HARVARD OFFICIALS announced last week that they would not be buying grapes in the foreseeable future. By however small a margin, the action has the effect of furthering the cause of the strikers, but administrative vice-president L. Gard Wiggins was careful to explain away even that small political gesture. Harvard wasn't taking a position on the strike, he said, grapes just won't be on the menu.

The pretense that Harvard has once again avoided any political commitment is a bit hard to accept in this case--and if Harvard is indeed still neutral on the grape strike, last week's action must have been taken exclusively to avoid unpleasantness with protesting students.

Harvard could have openly and gracefully agreed to join the grape boycott. By doing the right thing for the wrong reason, the University needlessly chose to be timid rather than responsible.