The Department of Athletics has declared a position of neutrality in the struggle between the Amateur Athletic Union and the National Collegiate Athletic Association for control of American amateur track and field.

Until the dispute is settled, members of the Crimson track team will not compete in meets sponsored by either the AAU or the NCAA's United States Track and Field Foundation, Baaron B. Pittenger, director of sports information, said yesterday.

This means that no members of the track team will appear in the AAU-sponsored Knights of Columbus Games in Boston Saturday night. Unless a settlement is reached within two weeks, Crimson athletes will also miss scheduled appearances in the Boston Athletic Association Games. But track team members will compete in the independently sponsored IC4A and Heptagonal meets.

The athletic department presumably will agree with a four-point program adopted by the NCAA-member colleges to withdraw from the AAU, to stay out of AAU-sponsored meets, to remove college personnel from AAU committees, and to deny the use of their facilities and equipment to the AAU.

Must Remain Neutral

Until the controversy is settled, however, Harvard must be careful to avoid offending either the NCAA or the AAU. The AAU can declare athlete's ineligible for amateur competition, and the NCAA has the power to suspend colleges from national championship competitions in several sports.

The dispute first arose last spring when the NCAA created its Federation to challenge the AAU's control of amateur track. At stake is the power to control the selection of candidates for the Olympic and Pan-American games. The AAU has always set the qualifications for participation in the tryouts for both events.

President Intervenes

When the dispute began to threaten America's effective participation in the 1964 Olympics, President Kennedy intervened. He called on both sides to cooperate and apointed General Douglas MacArthur to arbitrate the quarrel.

This Saturday's Knights of Columbus Games will be the first test of the NCAA's power to keep its members out of AAU-sponsored events. Although three colleges withdrew yesterday from the games, 14 schools, including Yale and Columbia, are still entered.

"In any case, Harvard won't enter the meet," said track coach Bill McCurdy. "In fact we've already scheduled a meet with Brown for this Saturday afternoon to replace the Knights of Columbus Games."

Other Sports not Affected

The NCAA-AAU controversy should not affect Harvard teams in sports other than track. The NCAA has also set up an independent Federation in basketball, but until a Crimson basketball player becomes a prospect for the Olympic team, the fighting will not affect Harvard.