"I'm djingfor a coj^ee . .. Let's go to the GAIETY" The Cafe to suit the student's pocket 149 Strand, London, W.C.2 Restaurant and Snack Bar L I r> rC K gotciasi NO si 6^ NEWSPAPER OF THE STUDENTS' UNION, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE (UNIVERSITY OF LONDON) DECEMBER 5th, 1957 THREEPENCE SIM MONDS University Booksellers Our shop is not the biggest in London, but it is amongst the best. And it's a place where you will obtain individual attention. We stock most of the books on your syllabus, and we are five minutes from L.S.E. 16 Fleet Street, London, E.C.4 (opposite Chancery Lane) COMES BUT ONCE A YEAR; COMMEMORATION BALL TOMORROW All the Lun of the Fair Tomorrow evening at the Royal Festival Hall, L.S.E. hold their seventh event at this Thames-side Mecca. All the tickets have been sold, and the organizers are extremely confident that it will be the usual outstanding success. At least no effort has been spared to make it so. Cabaret To supplement the exquisite music of Geraldo and his orchestra, a varied cabaret has been engaged. Don Steele's Jazzmen will provide the necessary relief during the interval for the more lively members of the community, and Tony Clark and Gladys Mortimer, former Surrey amateur dancing champions, will give a short exhibition; Astrid Laidlow and Joy Hodgekin, with Barry Booth, will be the vocal part of the evening, while the West Indian Limbox Dancers will help with their own individual touch. Buffet From 12 until 1.30 during the evening a free buffet will be in operation. As 10/6 per head has been allocated towards the expenses of the refreshments, a sumptuous variety of snacks are available. Chicken, smoked salmon, prawns, tonqiie and ham being the main ingredients, with copious cups of coffee to counteract the more deadly effects of the other drinks available. During the course of the evening over a thousand balloons will descend from the heavens and if a similar reaction to last year's is forthcoming, then no doubt pandemonium will reign supreme. MISS L.S.E. mm Photo: SitM-Amnuai Madaline Appleby " Beaver " is delighted to have as our guest this week, Miss Madaline Appleby, winner of the Miss L.S.E. Contest. Madaline, who is 21 years old, comes from East Moseley, and is at the moment in her second year of the Bsc. Sociology course. Having spent part of her time in Italy as a governess, and .viidft]," Ml jshr .hqnfis -to .find .sotiae jiob with an International Organisation. Amongst her other varied pastimes modelling has been the most interesting, although she lists as her hobbies the theatre, ballet and continental films. We are indeed fortunate to have such a young lady as the representative and Queen of L.S.E. We only hope that composure will not be disturbed by the oggling eyes, and many side glances. Steady boys . . . ! ! Ihc Editor and ^taff of" JBcaticr" toisli all rcadcrfi a ^crji ifiappy andl^lcasant Christmas ' and a firospcrous 3§car GUINNESS What REGRETS Now ? A letter has been received from Ml'. Alec Guinness regretting the fact that he would be unable to / desei^ve FREMUN5 'ELEPHANT' ALES LIGHT AND DOUBLE DROWN On sale at the Three Turif liar and from Free O/f-J.ifrnres in I.nr.dot and the Horn Counties FRFMim LIMITED • MAIDSTONE AND LONDON TGA accept the Honorary Presidency of L.S.E. In his own writing he outlined the commitments that he already has over the next six months, jobs that take him to Italy, France and America. These include two films to be made and added to the fact that he is at the moment in Italy for an unknown length of time, made his position extremely difficult with regard to accepting the post. lie wished Jack Maddox, the President, to convey to the students his disappointment at not being able to take up the position this year, a function which he would have liked very much to have performed. Union now faces the embarrassing problem of being without an Honorary President still. It is extremely difficult to see how anybody of sufficient calibre, with the inevitable commitments, will be in a position to accept at this stage of the academic year. EXAM STATISTICS Only Pass Part 1 Clearly Some rather interesting facts are revealed by the figures now available on the L.S.E. Exam results of last Summer. Out of the students who took the Part One of the (B.Sc. licon.) exam., 68.3% only passed, while 12.7% were referred in one subject, 18% failed: and the remaining 1 % who entered for the examination did not sit. That three out of every ten should not have passed coiTipletely, will no doubt give first and second year students deep thoughts: while the people who were referred in one subject have the unenviable task of carrying that extra subject along with the formidable Part Two. Evening Students Comparable figures for the even-inij students show that 57.1% [lassed, 5.4% referred, 25% failed and 12.5% of those who entered did not sit. This only goes to prove what • has been in the minds of many that while it is easy to attend lectures in the evenings, it is an entirely different matter to be able to absorb the necessary information after a day's work. This, no doubt, is further accentuated by the fact that the hours are not available for their own detailed private work so essential. Part Two Of the students who took the Part Two B.Sc. (Econ.), 92.8% were successful, 4.4% failed, 2.6% did not sit, and .2% retired. 'Pherc is no doubt that the examination is comparatively as difficult, if not more so, than the Part One, but by the time this examination comes not only is the degree a reality but that the weaker ones have fallen by the wayside, and this accounts for the low failure rate. Sociologists At the B.Sc. (Sociology) examination 76.7% of the School candidates were successful, 16.3% failed and 7% were not up. F'or those students to have spent three years studying for this examination (without an examination) that about 1 in 7 should have failed is rather a disheartening fact. I Balance theory with practice by reading THE FINANCIAL TIMES At the University you have a unique opportunity to obtain a valuable, practical insight into industry, commerce and public affairs, the i'inancial times is now available at the specially reduced rate of 2d. (half the published price) to all students who arc taking a full-time course of education in Great Britain. In its pages every day you can read of the influences that affect business decisions—market reports, trends, production techniques and many other topics— a useful 'preview' of problems you will ultimately have to face. Whether you are inclined towards the Arts or Sciences, the i'inancial times will help you to get ahead more quickly when the time comes. Now at Students' Concession Rate Price 2d. Write to us for a special order form, complete it and hand it to your newsagent. Look to the future, read THE FINANCIAL TIMES today write to: the publicity manager, the financial times, 72 coleman street, london, e.c,a 2 BEAVER December Sth, 195; THE PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Recently there has been much discussion as to the state and calibre of the Union at L.S.E. Some have averred it to be both democratic and efficient, while others, on the other side of the fence, have lashed it severely with tongue and pen. With both sides of the argiinient in mind, it was particiihiriy interesting onee again to attend N.IJ.S. Council at Portsmouth last weekend. Here, with representatives of almost 200 Unions, one had a chance to compare the beliefs, practices and, generally, the attitude tow'ards Unions as executive bodies in the University sphere. It was immediately noticeable, as it always is at Council, the manner in which the executive is able to assert itself and push forward its point of view and have it accepted by the floor, in many cases without even discussion. Interest Lacking On closer examination it appeared that many members of Council were, in fact, quite used to this jiractice or habit in their own rnions. 