Harvard, MIT Physicists to Confront Soviets on Jewish Emigration Policy

A demonstration in protest of Russia's treatment of Jewish intellectuals has been scheduled for noon Tuesday to coincide with the visit here of the president of the Soviet Academy of Sciences.

The Ad Hoc Committee Against Exit Fees for Professionals in the Soviet Union voted at a meeting last night to present a petition to Dr. Mestislav Keldysh, the Academy president, and other noted Soviet scientists who are meeting with Harvard and MIT physics professors. The Committee has accumulated 3000 signatures from the Harvard community which they will present at the demonstration.

George Wald, Higgens Professor of Biology, and Edward M. Purcell, Gade University Professor both Nobel Laureates and President Bok have signed the petition to be presented to the Russians.

Daniel Steiner '54, general counsel to the University, himself a signer of the petition, has arranged for two Harvard students and two MIT students to directly confront Keldysh over the Soviet exit policy.

Several Harvard and MIT physics professors and administrators who will meet the visiting Russians have agreed to present them with arguments against the Soviet policy of charging a head fee for virtually all educated Jews seeking to leave the USSR.

Jerome Wiesner, MIT president said that he would raise the issue with the visiting scientists in his capacity as of ficial host. Steiner speaking for Bok who was out of town, said that "the president's views on this issue are known to be sympathetic."