THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Wescoe kills resolution on Hill firearms
Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe last night vetoed a recent All-Student Council (ASC) resolution that would restrict the carrying of firearms by campus police.
In a surprise statement during a question and answer period after his address to the ASC, Wescoe said as long as he is Chancellor, the campus police will be armed.
"I'm not about to disarm them. The campus police are deputized by the Douglas County sheriff, and they are supportive of every other law enforcement agency in the area," Wescoe said.
area, Wescoe said. He said the right to carry firearms is almost a condition of employment to the police officers.
"Unless you call people's attention to them, the firearms are not obtrusive," the Chancellor said.
He also said the campus police force is not large enough to split into two parts after dark.
The resolution called for the campus police to split into two groups after 7 p.m.: an unarmed force for traffic control and athletic events, and an armed security police force.
force. "There is only one person on this campus who is ultimately responsible for the lives and property on it, and that person is the Chancellor. As long as I am Chancellor, the campus police will carry firearms," Wescoe said.
He listed several occurrences in the last few weeks that called for armed police. He mentioned the bombing of the ROTC building, shots fired into the Kansas Union and $400 worth of camera equipment stolen from the Kansas Union Sunday night.
"I wish it was time to bend our swords into plowshares, but that time has not yet come," Wescoe said.
The Chancellor said he sees no reason why the Student Senate, after formation, could not discuss and investigate the question, and present proposals to the new Chancellor.
"But the trend in those universities which once banned the carrying of firearms by campus police has reversed. They are arming officers again, simply because of the (Continued on page 3)
Photo by Tom Jones
79th Year, No. 88 The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas Wednesday, March 5, 1969
House passes measure
TOPEKA - The Kansas House tentatively approved a resolution without debate yesterday reaffirming authority of state college and university administrators to deal with campus demonstrators.
The resolution was approved by a voice vote. A final vote probably will come today. The measure was passed in the Senate Thursday and procedure was suspended to rush the measure through.
The resolution was introduced in the Senate last week after a committee tabled Senate Bill 83 which called for the automatic dismissal of students or faculty members convicted of disobeying a law officer during a demonstration or disturbance.
The resolution supports the right to dissent and protest, but also notes there are limits necessary to preserve order.
Rep. Don Bell, R-Wichita and House majority leader, spoke before the chamber to explain the legislative concern is behind the resolution. These concerns were:
- Concern, especially expressed in constituency letters, over the unrest on the nation's college campuses.
- Concern that the legislature does not over-react to protest and dissent.
- Concern that the right to free expression not be abridged.
- Concern that protest and dissent does not abridge the rights of others.
Bell said the legislature itself should be one of the first to affirm the legal right to dissent and protest in an orderly manner, and affirm this right specifically to college and university students.
He said the legislature would be remiss in its duties if it did not affirm the right and duty of the
administrators of colleges and universities to protect against dissent which violates the rights of others.
Bell concluded his speech, emphasizing that "due process" must be insured.
The resolution, if it passes a roll call vote today in the House, will be sent to the Governor for his signature.
A resolution does not have the force and effect of law, but merely expresses the will, sentiment, and feeling of the legislature. This resolution is, in effect, a good compromise, a source in here said yesterday. He said it is merely an affirmation of the present situation which leaves handling cases of dissent up to university administrators. It is also a means of
avoiding an area formerly preserved for jurisdiction by the Kansas Board of Regents.
Rep. Calvin Strowig, R-Abilene and speaker of the House, said yesterday, the resolution, if read between the lines, is designed to explore present administrative policy, instruct the administrators in providing some means of orderly dissent and to provide some means for more student involvement and participation in the administrative decisions of their universities.
Strowig added, "I would defend to the death any students' right to freedom of speech or dissent in an orderly manner, but I would oppose any measure of dissent that would infringe upon the rights of others."
Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe
ASC delays election
"By next week we should be more definite as to election voting procedures," Chuck Loveland, Riley senior and chairman of the ASC elections committee, said.
The All-Student Council (ASC) passed the proposal last night postponing the elections from the original date in March.
The general election for Student Senate representatives and student body officers will be April 23-24.
Rick von Ende, Abilene, Tex. graduate student and ASC chairman, said election procedures will be announced in advertisements in the University Daily Kansan next week.
Last night the ASC also passed a resolution calling for a commission to investigate the possibility of a salary for the ASC chairman, to be retroactive to Sept. 1.
Dave Miller, Eudora sophomore
and member of the ASC athletic seating board, said 50 cent basketball tickets will go on sale every pre-game Friday at 8:30 a.m. in Allen Field House. For a student who has a non-student spouse, the spouse ticket will be 75 cents.
"This is standard procedure, but not many people know about it," Miller said.
Farouk Saad, Sudan senior and campus chairman of the World University Service, announced a banquet April 8 at which Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe will speak. Saad said the banquet will be open to the public, with ticket prices to be announced later.
Money from ticket sales will be used for medical equipment for Watkins Memorial Hospital. The organization is interested in promoting a hospital extension for Watkins.
UDK News Roundup
By United Press International
Russians close routes
BERLIN The Russians, in retaliation for the West German presidential elections being held in West Berlin, today closed all roads leading out of the city.
Before closing off all land routes the Russians played a cat and mouse game on the main highway to Helmsted, closing and opening it as they pleased, halting civilian and allied military traffic.
Apollo 9 orbital tests begin
SPACE CENTER, Houston - Apollo 9 Commander James A. McDivitt and super-cool rookie Russell L. Schweickart slithered from their mothership "Gumdrop" to its landing craft "Spider" for the first time today and began crucial orbital tests of America's moon ferry.
ferry. David R. Scott stayed behind in the command ship to maintain a nine-hour vigil while his space chums performed the checkout that is all-important to America's plans to land men on the moon this summer.
Police capture terrorists
SAIGON — South Vietnamese police in a running gun battle in downtown Saigon broke up a terrorist attempt to assassinate Prime Minister Tran Van Huong today. Huong, 65, was not hurt.
The police captured two of the three terrorists who with a pistol and a mine tried to kill the prime minister. One was dressed in a South Vietnamese army uniform.
Youth refuses leaflet
COSENZA, Italy — At least seven persons were injured Monday night in a five hour brawl in the streets of Cosenza, police said today. The incident was touched off when a 17-year-old youth refused to accept a left-wing leaflet.
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