Conscientious Objector .
Abbott Fights Induction Into Army
By DAVE BUNTAIN
Senior Staff Writer
Former University student
Steve Abbott said he will re
fuse to be inducted into the
army and face a possible
five-year jail sentence when
his induction date comes Oc
tober 19 in Atlanta, Georgia.
In a letter to Rev. Hudson
B. Phillips, associate pastor
of the United Ministry for
Higher Education, Abbott
urged his friends at the Uni
versity to .protest in his be
half at Board No. 58 in Lin
coln on the same day.
Sen. Al Spangler said he
plans to introduce a resolu
tion in ASUN, supporter Ab-UNfftb&W'sWfld.
The Emory College semin
ary student received his in
duction notice after a year
long fight to gain deferment
as a conscientious objector.
Abbott returned to Lincoln
in February to appear at the
Local Hearing for his CO.
application. At that time he
was reclassified I-A.
"This didn't surprise me,"
he said, "since most CO.
classifications weren't given
until after the FBI investiga
tion or Justice Department
hearing."
FBI HEARING
Abott maintained his defer
ment through June because he
was teaching high school and
then received notice he had
been reclassified I-A.
He was set to appeal for
an FBI hearing to prove his
sincerity and receive the CO.
deferment, when Congress
passed a new Selective Ser
vice law denying such a hear
ing to CO. applicants.
"Even though my case has
been processing a year under
the old law, and though I
was virtually denied an ap
peal until too late, my right
to an FBI investigation was
denied, the State Board de
nied my appeal by a 4-0 vote
and the Local Board induct
ed me," Abbott said.
He received no explanation
why his application was de
nied, he said.
He registered for classes at
Emory on a fellowship Sept.
15, receiving notification
three days later that he was
to report to Lincoln for in
duction on September 14.
"To avoid immediate pros
ecution, I transferred my in
duction to Atlanta," he said.
FELONY CHARGE
In Georgia refusal to be in
ducted is regarded as a fel
ony and carries a five year
prison sentence in Atlanta
courts, he added.
Abbott said a number of
Emory students and faculty
members plan to support him
at the induction center. One
student "started a fast to
confront student apathy about
the war."
He pointed out that a num
ber of people have testified
to his sincerity at various
hearings involved with the
CO. application. They include
Newman Center Chaplain
Donald Imming, three Emory
University priests, the arch
bishop of Atlanta and the
Chancellor of the Lincoln
Diocese.
JUST IN THEORY
"All this testimony to my
sincerity, and three men on a
Local Board who talked to
me for fifteen minutes and
four men who have never
seen me decide I am not sin
cere," he said.
He concluded, "Our govern
ment usually is just in the
ory, but it is often not just
in fact. Maybe we can't stop
the state from being unjust,
but we can let them know we
don't consider this injustice
legitimate."
Rev. Phillips said the draft
board told him "only 10 per
cent of those who refuse to
be inducted are reclassified
by trial."
He added that Abbott's
chances might be slightly
better because he "applied
for classification under the
old law but was reclassified
under the new law. It's too
early for many precedents on
this."
"I don't think there is any
other alternative to his going
to court," Rev. Phillips
said. "Steve will be able to
directly face the people in
volved. To do something like
go to Canada only extends
the problem."
He pointed out that Abbott
is not trying to avoid the
draft but rather to get the
CO. classification. He turned
down other classifications, in
cluding a II-S designation.
Rev. Phillips said the Lin
coln draft board interprets
the CO. clause narrowly.
Only members of traditional
"peace churches" i.e. Quak
ers, have little difficulty in
getting the classification.
Abbott is a Roman Catho
lic, a church that traditional
ly does not have many.
0OI10
ARCHES
Wednesday, October 18, 1967
University of Nebraska
Vol. 91, No. 21
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Sammy spirit fire raises hope for husker victory
Peace Candidate For '68? . . .
McGovern To Appear
During Vietnam Week
By MICK LOWE
Senior Staff Writer
South Dakota Sen. George
McGovern has accepted an
invitation to participate in
the Vietnam Week activities
next week senator Al Spang
ler announced Tuesday.
McGovern can be expected
to state a position somewhat
to the left of present State
Department policy, according
to Spangler. McGovern is al
so under consideration as a
peace candidate for the 1968
presidential election.
