Law Professor Warns Poll Reply Could Be Used to Attack Students

Congressional investigators might use against respondents the answers to a questionnaire sent this week asking some graduate students specific questions about their political beliefs, Vern Countryman, professor of Law, warned yesterday.

The questionnaire was sent to a random sample of graduate students at Harvard and other universities by the American Council--on Education--the largest national association of colleges and universities--and the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.

The Carnegie Commission--a private research organization--is seeking funds for the project from the Federal Office of Education.

The questionnaire asks students to agree or disagree with a long list of statements, including the following: "American colleges and universities must be destroyed before they can be reformed." "I am in graduate school in order to avoid the draft." "Faculty members should be free on campus to advocate violent resistance to public authority." 'Marijuana should be legalized."

A cover letter sent with the questionnaire says "your answers will be held in strictest confidence." But a master tape matching names and addresses with identification numbers on the computer-tabulated questionnaires will be retained for an undetermined period by the Carnegie Commission.

Glenn Edwards, project coordinator for the Carnegie Commission, said yesterday "None of the information received will be made public by individual, by department, or even by institution." But he areed that investigators might attempt to obtain the data through subpoena.

"Most people will answer it without considering the risks," Countryman said. "I would advise students not to respond if their answers might not be viewed with favor" by Congressional investigators, he added.

Edwards said the Carnegie Commission will pay the American Council on Education (ACE) for its help in the project--which consisted primarily of giving the Commission initial contact with the schools. Allan Bayr, a research sociolo- around the NASA center construction site, the site of the Buckingham school, Shady Hill, and the area around Fresh Pond.

Vellucci said that these sites had been recommended to the City Council as possible housing sites and were voted down. He added that he felt the blame for the slowness of housing construction lies with the City Council, not with the CRA. He explained that he had voted in favor of each of the above housing sites.

Councilor Thomas H. Mahoney answered that each of these sites had been rejected for housing for specfied reasons. "When we had hearings on these sites the neighbors of the areas turned out in force to object. Everybody wants housing for the poor and the elderly, but nobody wants it in his back yard," he said.

Abid Haneef, another member of the Donnelly field planning team, charged that the CRA was responsive to the needs of the universities and not the people. He cited the fact that all five members of the Agency are graduates of Harvard College or one of the graduate schools.

Haneef asked the Council to pass a resolution requesting the City Manager to fill two posts on the Agency which will soon be vacant with a black person and a person who "is a victim of urban renewal." Councillor Barbara W. Ackermann introduced the resolution on behalf of Haneef, and it was defeated 6-3 with Councillors Vellucci and Thomas W. Danehy joining Mrs. Ackermann in supporting it.

In other business the Council passed the largest budget in the history of the City, changing only slightly the request of the City Manager. The new budget of $33,165,539.51 represents a $931,000 increase over last year's budget. It is still unclear, however, just how this will effect the tax rate in the city since the City has not yet received a statement of debts from the state.

The Council also debated the continuing question of Piazzo Leprechano. Mahoney introduced a motion to reconsider the resolution passed last week to rename Harvard Square.

Vellucci, defending the name change, said "I really think that there's too much fighting and killing in this world. I'll bet you can go down the street and see 200 people and not one will be smiling. I think it's nice to have a little humor."

Vellucci added that he had done a little digging since last Monday and found that Harvard Square was never really officially named Harvard Square. Therefore, he said, "my order was out of order. How can you rename something that was never officially named in the first place?"

"I guess this is what happens when you cross a unicorn with a leprechaun," said Councillor Edward A. Crane '35