'J'hey explain it by saying that their members lack interest and consequentlv they tend to be oligarchical because criticism, comment and action on the floor of their unions was almost negligible. With thoughts of recent meetings at L.S.I"', still fresh in my mind, tiiis contrast appeared to me to be very different from that prevailing at L.S.K. Most of the members there seemed to take the word and lead of the Executive on all points, niany of which were, to say the least of it, both controversial and com-|ilicated. L.S.E. Challenge There was no challenge from the floor, there was no opposition from the floor and we also had the rare sight (certainly at L.S.E.) of Council replying to the floor after every spcech. In true L.S.IC. fashion we challenged this and it was remedied; after this the Council's viewpoint being given only once. Most of the delegates and observers regarded this N.U.S. procedure as very similar to their own Unions. To me, of coursc, it was completely diflferent from the character of things at L.S.I',. 'I'he Union at L.S.Is. is, no matter what wc may say, either for or against it —a democratic body. True Democracy The floor can, and of course does, often go against and reverse decisions and policy of Council. This is the price of democracy. It can be a thorn in the side of the administration as, indeed, it often is. It is a price, however, which in a Union of this type, nuist be paid in comparison with other IJnions which arc Unions in name only in that the lixccutive both makes and carries out policy. The L.S.E. machine may appear to be large and bureaucratic. The floor, however, is the true ruling force and does know what is going on. This is, I would say, the onb' type of Union worth having. 1 despair at times, but when other University members see and hear of how it works, I realise we are very lucky. SPOTLIGHT ON DICK WHITEHOUSE Richard Whitehouse has arisen to a position of pre-eminence on the L.S.E. Union floor this term. His ramblings, witticisms and cynicisms, at best in their well-practised, timed spontaneity, have made him one of our best speakers. A Welshman bred in Newport 21 years ago, he attended Newport High School. Here he excelled himself mainly as a swimmer, be-inp Welsh A.T.C. Champion 220 vards Free Style, member of the Welsh A.T.C. Championships Mxdlfiv Relay Team Winners, and, of course, a Welsh International for the A.T.C. I lis prowess was further proven when he came sixth out of 200 in the Taff Vale Swim, an open international event over 2 miles. His main claim to fame at L.S.E. has not only been brought about by his speaking abilities. In his first year he did not have a great deal of support or popularity; but consistent speaking on a wide range of topics fashioned his debating style into a far more efTective mode of expression. When he speaks nowadays he is listened to with rc- A Mailer of Honour livery year many students of the L.S.E. and other Colleges travel abroad under the A.I.lt.S.E.C". scheme to work in some foreign country. The scheme is reciprocal: for every British student who goes abroad a foreign student goes to England. Every continental country gives a warm reception to our students. We are the oiih' country which provides a miserable reception. A.I.E.S.E.C. earnestly desires to remedy this state of affairs. Help Wanted We need people who are willing to devote a few weeks of their summer holidays to the arranging of reception facilities. All that is asked of them is to act as guides around lyondon, lead parties to the theatre, etc. The work is not hard and there are many compensations. We also need people who are willing to devote a little of their time to the arranging of reception facilities in advance, that is, during Michaelmas and Lent terms. Will all those interested please annlv immediately to S. Walters, Reception Officer, A.I.E.S.E.C. fly.S.E. Students' Union). spect and interest instead of the distain of old. In some ways the fact that he shot into the chairmanship of the Conservative Society in L.S.l'^ in his first year was not a steadying yi influence. At that time he tended to over-stretch himself and get severely bitten. 'I'ime and ex]ieri-ence has paid off, and a luore becoming shrewdness and attitude of mind has luade him a nnich more popular figure than of old, although some of the stigmas and memories take a lot of shifting. This abundant self-confidence that has been evident this year indicates that he feels far more sure of his ground. The manner in which he conducted the Miss L.S.Ii. contest, and has taken part in representative debates from the platform itself is but a small ex-ample of this. Political Aspirations In some ways the frustrations of the first two years were conijien-sated with a reasonably good Part I, his future appearing a little clearer and more decisive. At the moment he hopes to enter politics in the not too distant future. His apjiii-cation for the Conservative seat at Newport is at the moment uniler review. But as such matters re-ouire time and experience to take effect, he plans to stay on, |i()s-sibly for a further year, at University on a post-graduate course. 1 le has no doubt in his mind whatsoever that he will enter politics and he sees in L.S.Ii. life an o|i-portunity to train himself in the necessary requirements. W.U.S. THANKS L.S.E. Many thanks to all who helped to make such a success of International Students' Week, when wc collected over £50 for W.U.S. Of almost equal value to the cause of W.U.S. was the publicity that it gained: some people heard of W.U.S. for the first time and many learned of the valuable relief work it carries on among students. You will be hearing more of W.U.S. this session, especially in the summer term, when the W.U.S./ U.L.U. Carnival is to be held in the grounds of Bedford College. Last session we won a prize for our entry in the procession and volunteers will be needed next term to help us do the same again. One of the most |x)pular events of the week was the Miss I^.S.li. ('ontest: a picture of the winner appears on the frpnt page. The judges, Mr. and Mrs. ("harlie, Jack Any NEW books obtained. 