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ra “ kes + “ CAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION, 170 FIFTH Me. Siw a ARTHUR GARFIELD HAYS” '':" : PATRICK PB MORRIS 1. ERNST. eel} + Exoeus - @Regon 559900 Oo to “ 2 ~. oa nee Weekly Bulletin #1697 © *;: a aoe : ACLU REPORTS ROTC LOYALTY OATH VICTORY”: = 7 A major victory in the campaign against government~imposed loyalty 07 ported last week by the American Civil Liberties Unione “ Ae IE ; The Union released a letter from the ‘Department of Defense stating that the Dew. partment had rescinded an oath for college students enrolled in basic training . .; courses of the Reserve officers Training Corpse ‘The oath reavired the ROTC enrollee -. to certify that he is not a member of any organization listed by the Attorney General .. as "subversive," that he did not attend any meeting or secial activity sponsored by~= these organizations, or distribute the groups’ literature, or give ‘them ary other: form of aid. a . ; . Pee et lone ce GE PEt rey an ?oress - SR MAY 19 198 A REGULAR WEEKLY SERVICE. FURTHER INFORMATION FURNISHED ; 7 eat The Union protested the oath in a letter to Secretary of Defense-Charles-Ee- Jilson on March 255 asserting that under the regulations 2 student listing the prow _ -seribed associations could not be formally enrolled in the ROTO program but could only participate on an informal basis, without being permitted to march in unifor! or to borrow the necessary textbooks and drill equipmente- "= «.. earn : c + Pointing out that in many states universities and colleges which roe land grants must require students to take the basic two-year ROTC courses “etter had stated that the loyalty oath forces the 5 sions, the spcakers he wishes to Jisten'to, the literature she approval of the Defense Departirent." . The oath presented a danger both to educa~, sion and to democracy, the ACLU had said, by giving the government. control of “educa rion and ideas and associations without that control having any reasonable relatio chip to national. securitye® = 9 0° Le: ee sree! F the penalty of being expelled from the university if his choice wt The Defensé Department's reply, made public by A executive urphy Malin, came from'Rear Admiral JM Will, Director of Personnel Policy, on.” April 5 Admiral WLLL wrote that the Departrent had just completed a lithorough re gvaluation of our policies" on the loyalty oath subject, "and have concluded tha sould greatly improve our me nistering the\law by adopting & positive’ #8 loyalty oath for basic students in lieu of the present certificates We have issued; instructions to the © pertnents to implemant these Tindings st In its Harehj 3S letter, the ACIY had steted tut the purpose of Pudliv Lay 498, which covers {idates for ROTC training, sould be met by a simple affirmative, cathe The now oath for basic ROTC ctudents reads as followss *T do solemnly svear. affisn) that I vill supp Constitution of the United States alld foreign or 3 I bear true faith end pamo) and that I taxo thio without any mental pose of evasion; so help me Gode® ~ aaa a ES Admiral W421 stated that the original cath, exbracing ‘Grganisational menbere ind association, would be continued for ‘the advanced ROTC students "ofthe, Arty... ir Force and to Naval ROIC students, as candidates for commissions, the In a letter sent to hanya) Will expressing the Union's “gratitude for thee ition of the broad oath for the basic ROTC students, Malin-saidey - apho retention of form DD98) which is the YSsMAbpaitpssath require _ nenbers of the Armed Forces, as applied to the advanced x0TC students, is ‘now study ty our. organization, in line with its review of gener: eivil Nbertins erocing out of the Artied Forces. security progr 4 . wot — “ee Mallee _—e ~ : ~ lee Tamm |: Tele. Roo: - vt. Holl an)