CRR Closes Messing Hearing Over Weekend; Members to Begin Preliminary Debate Today

The Committee on Rights and Responsibilities wrapped up the hearing phase in the case of Ellen J. Messing '72-4 over the weekend, and will move into preliminary deliberations in a private meeting at 1 p.m. today.

Glen W. Bowersock '57, professor of Greek and Latin and CRR chairman, called for the special weekend session when Messing was unable to present all her witnesses within the allotted television time at the opening session last Tuesday.

The closed-circuit telecast of Messing's hearing was the first time in the CRR's three-year history that a hearing has been visible to the public.

Over 30 people, predominantly members of SDS, watched Saturday's proceedings in Pierce Hall. Most of Saturday's audience had viewed the Tuesday hearing.

Messing is charged by the Administration with belonging to "a group of people who broke into and physically occupied" the Government Department offices at Littauer Center May 10.

The Administration brought charges against Messing after James Q. Wilson chairman of the Government Department, filed a complaint citing Messing and four others as participants in the sitin.

Richard B. Stewart, assistant professor of Law and the Administration's prosecutor, said in his summary Saturday that he could provide no "direct" evidence that Messing had participated in the break-in.

Stewart asked the CRR to consider, however, that Messing was aware of the forcible entry when she joined the demonstration.

"If a violation (of the Resolution on Rights and Responsibilities has not been shown this is an open invitation (by the CRR) to any group expressing political concern to sit-in at any University building." Stewart concluded.

Stewart emphasized throughout the bearing that Messing could have sought non-obstructive alternatives instead of interrupting the normal processes of the Government Department."

Messing said that the group marched to Littauer to discuss the Government Department's "open chair" policy for ex-professor Henry A. Kissinger '50, now President Nixon's chief foreign policy adviser.

The May 10 sit-in capped a series of antiwar demonstrations prompted by Nixon's mining of Haiphong Harbor Messing said that the sit-in was an attempt to "dramatize" Kissinger's--and Harvard's--role in the formulation of foreign policy.

Messing criticized the Administration's "singling out only five of the sit-in participants "I regard this as a deliberate attempt to intimidate active demonstrators." Messing said.

Nancy L. Marquis 72-4, Messing's roommate testified that the Administration never brought charges against her although she and Messing had participated in the same demonstrations.

At the end of the hearing. Barbars G. Rosenkrantz, lecturer on the History of Science and a defense witness, asked the CRR to suspend all disciplinary action until the Faculty completes its review of the CRR next month.

"I urge the Committee to dismiss her (Messing's) case while the nature of disciplinary procedure is being reconsidered by the academic community." Rosenkrantz said