21- in the £ reduction. Orders, with cash, to Box 500, " Beaver " Office. THE HOUSING OFFICER Possessing details of flats, hostels and lodgings, will be available for consultation every Tuesday in Room E333, 12.45 till 1.45 p.m., or contact M. J. London via the pigeon holes. Maddox and Muriel (Joulden, had a didicult job to choose from the ten out of L.S.li.'s bevy of beautiful girls who, with varying degrees of embarrassment, walked across the stage. A highly appreciative and predominantly male audience indicated their own opinion of each candidate as they were professionally introduced by Dick White-house, who, as usual, was seemingly oblivious to the roaring and barracking of the floor. There is no doubt that this will become a regular feature of International Students' Week. Please Note! A suggestion was made by Jon (^assiiis in the last edition of " Beaver " that W.U.S. was beginning to exhibit political tendencies. Of course this is utterly wrong. W.U.S. is not and never has been a political body; it seeks to hel)i students in need without enquiring at all into their opinions on political or any other matters. Nor is the fact that it is prepared, imder the terms of its constitution, to hclii students in any country " East " or " West " an indication of political tendencies, but rather a proof that it deserves our fullest support. A. Hale. LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS HOUGHTON STREET ALDWYCH - LONDON - W.C.2 Vol. VI No. 4 Editor: David Watkins Associate Editors: Hiuan SriiWART, David Craton News Editor: DAvn> Francis Art Editor: Peter Davies Sports Editor: Malcolm Schoi-ield liusiness Mwianer: Brian Koper Sales Manager: Jack London Photographer: Paul Sithi-Amnuai Staff: Julie Uell, Vic Jones, Maureen Hkodie THOUGHTS FOR THE VAC. The College term is drawing to a close, and as students wind their various paths home, no doubt many a melancholy thought will pass through their minds. Perha]xs for the new students their thoughts will be that their first term at university was a disappointment—a let-down from the picture they had envisaged only ten weeks ago, or they may be full of enthusiasm for the terms to come. Eor the older ones there is apprehension that exams are a mere term and a half away, and that soon the moments of truth will arrive. Those that finish at L.S.Ii. this academic year nervously look to the future, for by now they have the very real concern of the search for jobs ahead. Now is the time to really get down to the problem. What is the nature of the position to be sought.' Will the degree obtained be suitable.' Will such a job satisfy the necessary ambitions.' Can such positions be found? It is piquant to realise that Post Bag Liberal Denial Dear Sir, To ignore the Liberal Party at Westminster is, quite possibly, justifiable; to ignore it in the country at large is still just [ilausible; for a Socialist to ignore it in the Universities is sheer arrogance, whilst to ignore Liberal influence on the concept of industrial democracy, as John Greve did in his last fortnightly colunui on the activities of the Labour Society, is blatantly absuril. Any Liberal would accept much of the "Insider" analysis of the concentration of cconoinic power and wealth. But he would also ask; where does U.L.R. wish to see this |5ower deposited.' Concentrated still more in the hands of a supposedly responsible State, as in classical Socialist theory? Perhaps it is just that I am naive, but I must confess that personally I would have thought that a " jiroperty-owning democracy " -or, to use a less abused phrase, intlustrial democracy—iiuplied the exact reverse. The essential feature would, to me, aonear to be the dispersion of ownership, control and power through means such as co-ownership, workers' co-operatives, or even something approaching syndicalism in the nationalised industries. Perhaps John Greve would use one of his future articles to explain why it is Jo Grimond and not Nye Bevan who talks about such subjects these days? Yours, etc., John Wili.iamson. Firm Opinions Dear Sir, The account given in the " Beaver " about the visit of the Russian students was in both cases completely unsatisfactory. While in the first case it amounted to an absolutely false lip service to tiie imaginary merits of the guests, in the second case it boiled down to a few equally uncritical and superficial phrases of abuse. The more surprising is this attitude of the " Beaver if we realize that both accounts were given by the same person, who, in the first place, did not sign his article, while in the second—attempting in a childish wav to hide his identity—signed it with his surname the other way round. It seems to me strange that the having obtained a degree merely qualifies us for a position: the trials before us are only beginning. We will have to adapt ourselves to our new positions, and realise that only determined ambition and drive can carry us forward. Relying on our own initiative to make a livelihood in the world can be rather a frightening prospect after the cushioned academic life of school and University. No doubt many of us are in for a shock. Making a success of college life is a vastly different proposition from the competitive nature of our lot in the time to come. Safe, quiet posts, humdrum and tedious, will surely pall and bore in a very short time, while the more varied yet difficult careers will tax and, no doubt, strain our nerves and capabilities to the full. Yet if we arc to justify the past years to our sponsor and ourselves, wc must seek to do something that not only satisfies, but fulfils, and is really worthwhile. editors of the " Beaver " seem to be satisfied twice in succession with the account of someone who apparently is not in a position to have a view of his own, based on facts or observations, and who is too willing to e.xpress a diametrically opposed opinion in a matter of a fortnight without any new experience or evidence. Mr. Stewart, who in the first place called the Russians good ani-Iiassadors " showing great tact and liveliness in answering questions and displaying a good deal of humanity ", two weeks later decides that " Never have I been more disgusted with the attitude of guests ..." It ought to be the subject of a thrilling psychological study how this shift in his opinion evolved without having seen the Russians once more. As a matter of fact, the Russians neither " displayed a great deal of humanity " nor " hung around like moribund mosquitoes". l"he were, in their way, politically well trained and highly conditioned representatives of the regime; the fault lies not so much in them, but in those who produce such species ol the classical ideological doublethink and utter insincerity. And this was a subject which would have deserved a more careful attention and examination in the columns of the " Beaver " instead of these two self-contradicting and farcial accounts, which rendered the worst service not only to the authenticity of the " Beaver ", but also to the cause of fair and thoroughgoing discussions of topical problems. Yours, etc., Paul Hollander. ICdiiok's Rki>i,v.