Oregon daily emerald., January 13, 1970, Page 3, Image 3

Coalition charges specified
• • •
(Continued from page 1)
Later in the afternoon, Univer
sity President Robert Clark is
sued a reaction to the plans for
the “trial.” Earlier in the week
Clark has been issued a “sub
poena” by trial organizers ask
ing him to attend the trial to pro
vide a defense for the Univer
sity.
In his statement Monday, Clark
emphasized his support for the
University’s policy “of providing
an open forum for the ezchange
of ideas ... in a manner that
does not interfere with the rights
of others.”
He added, however: “In my
opinion the format of the ‘Peo
ple’s Trial’ — with the verdict
already rendered—does not lend
itself to a better understanding
of the problems or resolution of
the issues. I do not, therefore,
plan to attend the proceedings.”
Clark ‘prepared’
The entire statements issued
by Jan. 14 Coalition—organizing
the People’s Trial—and President
Clark are printed on pages 3 and
S of this issue.
In an interview with the Em
erald later in the after noon,
Clark indicated that he would
be prepared to handle any events
that develop as a result of the
trial, and that, though he did
not want to do so, he would be
willing to call in the police if he
felt that the situation warranted
such action.
Radical skit
In an attempt to advertise Wed
nesday’s trial, members of the
Jan. 14 Coalition, which includes
members of the Campus Morator
ium Committee, the Students for
a Democratic Society and the Pa
triots Party, provided a “Radical
Art Theater” skit emphasizing a
parody of the University adminis
tration to more than 6,000 stu
dents and others attending the
second session of a SEARCH
course entitled “Can Man Sur -
vive?”
Reacting to the skit, the eve
ning’s main speaker in McAr
thur Court, biology professor
George Streisinger, said that the
two major problems facing man
kind at this point in history are
war and the environment.
Streisinger appealed for “ra
tional” action aimed not at polar
izing persons but at informing
them of the facts of the issues
confronting them.
He added that the entire blame
for the problems of society and
the University cannot be a laid
at the doorway of one individual,
President Robert Clark, in an
Clark's statement
in response to trial
Editor’s Note: University President Robert Clark issued
the following statement in response to a summons asking
him to attend Wednesday’s “people’s trial.” See related
stories on this page and page 1.
The University of Oregon has a long-standing policy of pro
viding an open forum for the exchange of ideas. In keeping
with this policy, it does not impose limitations on the freedom
of its students or staff to express their opinions in a manner
that does not interfere with the rights of others.
Recently a group calling itself the “January 14 Coalition”
has accused the University of “crimes against humanity” and
has summoned me to defend the University in a “People’s
Trial.” The leaders “freely predict” that the University will
be found “guilty.”
In my opinion the format of the “People Trial”—with the
verdict already rendered—does not lend itself to better under
standing of the problems or resolution of the issues. I do not,
therefore, plan to attend the proceedings.
If, however, students want to examine these issues the Uni
versity will be glad to participate in such an examination. It
is my opinion that the Student Senate and the Faculty Senate
would be the appropriate bodies to hear the charges and to
entertain suggestions for change.
SAB to consider winter term requests
The Student Administrative
Board (SAB) will meet for the
first time this term at 4:30 p.m.
today in 337 EMU.
According to SAB President
Rex Armstrong, the board will
:onsider several requests includ
ing a request for recognition by
the Third World Student Organi
zauon ana a request iui an m
dian Republic Day Celebratior
program by the India Students As
sociation.
SAB will also consider a dance
request from the Campus Com
mittee to Combat Fascism and ar
English department film series
request.
LOW COST U OF 0
ROUNDTRIP FLIGHTS
for Summer of 1970
Portland-London,
Amsterdam-Portland
Portland-Tokyo-Portland
$263
$325
contact International Educational Center
room 318 EMU, ext. 1834
IT PAYS TO READ EMERALD CLASSIFIEDS
effort to create a "whipping boy.”
The “People’s Trial” will take
place at noon Wednesday in the
EMU Ballroom.
‘Not rhetoric but fact’
“We want to demonstrate to a
lot of people at the University,”
a representative of the Coalition
told the Emerald, “that when we
say the United States is an im
perialist power, and that the Uni
versity is not a neutral institution,
we are not indulging in rhetoric
but are making a factual and ir
refutable statement.”
