If Congress were limited to passing one law during this season, what do you think that law should be?

Harvard professors were not uncommonly divided in their responses to this question. Two were in general agreement that a balanced federal budget would be of primary importance in such an unlikely event.

Others, presuming that normal appropriation bills and war expenses would be cared for somehow, suggested laws to abolish racial segregation in the District of Columbia, a permanently-financed Point Four program, approval of the St. Lawrence Seaway project, and creation of a new Cabinet post of Peace and Human Welfare.

Suggestion Vary

One Harvard professor suggested a law requiring all verbal statements of Washington bigwigs to be first submitted in writing. Another, realizing the question to be an unrealistic one, suggested an "Aid to Indigent Professors Act."

Prof. A. N. Holcombe (government) ranked as most important "a tax law which would enable us to meet our current commitments at home and abroad and pay for them as we go--a balanced budget."

Prof. A. M. Schlesinger, Sr. (history) also embraced the pay-as-you-go idea. He pointed out that the last Congress voted economic mobilization, price and wage controls, billions for rearmament, industrial preparedness and foreign aid, "but left pretty much unsettled how the gigantic bill should be paid."

"Quite apart from the fact that we have a huge national debt left over from World War II, a pay-as-you-go policy is vital in order to give every citizen a sense of real participation in the defense effort and at the same time to absorb some of the excess purchasing power which stimulates inflation," he added.

Other "Musts"

Other respondents, assuming that a satisfactory federal budget would be worked out, advanced these "musts" for Congress if it should be limited to a single enactment this session:

Prof. Zechariah Chafee, Jr. would have Congress abolish all racial segregation in the District of Columbia. He submits that discrimination between all sorts of citizens is hurting the United States in the U.N.

"To try to end discrimination inside Southern states raises strong local opposition and it will require a considerable conversion of community opinion to make the reform work. Until it will work, perhaps it should not go into law. At least that can be postponed during this session.

"But under the shadow of the Capitol all Americans should share the same privileges. There Congress would not be treading on the toes of any particular state."

McGeorge Bundy (government) would like to see Congress "pass a bill providing for an extended and permanent Point Four program. Such a bill should provide, say, $5,000,000,000 a year for the Economic Cooperation Administration to use abroad in economic, political, and social expenditures."

Dean Livingston Hall (law) would like to see final enactment of a bill which has been before Congress for the past 50 years and whose passage "is so long over due that if it were the only legislation of the current session, the session would still rate as an outstanding success.