—Mr. Hollander (an Hungarian) criticises " Beaver " from two points of view. Firstly he is entitled to say that both accounts of the Russian visit were inaccurate and also to giiw his own view. However, on the second point (that the same person wrote both reports) he is using facts disclosed to him in conversations. The journalist is concerned with giving exact impressions, and the writer of the fust article attempted to convey the views of those students who had objected to it, by putting their opinions in concise form in the second view. He expressed no personal opinion in either report and .10 did not change his mind: but this will confuse Mr. Hollander even more. December Sth, 1957 BEAVER 3 ARCHBISHOP VISITS L.S.E. EUROPEAN INTEGMTIOM Discusses True Freedom The annual dinner of the Church of England Society held in the senior dining room on Thursday, November Htli, was an occasion whicii will be remembered by both staff and students of this and other London colleges. The guest of honour was His (irace the Archbishop of York, and other distinguished guests included the Director and Lady Caine, Sir Alexander Carr-Saunders, and Mr. 11. Kidd, the Secretary of the School. The University chaplain, the Reverend Gordon Phillips, was in the chair. After an informal reception, where many peojile met the Archbishop and other guests, the company enjoyed an excellent meal provided by Mrs. Ellis and the refectory staff. The Chairman then formally introduced Ilis Grace, and invited him to address the Church Society and their guests. True Freedom 1 n the epitome of what an after-dinner speech should be, the Archbishop referred to the current ideological struggle between East and West, and posed the problem of the nature of the freedom which the Western Democracies strive to uphold. He maintained that the only true freedom is that which conies of complete submission to ()od, whose service is perfect freedom. The Archbishop expanded this theme, and refuted the apparent paradox, showing that absolute service to (Jod entails complete freedom from those sins and basic human traits which themselves lead to the abuse of freedom. In the course of his speech His Grace surreptitiously divulged that the occasion was also in the way of being his birthday party an announcement which led to great applause from the company. Before jileased and honoured the Society were to welcome His Grace to L.S.E. along with so many other guests. The President went on to s[)eak briefly about the history and activities of the Church Society and its role in student life. He thanked the Chaplain for taking the chair on that occasion, and expressed the f^l ThiB Archbishop of York jiroposing a toast to the health of the Society the Archbishop confessed that his address had been, amongst other things, an attempt to sec whether he really could work some theology into an after-dinner speech I 'l"he President of the Society, Mr. Anthony Proudman, thanked the company on behalf of the Society for their good wishes, and said how hope that the College would be privileged to entertain the Archbishop again in the near future. A final toast was proposed, ex-temjK)rarily, by the Chaplain, wishing His Grace a very happy birthday, and then the host Society and its guests adjourned to the reception room, where many more people, both staff and students, were able to chat with the Archbishoji, the Director and other guests. AMERICAIS POLICY IN CHINA by 1st Sec. (Political Section) American Embassy As the title did not lend itself much to an interpretation, the Secretary, Mr. Martin, perhaps wisely, kept strictly to the " What, Why and How " of the " oflicial line " in his delivery of a plain, straightforward talk. He began rather negatively by stating that he did not expect to convert anyone but that he hoped that by the end we would understand their position better. After this he gave us recent occasions in which diplomatic contact had been established between the United States and the "People's Republic" of China, in which he had personally participated. The first was at New Delhi at the International Red Cross Conference, which was apparently the first time ever when an American delegation had sat down at the same table with representatives from Communist China. Nationalist China had at the last minute declined to attend owing to being incorrectly addressed as the " People's Republic of Formosa " (politically inspired.?) which was regarded as a slur on their honour, there being " no such animal " I The second time was when discussions were held at Geneva with the Communist China's Ambassador to Poland concerning the c|uestion of detained nationals. Heads or Tails? American policy was similar to " two sides of a coin ". On the one hand they recognised Nationalist China as the proper Government, which the Secretary said disposed of the fact that they had been accused of perpetrating the " Two China Theory ". Considerable support had been given to Formosa, both militarily, based on a Treaty of Mutual Defence 1954, and on an aid programme commenced in 1952 which had built up some 21 divisions on the island and econom- ically, consisting of some !t)64U million. Nationalist China was also given political and diplomatic support, i.e., support at United Nations. On the other hand, they did not recognise the Coninmnist Government, though as the Americans were not apparently quite so unrealistic, the Secretary gave us to understand that they recognised its existence, having had diplomatic contact with them since 1951. Underlying Assumptions This policy was based on certain assumptions. The first was that the Communist government was hostile to the United States—this provoked much laughter. 