The program of events for the
trial is divided into six sections.
First, several foreign students
from Latin America, Africa and
the Middle East, a former corre
spondent for the New York Times
in Vietnam, and others, will pre
sent evidence for their claim that
the United States is a “basically
imperialist power.”
Evidence will then be present
ed on how the University, through
the “Military-Industrial - Univer
sity Complex,” contributes direct
ly and indirectly to U.S. imperial
ism,” after which University ad
ministrators will be given an op
portunity to provide a defense for
the institution.
Summonses served
(Several members of the admin
istration have been “served with
a summons” to attend the trial
and to defend the University, in
cluding University President Rob
ert Clark.)
Following this presentation by
the “defense,” both sides will
give “summations” of their argu
ments, and those conducting the
trial will ask for a “verdict” on
“University complicity” from “the
people,” those attending the trial.
If guilty . . .
If the University is declared
“guilty" of “complicity,” those at
tending will be asked to issue a
“sentence” which is expected to
include several demands includ
ing an end to such “complicity”
and the closing of the University
on Thursday’s joint observance
of the January Vietnam Morator
ium and the anniversary of t h e
birth of slain civil rights leader
Martin Luther King.
The method of enforcing such
a “sentence” will also be deter
mined by those in attendance at
the trial, which is open to all stu
dents, faculty and administrators.
Clark reports University
is ready to handle sit-ins
By STEVE SMITH
Of the Emerald
University President Robert Clark is hoping Wed
nesday’s so-called “people’s trial” does not end
with a sit-in or occupation of administration offi
ces in Johnson Hall.
But the University is prepared to handle such a
situation, should it develop.
“I hope we won’t have a sit-in Wednesday,” Clark
said in an Emerald interview Monday evening.
“Such demonstrations have been counter-produc
tive in recent months. If we do have a sit-in, how
ever, I would say that we will try to respond
rationally.”
The prospect of a Wednesday sit-in or occupa
tion was first raised in connection with the “trial
of the University” by a group calling itself the
Jan. 14 Coalition.
SIT-IN MAY RESULT
Spokesmen for the body declined Monday to in
dicate the exact nature of the action scheduled to
follow the noon trial. Reliable sources indicated that
a sit-in was likely, should Clark fail to meet de -
mands for the coalition.
“I would assume that the students will want to
sit-in peacefully,” Clark continued, “as long as
we can engage in dialogue, we will; either I will
speak with the students or members of my staff
will.
“If the sit-in proceeds beyond closing time, then
we would have to ask the students to leave.”
With the possibility of sit-ins and occupations
very much a reality at colleges and universities, the
University was ordered last spring to draft a plan
of action should trouble develop on campus. In
dealing with any sit-in, Clark would follow the
guidelines of that plan.
“A committee gave me a preliminary copy of the
plan last week,” Clark said, “a plan which complies
with State Board policies and pretty much my own
attitudes, and I'll be sharing the plan with the
students soon.”
Should a sit-in develop, “I would use the pro
cess of injunction if that were possible. This
puts the situation in the courts for them to judge.
WOULD USE INJUNCTION
“I would say we would bring police to cam
pus only if we have violence. I certainly hope vio
lence does not happen, I do not think calling po
lice will be necessary. I would call police to en
force an injunction, however.”
Presidents of public colleges and universities
ROBERT CLARK
in Oregon were given the power to call police
under certain conditions, by the State Board.
In a policy statement adopted in December, 1968,
:he board said:
The University must . . . “preserve and pro
ect the right (of students) to assemble peace
ably and the right to petition authorities.
But to resort to violence, physical abuse of per
sons, or threats of such abuse, destruction of prop
erty, or overt interference with the operation of
the institutions is contrary to the spirit and free
dom of the academic community, and should be
dealt with by appropriate institutional and/or legal
sanctions.”
GUIDELINES USED AT OSU
Administrators at Oregon State University em
ployed the State Board guidelines last summer
when 14 persons were arrested for sitting-in at
the office of a school dean. All 14 were subse
quently convicted on various charges of interfer
ence with a public institution.
“I would hope that we would never need reach
that step on this campus. In ray first term I never
saw anything that couldn’t be handled without this
kind of demonstration,” Clark said.
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for
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