Another day of police investigation failed to connect Harvard men with propagandizing school children yesterday, as David Grant, State Secretary of the Young Communist League, and the executive committee of the University chapter issued statements flatly denying that Harvard men were involved, and attacking Mayor Lyons' stand.
Grand yesterday afternoon said, "The attempt of Mayor Lyons to connect Harvard students with the work of the Cambridge branch of the Young Communists League has no foundation in fact and is merely an attempt to further embarrass Harvard University because of their appointment of Granville Hicks."
"Cambridge Branch Responsible"
He explained that the Harvard branch has no connection with the Cambridge unit, which he intimated was responsible for the distribution of Communist literature. The chapter regularly meets in the basement of the Holyoke Bookshop, he said.
Emerging from their customary silence, the Harvard Young Communists late last night came out with a statement in which they disclaimed any connection with the activities of the Cambridge unit; and called Mayor Lyons a member of Cambridge's Tory row.
Mayor Lyons, who has been invited to speak at a Communist meeting on Tuesday, refused to make any statement yesterday.
"Red Squad"
Sergeant McAuliffe of the Cambridge Juvenile Delinquency Squad, now called "the Red Squad," said last night that little progress had been made on locating the guilty parties, but still expressed his belief that Harvard men may be involved.
In the meantime Spencer Hart, Grand Exalted Ruler of 530,000 Elks, condemned the University's action in appointing Granville Hicks as "against all the principles of Americanism."
The Harvard Reds in their statement to the CRIMSON called Mayor Lyons' attack a "direct, if clumsy attempt to link the investigation of the activities of the Cambridge branch of the Young Communist League to the general offensive against the appointment of Granville Hicks."
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