'I'he second was that they had demonstrated the will to use force to obtain their objects. The third was that the Balance of Power in the Far East had swung very heavily in favour of the Communists, i.e., Russian-Chinese alliance 1950. The fourth was that Nationalist China in Formosa would be an alternative government for those Chinese of democratic leanings who did not like Communists! The implementation of this policy started at the Congress which had passed resolutions unanimously expressing its non- recognition of Communist China. Hence since 1950 it had become one of the non-controversial subjects. The Secretary gave us to understand that if United States gave formal recognition this would not necessarily improve relations, since the Reds aimed to eliminate all Western influence from the island, had not recognised officially the representatives of the British government till four years after the British government had recognised Red China, and because it might only aid them to spread their influence in the Far East beyond China itself. Assumptions Assaulted T'he questions asked were based mainly on querying the authenticity of the assumptions cited, and the Secretary, in reply, was not hesitant, and was caught groping for the correct word to express himself. However, on one point he was more certain of his ground. He said that the United States could not recognise a government imposed by force; a West African immediately remarked that the U.S. had come into being through force, which the Secretary hotly denied, directing the African to look up the history books! leon^^lLgl^ 86 Kingsway, W.C.2 Holborn 2240 KI^AZERN IIADGEN OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS TO THE STUDENTS' UNION The Young Conservatives came along to the Old Theatre last week to propose that " this house, while recognising that some degree of sovereignty will be lost, welcomes Great Britain as a full member of a politically integrated Isurope". Their first speaker, a prospective parliamentary candidate, spoke with vigour and enthusiasm of the need for the Conservative Party to move with the times. But his sparse and uninspired audience were moved only to reflect that Mr. Bowden's exhortations to look ahead, were based upon a superficial knowledge of the past. Mr. Whitehouse then followed, determined to prove that the motion was illogical, by presenting paradoxes himself. Mr. White-house is fast becoming a regular attraction in the Old 'Pheatre—as Tommy T'rinder was at the Palladium. But he would do well to remember that rather scathing wit should merely supplement, and not be a substitute for a concise and prepared speech. He used the failure of the United Nations Organisation as evidence that the idea of a politically integrated luirope is romantic speculation, and Britain, he maintained, would THOSE BEARDS No. 2 Although from Sheffield, where razors aren't short— 1 sprout this beard, as my favoiu"-itc sport; 1 have good reasons—to justify this act, And here is my story—all accurate fact: Fm John Shillito, nineteen years old— Despite this age, I have to look old; I'or how many are there—at my tender age Claim to be MARRIED—and look like a sage? DO YOU MOW ? Do vou know that you can buy from Charlie's bar all your Christmas wines, spirits and beers cheaper than anywhere in London? Charlie caters for all types and for all parties, from Weddings to Funerals, from Twenty-firsts to Divorces. Charlie can advise on any subject from sex to Sanscrit poetry, and from sausages to scholarships. Charlie has the largest selection of rolls obtainable anywhere west of Suez at 6d. per roll. Extensions to the bar will be made during the Christmas vac., when economies of scale, as well as an extended range of drinks and foodstuffs will be obtained. REPORTERS WANTED Everyone is a reporter for " Beaver Please send in any articles of general or society news for the New Year edition. not tolerate any infringement of her sovereign power. He promised at the start to be unacadeniic about sovereignty, and indeed he was! Trepidation I'he two supporting speakers had obviously spent a great deal of time in preparing their addresses. For the Motion, Mr. Bowman carefully traced the need for federalism in Europe, as a necessary and logical result of economic harmony. 'Phe young lady from Westfield who seconded Mr. Whitchouse, expressed her trepidation at coming to L.S.E., and as she brought such adolescent, naive ideas about the greatness of Great Britain with her, such hesitancy was quite understandable. The speeches from the floor were dominated by the local 'J'ory stalwarts, amongst whom Mr. Craton was particularly good, and Mr. Place mildly hysterical. The highlight of the evening was commend-ably reserved for the penultimate speaker, who discussed the problem from the point of view of the rest of Europe, asking, even hoping, that this country would take its rightful place in a Unified Europe. 'Phe Motion was carried by a substantial majority. J. Qiaffey. URALS ENSEMBLE 'Phe sudden appearance of a notice stating that the Urals Ensemble, currently appearing at the Drury Lane 'Pheatre, would be in the Old 'Pheatre at 4 p.m. last 'Puesday week, aroused considerable interest. Some people feared it to be a hoax because there was no apparent sponsor. However, despite the misapprehension, a large crowd was waiting expectantly when the time came. 'Phe programme was necessarily of an informal nature and when the organisers left the stage, we were left with nine attractive ladies standing in a semi-circle. They began with a dainty Russian ballad and, despite lack of accompaniment, succeeded in keeping in key despite difficult counter-singing. 'Phe second song was of a similar type, but no less attractive for that reason. One thing that was immediately apparent, was the always smiling faces and the general vivacity of the singers. The third song was the " piece de resistance " of the performance —" Three Blind Mice " sung in English, or at least almost English. Finally, for the programme had to be contracted so that Prof. C. D. H. Cole could take the stand, they sang a gay love song tpiite in contrast to the first two numbers, which had a note of sadness. Despite the closed curtains one of the singers gave us a lively little dance, ably supported by joyful noises from the rest of the cast. I am quite sure that no one went away dissatisfied and many must have changed their ideas about the dourness of the Russians formed from our last visitors from that country. Their happiness inspired a round of applause which equalled that of anything heard in the Old Theatre. THE OFFICIAL SPORTS & COLOUR OUTFITTERS JACK HOBBS LTD. 59 FLEET STREET, E.C.4 FLEet Street 2139 4 fiEAVER r December Sth, 1957 Helsinki and the Finns CONFIDENTIALLY.. ;it of Bulganin and Krusctiev pril. Foreigners Welcomeil siiiki can he regarded as the Northern cajiital city in the except perhaps for Rc3'k-n Icehind. It is a city almost 1 of tourists, and the presence eigners in any part of the ill always arouse some curi- 1 mat tney win vamsn. i nougn exceedingly handsome in ajipearance, the people lack personality, and arc therefore not attractive companions. They tend to be verv remorseful and sullen anil hate to make themselves aiipear fools. Being so very impassionate there is no response to stimulating entertainment there is absolute silence in cinemas and theatres—and even their dancing Helsinki School of Economics Too Much to Do Life at L.S.E. is nothing if not varied and stimulating. Recently, however, it seems to have been more so than usual, for with the approach of the festive season, the recent elections, and many individual stimulating events, the last days of term have been more crowded than ever. The other week we Jiad the delightfully vivacious singing of the Urals Ensemble, followed immediately in the Old I'heatre by Professor G. D. II. Cole lecturing on Socialism. This was fine, but Thursdays have been becoining annoying because of tlie abimdance of attractions. I noticed the other day that three notable speakers— Professor J. R. 1 licks, Mr. J. Cal-laghan, and Philip Hope-Wallace— were all due to speak at 4.15 on the same Thursday. And to crown it the Miss L.S.ls. contest was heltl at the same time. 