Five Harvard officials recently took issue with President Reagan's proposed 1985 budget, signing a New York Times advertisement that urged the President and Congress to pare down defense spending and thus reduce the federal deficit.

Signers of the April 6 statement wrote that they "believe quite simply, that military strength is not possible without enduring economic strength, and that neither can be maintained if the federal budget runs structural deficits in the range of 5 percent to 6 percent or more of GNP."

The ad was sponsored by the Bipartisan Budget Appeal, a coalition of public officials and private sector leaders committed to reducing the 1985 federal budget deficit, currently estimated at about $175 billion. The ad had more than 300 signers.

The Harvard signers, all of whom could not be reached for comment yesterday, are Otto Eckstein. Warburg Professor of Economics, Benjamin M. Friedman '66, professor of Economics. President Horner, Colman M. Mockler '52, a member of the Corporation, and A. Michael Spence professor of Business Administration.