Talk

The return of R.O.T.C. to the Dartmouth campus promises to be the biggest non-story of the year.

A forum on "R.O.T.C. at Dartmouth," to be held under Undergraduate Council sponsorship at Collis Center February 1, was heralded by large advertisements all the previous week in The Dartmouth. The only follow-up the next week was a report of some acrimonious debate in a U.G.C. meeting about the cost of the ads, incurred by a sub-committee without the approval of the-entire group.

On January 28, the lead story in TheDartmouth quoted Ralph Manuel '58, dean of the College, as saying there were no plans for R.O.T.C. 's return to the campus. He had met twice, he said, with successive commandants of programs at Norwich University, one of whom suggested Dartmouth's involvement be terminated, the other of whom wanted to increase participation. (Currently, two out of 4,000 undergraduates travel to Norwich University regularly for lectures and drills.)

A representative of the Navy, which is planning new R.O.T.C. programs, met at Navy request with College officials to discuss Dartmouth as a potential site. The. College has sent some further questions to the Navy, with no response to date.