'J'here seems little excuse lor such bad ]ilanning, which caused people to miss talks they would probably have liked to have heard, and, worse still, almost certainly made for small audiences, to the embarrassment of all concerned. Surely a system could be devised which would prevent such clashes in the future. Pigeon-holed Another featin^e of the college which could \vell do with an overhaul is the system of distributing correspondence through the Pigeon Holes. Letters renuiin in holes for terms, if not sessions, and the poor uniortunates who have po]5ular letters like ' S ' are forced to spend half the day ploughing through shoals of paper. The difficulty is that it is hard to suggest any way of improving matters, except possibly to further sub-divide the common letters. I'art of the trouble is that things get cumulatively worse. Because it takes so long, peo[ile will not look in their pigeon hole, with the result that they become even more clogged. by Satiricus Grants The reaction by certain students both in the National Press and verbally to the claims for higher grants suggests that perhaps the claims are a little rosy. They are aimed at making vacation work unnecessary and .£365 a year would ]irobably do that. However, it would almost certainly not stop the vacation work habit, which in the summer, at any rate, is often followed to alleviate boredom or finance expensive holidays as much as it is to make ends meet. At any rate, one doesn't seem to meet many impoverished students on to-day's grants. If there is to be more money sjient on grants there seem to be more m'gent calls upon it. There are still people whose Scholarships do not include fees, and in these days of high taxation the Means Test seems something of an anachronism. "^riie difficulties and hardships it may cause to middle-income groups are well known. Although the N.U.S. is conscious of these points and is pressing, among other things, for the alleviation of the Means Test, it seems impossible that all their claims will be met. Perhaps there should have been more emphasis on helping those whose grants are meagre than those who already enjoy large ones. Pictures II' you are looking for attractive |)rints to decorate your walls you could do worse than have a look at those in the Stationery Office across in Kingsway. 1 recently bought half a dozen delightful ones of varying sizes, all for 22/-. l'"or example, the coloured plate of the Peasant Boy in the window costs only 3/-. Given the Boot Statement of the Week: "The Government Official who lost Top Secrct documents from the boot of his car has been transferred to non-secret work ". What with this, and the Brighton Police . . . Address To Drinkers THE STATE OF THE T tl tl a e y 0 1 ii r I There are few countries whose land and people are as little known to most Englishmen as the Republic of Finland. Yet its culture is distinctly West European, and Finland ranks among the most enlighteneil nations in its political and social philosophy and practice; in its education, literature, art and scientific research, 'I'ltoiigh Iuiwpenn in outlook, Finland docs not enter very much into the sphere of Eurojwan affairs, in that it is not a member of NATO or any common market Finnish Parliament scheme—and this myster}' of isolation is, I think, what makes it so interesting to foreigners. It is the only country in luirope bordering on the Soviet Union that is not behind the Iron Curtain. In that it acts as a buffer state between East and West, the country has been given some attention from both sides in order to gain its sympathies. Recent evidence, of course, was the Hritish Industrial Exhibition held in Helsinki this summer—the first of its kind that Britain has held anywhere in the world—and precedcci, of course, by the vii last A Hel: most world, javik i devoit of for citv w Where to Drink A series of articles on where to drink in London would hardly be complete without reference to the Cheshire Cheese—just off Fleet Street. All paths from L.S.E. seem to lead either to Kingsway, the Strand, or Waterloo Bridge, but rarely towards the vicinity of tEie old Flete prison. Take a walk one lunch time down I''lect Street between those castles which are responsible for our daily ration of " Scandal ", and when half way down turn left into an unprepossessing little alleyway, bearing, incongruously, the romantic name of Wine Office Court, and there on your right is Ye Okie ("Cheshire Cheese. Push open the door and enter with the deference due to an establishment still ruled by such a mighty and ponderous figure as Dr. Johnson, a deference even sometimes solicited from those peculiar people with funny clothes and a nasal twang; go into the little bar with the big fire on your right and, careful ladies, only a few of von will be able to get in. It's an all male bar. Thoughts of Old As J 'ou sit here drinking, think back over the history of the place. I lere where you are sitting may have sat Dr. Johnson and Golds-niigh, perhaps drinking the inevitable pimch, Voltaire, or Thack-ery and Dickens; for the Cheshire osity. But to visit Helsinki is not to visit Finland, or, as the Finns call their country—Suomi, meaning the land of lakes. Helsinki is the only " modern " town in the whole of the coimtry, and many of the sights of the caj)ital are not repeated in any of the other towns such as Turku, Tampeme or Kolka. Many contrasts are brought to life, such as the incongrous blending of the old and new—for example in architecture. Wooden houses appear next to uitra-modeni apartment blocks vviiilst in the suburbs niassive skyscrapers emerge from forests. Also very apparent is the influence of Asia—which is not evident in anv other tourist infested European city. The town itself is built on a peninsula which juts out between thousands of coastal islands. On approaching Helsinki from the sea one has the impression of a city moored in the middle of nowhere, for all around vast forests predominate. The town has no room to expand and therefore the people of the city arc all apartment owners. There is no semblance of surburban house development. In conjunction with this most people own or rent country houses situated in the lakeland interior, and every siunmer most of the people move to the country at week-ends, leaving the streets of Helsinki almost empty. Individual Personality The Finns themselves bear no resemblance to any other European race. One has the impression that they have not yet acclimatized themselves to urban life. With one foot in the backwoods and the other in the town they rush about attempting to saturate themselves with urban amenities in the fear — — No. 4 Cheese still lives in the past, and is indeed probably the only old tavern left in London not defaced by the ruthless hands of a builder. It seems that a monastery existed on the site from the 13th C-cntury where the monks used to make their own wine. This appears to have developed in some mysterious way into a tavern, but was burnt down in the Great Fire, and had to be rebuilt the following year, the result being the present building. Much of the history of the place is to be found in the cellars. Jock is always ready to guide you round there, but do not believe all his interesting stories; there between the cloistered archs was the monks' refectory—or was this just one of Jock's yarns?