Police Chief Davis protests to Nixon
By MELODY GILLARD Managing editor
In a letter to President Nixon, Los Angeles Police Chief Ed 'Davis protested the use of federal funds to finance a suit against the police department.
The letter was written on official city stationery and dated Jan. 8.. 1970. A similar letter, including most portions of the Nixon letter, was sent by Davis to Robert Finch, secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, on Jan. 9.
The suit the police chief referred to was the one filed by the Western Center on Law and Poverty, a legal service organization, sponsored by USC, UCLA and Loyola University. The center is funded by the Office of Economic Opportunity under Finch’s department. A staff attorney released the letter.
After introductory remarks, Davis wrote to Nixon: “Specifically, I wish to lodge a strong personal protest regarding the use of federal funds to provide salaries and costs to attorneys who are participating in a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department.”
He then explained that the center has filed a class action suit, on behalf of all black residents of the County of Los Angeles, charging the police department with harassing and intimidating blacks.
“In this case, the Office of-Economic Opportunity of the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare is providing direct assistance to the Western Center on Law and Poverty which is administered by the University of Southern California and sponsored jointly by USC, UCLA and Loyola law schools.”
Because the center’s suit is a class action, attorneys were ordered by the court to place a notice in Los Angeles papers telling all blacks what the suit was about. If any black resident wanted his name excluded from the suit, he was instructed to mail in a coupon contained in the notice.
In the letter Davis complained that most blacks would not see the notice, “let alone respond to the blatantly political and intellectually dishonest appeal of the plaintiff.”
Further on in the letter, Davis wrote, “It is disconcerting, to say the least, to find the financial force of the federal government supporting, if not totally funding, such a militant group in legal action against a local government body.
“As a taxpayer, I personally resent this use of my tax dollar, especially to finance a suit against myself.”
In the letter, Davis said his questioning of the use of federal funds came not only from police circles but from the County Bar Association also. The main objection was the use of federal funds for a class action suit and the Western Center.
The rest of the letter reads as follows: “In these days of planned legal maneuvers against constituted authority, I have come to expect many improbabilities, but I quite frankly did not believe the Nixon Administration would consciously permit such an incongruous condition to exist.
“But it is a reality—one which greatly distresses me. As Chief of Police, I find myself not only having to contest the concerted and well-financed efforts of groups who are attempting to undermine the authority of our nation’s police, but the Nixon Administration as well.
“My personal belief is that by far a vast majority of the Negro residents of the City of Los Angeles do not agree with the claim made by the plaintiffs, nor would they if they were given a legitimate opportunity to do so.
“It is also my belief that the questions at issue in this case are not so clearly defined that the Nixon Administration is justified in bringing the weight of the Federal Government to bear upon a municipal police department.”
The letter was signed E. M. Davis, chief of police.
Davis’ letter to Finch contained most of the Nixon letter with the addition of the two opening paragraphs. Parts of them follow:
“As head of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, you are in a most unenviable position of having to judge the quality of various community action programs which are presented each year.”
Davis said he included the letter to Nixon “to make you aware of my position and with the hope that some solution can be developed in this outrageous situation.”
He concluded with the sentence: “I hope this information will be helpful to you.”
Stan Levy, acting director of the Western Center, said the letters were highly improper for a government official to write.
“I think that it’s analogous to any public official accused of a crime claiming as a taxpayer that he objects to the use of government money and resources to pick on him,” Levy said.
“If Chief Davis thinks all the allegations in the case are false, he should raise them in court, not in ‘confidential’ latters.”
Referring to Davis’ use of the woid personal, Levy said: “If he claims all those things are personal then I question his use of official city stationary and his signature of Chief of Police.”
University of Southern California
DAILY
TROJAN
VOL. LXI, NO. 73
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
FRIDAY, FEB. 13,1970
MECHA organized to aid Chicano aims
By RODGER KEE
Miguel De La Pena, leader of United Mexican-American Students (UMAS), has announced the incorporation of that group into the newly-formed MECHA Diroctiva.
