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Nixon, are you listening now ? a-, “T 03 Ill ’ O 5 A ~ £ On the pile Moss The above poster greeted protestors as they entered a ROTC office in the basement of Clark Gym Monday. ROTC books, files and literature were then set ablaze outside the gym by students outraged at the presence of a military organization on a University campus. Moss by Sue Bachmann News Editor Andy Steele, second vice president of (he Student Association, also surveyed the aftermath of the destruction, and said: “The basic problem that the University community has right now is that the incident is being interpreted as an outright act of vandalism and fanaticism.” “This is not true,” Mr. Steele insisted. “What has happened is a reaction to the continuous refusal of the United States government to recognize the anti-war feeling that has grown steadily since the Vietnam War began. “Those people who destroyed ROTC obviously reached the breaking point between non-violent and violent action. Unless the President recognizes the wishes of the American people to end all war we will unfortunately have to live with incidents similar to, and exceeding, that which happened at ROTC.” saw them coming, I ordered them to leave, but I didn't go far I heard and saw quite a bit.” When asked how (he damage done to the offices would effect the future of ROTC on campus. Mr. Elatdo said: “Every fde that we have is important, but we don't need paper to continue our work - and there is no question that we will continue.” The existence of ROTC on campus has been a matter of extensive debate and controversy during the past year. It was not until yesterday, however, when about ten “Women Against ROTC” (W.A.R.) threw red paint on seven cadets during their drilling, that students had taken any overt action to oppose ROTC. A paper distributed in Norton Hall today read; \... Under the myth of the liberal, ‘neutral’ university we allow the world’s largest imperial army to train its officers ... The struggle against the War Machine on campus must be carried to its conclusion. This means the abolition of ROTC, the immediate termination of project Themis, and the abolition of all defense and defense-related research projects.” Incensed by the continued presence of the military on campus — particularly on a day of a nation-wide moratorium against war — nearly one hundred students ransacked four Air Force ROTC offices Wednesday breaking windows and destroying files and office equipment. Amid chants of “R—0—T—C, must leave UB,” students ran from Clark Gymnasium (where the ROTC offices are located) with handfuls of files, papers and books. Dropping the confiscated materials in a pile about 25 feet from the building, the demonstrators set them on fire with gasoline and soap detergent. Inside the ROTC headquarters protesters smashed a large trophy case on the third floor, overturned tables and desks and sprayed red paint on ROTC uniforms and desks. Splattered glass from windows and pictures coated the lloois of all the rooms. Crime of war Mr. Steele stressed: “It is truly a tregedy that we afc at the point where students have to militanlly attack facets of the University and suffer the consequences of those acts, when the true crime is the perpetration of war.” Another student opinion was expressed by Ronald J. Elardo, a senior, who described himself as “just very mad.” Mr. Elardo, who has been active in ROTC for four years, was working in one of their offices at the (ifne the student protestors arrived. Mr. Elardo explained that “when we ‘ROTC’s stopped’ When campus police arrived on the scene they immediately began to extinguish the fire, and students gradually dispersed with shouts of “ROTC’s stopped, war must too.” “At the Stale University of Buffalo our ROTC program provides our share of ‘liberal’ imperial warriors. These same men liberally bomb Vietnam. Laos and Cambodia in addition to providing support for reactionary regimes all over the world. Try to imagine some of our State University of Buffalo ROTC graduates getting orders to kill our ‘enemies’ liberally,” the statement continued. Although no estimation of the damage was available Wednesday night, a ROTC administrator noted that “equipment of considerable expense” — a Xerox and a ditto machine — had been completely destroyed and that “all the offices had been broken into.” Investigations begun Before the students stormed Clark Gym. many of them were among those who ‘watched two newsreel films shown at 4 p.m. in the Fillmore Room, Norton Hall. The first film reviewed the activities of ROTC and its importance to the US military. \ROTC produces 50% of all Army officers on active duty, 65% of its Fust Lieutenants and 85% of its Second Lieutenants. In' addition, 35% of the officers in both the Navy and Air Force arc ROTC graduates.” Recently the University Curriculum Committee submitted some suggestions to reform the ROTC program, but some students complained that such recommendations were inadequate and that ROTC must be completely abolished from the University. Major Robert K. Garwood, director of Aerospace studies, said: “We are making no statements this evening — It’s a University problem and they are taking care of it. Acting President Peter F. Regan issued the following statement; ‘This is genuine tragedy that a day which so many of us dedicated to opposition to war and violence should be marred by senseless destruction. If there is to be real peace and security in the world, a university should be a model for the rational solution of difference. T would like to call on all members of the University community to dedicate themselves to the intellectual and rational resolution of issues and to reject the kind of simplistic slogans and thoughtless fanaticism which led to this tragic episode.” Throughout the evening a number of faculty and administrators, as well as some students were permitted to enter the offices and inspect the damage. Richard A. Siggelkow, Vice President for Student Affairs, said: “I wish everyone in this campus community could see this and realize that this is a prelude that could lead to further destruction and serious personal injury. At present the Buffalo police are investigating the wreckage of the ROTC offices with the help of campus police. As soon as a complaint is filed, the newly-established Advocate’s Office, under the direction of Robert B. Fleming, faculty of Law and Jurisprudence, will initiate legal action on the grievance. Dr. Fleming explained: going to investigate the situation and we will begin finding out all the facts and information now.” Describing Wednesday as “the blackest day in this institution’s history'.” Dr. Siggelkow said: “I wish I had the words to properly describe what this really implies about the nature of those elements within the University that would seek to destroy it.” “Whatever good happened here today, during the moratorium, was shot to hell because of this, Dr. Siggelkow maintained, adding that “this could kill this University.” Moss An Invitation When asked whether or not any evidence was offered as yet, Mr. Fleming said; “It’s too early to know for sure, but I believe there are some witnesses and I saw police taking finger prints.” Formal invitations to last year's ROTC ball were among the remains of the burned debris in front of Clark Gym Monday. In addition, one of the ROTC students noted that “a small sledge hammer” had been found inside an office but that the police had removed it from the premises The Spectrum Volume 20. No. 24