—banquets are often held, and, indeed, the Cheshire Cheese is the home of several exclusive clubs. eat cheaply eat well at the SOMERSET CAFE 115 Strand, W.C. i by Viv Davies expresses no emotion whatsoever. With drink, however, tlieir whole mood changes and it usually happens that they end up by making bigger iools of themselves. To foreigners, however, they show extravagant hospitality and if they can speak English as well, the whole woi'ld is laid at your feet. About 9% of the population are Swedish speaking and here a complete contrast is presented. Being the elite, in both the academic and financial sense, they appear much more westernized, and understand foreigners much better and, as such, entertain them according to true Finnish tradition. This sect is completely separated from the I'inns themselves and a " colour-bar " segregation exists to a considerable degree. In that they own most of the national income there is some discord in the economy, for as some peojile expand and lavish their wealth, the poorer I'inns suffer extreme hardships. Though Finland is usually associated with lakes, saunas, and Sibelius, the country has extensive l^otentialities. Their character makes them good academic students--and Finnish modern architecture has reached an unparalleled superiority in the world —to which even the Americans bow. Once the people can grasji the real meaning of development and advancement, the country, indeed, will become a great one. Dark clouds are forming irs the coffee bars, and a storm is brewing among the tea-cups of Mrs. Ellis's. The clouds are of cigarette smoke, and the storm is an area of pressure centering upon one or other of the candidates for the Vice-Presidential Elections. Such conspiratorial gatherings as one could recently see in the nooks and crannies of the public places of L.S.E. form the lobbies of the candidates. It is surprising that any candidates were forthcoming for election. The hard-learned and perhaps hardly earned lesson which the past council was given by Union might have deterred the hardiest spirits; fortunately, however, the experience has presented a challenge to many who feel, no doubt, that they could do at least as well. The successful ones should be warned. All that glitters is not gold, and he who shines on the platform and in defence of his actions is often not the most brilliant of administrators. The demand is for a bit of both, and the job of the candidate, and still more of the elected V.P., is to prove that he has the qualities which were inherent in his nomination. Qualifications and Qualities These "ualities can be only imperfectly reflected in the list of conunittees and societies to which the candidate has belonged. It is one thing to join a society, or to accept a Union post, but it is quite another to support either fully. We instinctively distrust those who claim everything from the Hellenic Society to the Constitution Committee. It seems hardly feasilile that one who has done so nnich can have done it all well. With the prospect of examinations ahead such men as these really will have to work now. Their tasks in Union Council may seem sinecures from a casual, outside view, but any of the retired members of that body shoidd be able to testify to the fallacy of this notion. Council and Character It is impossible to expect that all who vote knew all the candidates jiersonally and their saccharine smiles on voting day were scarcely an infornuitive guide to character. One can only hope that the candidates' (]ualifications have been taken with a grain of salt, and that some weight at least has been given to their apparent honesty, proven experience and to their willingness UNION by JON CASSIUS to serve on, and not necessarily to lead the Council. These are attributes which are hard to discover in one person, and still harder to detect from casual acquaintance. Prior to an election it is the job of the friends of such men to encourage them to stand, and during the election to help them to gain support. Societies' Task It is in this that the societies of the Union can perform a commendable task. It is well known that the political societies help to manage elections. In this they have a considerable responsibility. It is not enough to support a candidate because he is a Conservative, Liberal or a Labour man. Acquaintance through these societies should reveal the man, and not place blinders on the societies so that they see no faults, and give support to an imsuitable person merely because he is politically reliable. Campaigns I'he strength of such support as this lies in the energy and resource which goes into a campaign. The election just past shows no diminu-ation of this, and one can only hope that the societies have shown some sense of responsibility in choosing those whom they supported. December 5th, 1957 BEAVER 5 LOST HORIZONS-TIBET Tibet, though it is embodied in the cradle of the earth, fourteen thousand feet above sea-level, and perhaps will remain, forever, the Forbidden Land—is yet not too far away from us in one aspect. For we have a Tibetian here at L.S.E. And in this article, an attempt is made to describe Tibet as it really is, not through foreign eyes, not by hearsay, but by the intimate knowledge given by a daughter of her soil. To leap directly into the subject, however, would be unjustified without first becoming acquainted with our narrator. DEKI LADKN-LA (pronounced Dicky Leyden-La) is one of the most charming students at L.S.E., reading International Relations. Not only are her manners regal, but her whole disposition reflects an inner serenity and calmness. I ler Tibetian characteristic of self-depreciation does not serve its purpose, for anyone newly introduced to her is inmiediately pleasantly surprised by her "Queen's English", which emits from her in a soft, controlled voice —delightful to hear! Landscape If it were physically possible, an observer standing on top of Mount Everest viewing Tibet, would |ier-haps describe it thus: " I see mountains, snow-capped