Other organizations uniting with UMAS to form the new group are the Mexican-American Students Confederation (MAS) and the Mexican-American Youth Organization (MAYO).
De La Pena explained, “The word MECHA is from Movi-miento Estudiantil Chicano de Atzlan. We are trying to get away from using the term Mexican-American because it has connotations of no identifying with ‘Chicanos’.”
“The terms indicate two different political stances,” he continued. “If you call yourself a Chicano, you are for self-determina-tions of not identifying with ‘Chicanos’.”
understand the history and significance of the migration of peoples from the southwest into the barrios.”
De La Pena feels that the term “Mexican-American” has an important difference of meaning for the people living in those barrios.
“Mexican-Americans see themselves as having some sort of identity with their heritage, but they also identify with the rest of society and feel that they have a place as a functionary in (Continued on Page Three)
Student Union renovation scene of busy confusion
Bustling activity and confusion alternately reign in the Student Union as offices are moved to make room for remodeling of the 52-year-old building.
Sharon Lenke, a Student Publications office accountant, views the move optimistically. “If it means we’re going to be in our new quarters any sooner, I’m happy tbout it,” she said.
James Smith, the assistant director of Student Aid said, “There has been nothing official about moving told to us at this time.”
ASSC secretary Nancy Savit said, “As far as we know, were staying here.”
A frustrated administrator in the office of the assistant dean of students said, “If you find out where we’re going, would you tell us?”
The following offices on the third and fourth floors of the Union are being moved this weekend:
—Journalism offices and classrooms will open next week on the first floor of the Science Hall.
—Student Publications offices are being moved to the basement of Town and Gown.
—International Students’ offices will be moved to the basement of Town and Gown.
—Offices of El Rodeo year book will be moved to the Science Hall.
Offices on the second floor will not be moved at this time.
MAKEUP DEMONSTRATION FOR CINEMA 589 STUDENTS
See the before, after and in between stages on page 7.
More revisions sought
for ASSC Constitution
Representatives of the School of Pharmacy and the Young Americans for Freedom proposed a series of counterchanges to the ASSC Constitution now up for revision in an open meeting of the Constitution Review Committee Thursday.
The constitution will go before a general election for student body approval during the first week of March.
In response to the proposals from YAF and the School of Pharmacy, the committee included in the constitution an increase of one graduate student on the ASSC Executive Council, raising the number from six to seven. YAF had asked that
11	graduate representatives sit on the council.
The committee also made the provision that no school —natural sciences, social sciences, law or dentistry, for example — would be allowed more than two representatives.
YAF also proposed that the Mens’ and Womens’ Halls presidents be made nonvoting members of the ASSC Executive Council.
A third YAF proposal would make the $4.50 programming fee voluntary. The group is currently circulating a petition asking to rescind the mandatory $4.50 fee.
Concerning the previously stated YAF proposed revision of the programming fee, two options were decided upon: First, leaving the amendment as it stands, or second, the voluntary payment, as suggested by YAF.
Another option on the ballot (Article VI, Section 1A) concerning qualifications for the president and vice presidents was retained as originally proposed by the review committee.
Members of the School of Pharmacy stated that they did not have adequate representatives in the ASSC as it is presently organized, and submitted a proposal that the school be given full representation in university government.
In a printed statement given to the committee, they said the school is not adequately represented because “the pharmacy student is an undefined entity.” They continued to say that pharmacy students are not considered graduate students because they do not have degrees.
“On the other hand, he is not considered an undergraduate student since his junior and senior years in pharmacy school are actually his fifth and sixth years of post high school education,” the statement read.
For such students, they proposed a third classification other than graduate or undergraduate be created “in order to adequately represent the needs of the students in the health professions.”
Stan Diorio, graduate representative, recommended in the meeting that the outline of duties of the two vice presidents be changed to a less ad-ministrtive role. The committee recommended that the ASSC vice president of student activities coordinate the student members of university committees under the administrative wing of Paul Bloland, vice president of student activities. The ASSC vice president of academic affairs would do the same for the committees under John Hubbard, vice president and provost.
Diorio suggested that the duties of the two vice presidents be assumed by an appointed commission.