harvey G. Cox, associate professor of Church and Society; Ralph B. Potter, assistant professor of Social Ethics; George H. Williams, Hollis Professor of Divinity; Helmut Koester, John H. Morrison Professor of New Testament Studies; and Herbert D. Long, dean of students at the Divinity School.