McGovern, Democrat,
was elected to the Senate in
1962. He was the first Demo
crat to win a Senate post in
South Dakota since 1936, add
ed Spangler, chairman of the
ASUN Vietnam Committee.
McGovern is a graduate of
Dakota Wesleyan University.
He holds an M.A. and Ph.D.
in history and government
from Northwestern Univer
sity. WRITTEN BOOKS
The junior senator has writ
tea several books and num
erous articles for Look, The
Atlantic, Saturday Review,
Commentary and the New
Republic.
McGovern will speak Oct.
23rd at 2 p.m. in the Union
Ballroom.
A position to the left of Mc
Govern will be voiced by Al
lard Lowenstein who is cur
rently a vice-chairman of the
Americans for Democratic
Action, Spangler said.
ADA
He said the ADA is a lib
eral Democratic organization
which was particularly popu
lar during the Kennedy ad
ministration. (At one time
Vice President Humphrey
was a national leader of the
ADA, but he resigned his
membership when he joined
the Johnson administration.)
Lowenstein has participat
ed in both liberal and New
Left activities. Former presi
dent of the National Student
Association, he assisted Hu
bert Humphrey In political
campaigns and helped to
form the Mississippi Free
dom Democratic Party.
The MFDP raised consid
erable controversy during the
1964 National Democrat
ic Convention when they
charged that the Mississippi
delegation to the convention
was not representative and
should not be seated, Spang
ler said.
As a compromise measure,
three MFDP delegates were
seated with the regular Mis
sissippi delegation.
Lowenstein will speak in
the Ballroom Oct. 27, at 7
p.m.
STATE DEPARTMENT
The status quo policy in
Vietnam will be represented
by the State Department,
Spangler said, although he
has not been able to secure
a definite speaker.
More conservative spokes
men on the war are being
contacted, Spangler s a id ,
such as the Commander of
the American Legion, William
Galbraith.
NO CONGRESSMEN
No one from the Nebraska
Congressional delegation will
attend Vietnam Week, Spang
ler said, although Robert Den
ney, Nebraska's first district
congressman, initially accept
ed an invitation.
Spangler said that he re
ceived a letter from Denney
last week stating that he
couldn't come to the Univer
sity because of "legislative
matters."
To encourage student dis
cussion of the referandum is
sues, Spangler said that he
has mailed a copy of the ref
erendum to all campus or
ganizations along with a let
ter urging them to discuss
the ballot during their meetings.
Aronson Describes Shortcomings . . .
JNU Hindered In Seeking Talented Negroes
By Restrictions Of Contradictory Policies
By ED ICENOGLE
Senior Staff Writer
Contradictory governmen
tal policy may be costing
come Negro students aid in
their attempts to get an edu
cation. The University, by federal
law, is unable to ask any stu
dent about his race when he
applies, said John Aronson,
director of University admis
sions. -It is really ironic," ha
addad. Ther is a rul which
restricts the University from
asking about the race of a
student and then federal
agencies ask us for informa
tion on Negroes on campus."
INCOMPLETE
Since the University's in
formation is incomplete on
race, they cannot supply in
formation the federal agen
cies seek, Aronson indicated.
Aronson agreed with a lo
cal National Association for
the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) spokesman
that the 'University was not
reaching enough of the tal
ented Negroes.
Dr. Patrick Wells, presi
dent of the Lincoln NAACP
and head of the University
Department of Pharmacolo
gy, had charged last week
that more was done to en
courage the Negro athlete
than the Negro scholar to at
tend the University.
"Dr. WHs Is correct,
Aronson said. "The athletic
department is doing more,
but we are also doing as
much as the size of our staff
permits."
DESPITE LAW
Despite the law against ask
ing the race of a college ap
plicant, Aronson said, con
tact is being made with as
many Negroes as possible.
"There are some students
who we do know as Negroes,"
Aronson said, citing the Na
tional Achievement test as
one way of reaching scholas
tically potential Negroes.
The National Achievement
is conducted in coordination
with the National Merit ex
amination, which distributes
scholarships to high scorers
with financial need. The Na
tional Achievement, estab
lished by the Ford Founda
tion, is open only to Negroes,
however
Perspective . . .
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On the dinner line.
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