mountains, standing as firmly as giants, ridge after ridge after ridge. I sec rivers, mighty rivers the Yangtse, the Hwang llo, and many more. 1 see valleys—green and brown -dipping and jumping—sometimes into plains, sometimes forming plateaux. And lakes, dotting here and there . . . everywhere. Oh, the poor land, how hardy it must be . . . for the whistling wind slashes into her, stripping her of trees, shrubs, and even grass." But not all Tibet is like this. Deki remembers, one early morning, when she awoke, the fresh mountain air penetrating her lungs. She looked out of her window— and saw an orange light in the sky, peejiing from behind a mountain range. As the light grew more intense, so did the colours, changing from orange to a hue of pink, purple, red, and finally, blood-red. She stood there spellbound at this manifestation of sunrise. No better performance of sun and land had she witnessed elsewhere. " Perhaps," she said, " Tibet may be summed up as being similar to Switzerland, but a wild Switzerland, with mountains more rugged, and lakes more blue." Customs The life of a Tibetian is centred round two things—religion and convention. In her room in l>on-don, Deki has placed a huge prayer-chart, depicting several gods, with the god-of-life in the centre. About 20% of the male population are in monastaries, and Tibetians seldom do anything without first consulting the oraeles, even to the extent of when a letter should be sent. As for the Dalai Lama, most of us have heard of how he is re-incarnated. But here is a story by Deki herself. " Once, when the time for the selection of the new Lama came, several young boys were put to one of the many tests, "^fhis was a sort of identification parade, in which a rosary that was once used bv the deceased Lama was mingled with other similar beads. And of course, the new boy Lama could quickly pick out that which he had used in his previous life—and this is one of the minor tests in the discovery of the new Lama." Social life in Tibet is rigidly governed by conventions. For instance, when someone visits Deki's house, she is expected to return the call immediately. By immediately, it means that she should return the visit shortly after her visitor has left. Another strange mode of etiquette is that of exchanging flimsy, white scarves. Tibetians eliminate hand-shakes, and when greeting, give each other white silk scarves instead. When sending letters, scarves come in handy for sealing envelopes, for most letters are wrapped with a scarf before despatch. Besides scarves and visits, another Tibetian custom that might raise the eye-brow of the Western sceptic is that of polyandry. Monogamy, polygamy, and polyandry are all equally well practised. Most believe in monogamy. The rich take to polygamy. As for polyandry, a woman marries three or four brothers at the same time as she marries into the family. The eldest brother, theoretically, is the father of all the children. Nation of Tea Drinkers - •m-' Deki and her Prayer-chart The Potala—the Dalai Lama's Palacc The English are supposed to be a nation of tea drinkers, but just look at these Tibetian statistics. An average tea drinker consumes 40 cups per day, and 80 cups is not considered excessive. Their tea is not flavoured with sugar and milk, but with butter and salt. (Care to try it sometime?.'!) Apart from tea, the other staple food is barlev, which is first ground into flour, then flavoured with tea. It is therefore conceivable that 15 million pounds of tea is imported annually from China. What Does the Future Hold? On the political scene, the future of this land is not so entertaining. China has, for centuries, on and off. claimed Tibet as part of her territory. Today, Chinese troops are stationed in Lhasa. But whether Chairman Mao can ever become Chairman Dalai in the hearts of Tibetians is worth speculating. In this nation — where feudalism still exists, where religion dominates, and where custom rules, a rapid changc over to the Communist way of life is doubtful. For this is the land of philosophers— where beggars are born beggars and happy to be beggars, where lamas chant prayers and spin [irayer-wheels to gain Nirvana (Eternal Bliss), and where the individual's chief concern is the salvation of his soul; no man, no government, and no ideology can ever dominate or change the Tibetian's conception of life: The roiuul of lives is like a needle's point; Can you be happy, when transfixed thereon? Who loves the little happiness, can ne'er Gain the Great Happiness, that ends it all. P. Sithi-Amnijai. ASPECTS OF THE ARTS It is hoped that a regular series may be started on this page concerning various aspects of arts, which contributors find particularly interesting. Printed below is the first of this series, and contributions are invited from all who have some special viewpoint, opinion or (even) prejudice to express about what they like or expect to find in the arts. AIMS OF THE WRITER It must be made clear at the start that what follows is no more than a personal opinion. It is not intended to be an objective view. What ought the writer to be interested in? My short and rather vague answer to this is the world around him. He ought to write only of what he knows of the society in which he lives. But in writing of society the artist must take care. If he wishes to criticise society, he must offer solutions to the problenis which he attacks. To simply expose and destroy society as it is, is not enough. And if he cannot offer solutions, he must then only portray and leave the criticisms to his readers. But this is exceedingly difficult. If a man takes trouble to write of a thing he must feel strongly about it, and it will be impossible for him to hide that element of himself which invoked his writing. His attitude is bound to be implicit in his words. Yet there is no paradox here. The difference between he who criticises and he who portrays is small but significant. The former says " This is undesirable" and ought to add " this would be better The latter may imply " 1 think this is undesirable, do you? " And it is the latter tvne of writer that I prefer. He will not make objective value judgments. He realises that he has no rifht to do so. He knows that he is just another member of the society of which he writes. He is not above it or apart from it. And this humility gives him sympathy with those whom he portrays. It enables him to understand them and present them fairly to his reader, that the reader's sympathy and understanding may be awakened, not so much for the fictitious characters of whom he reads, but for the people whom he meets every day: the people that the artist has tried to mirror. Thus it seems to me that the true end of literature is, if you like, a form of social education. But again I stress, this is a very personal opinion — what do other people think? D. Laidler. Night out at the Cafe de Paris No longer will you have to pay for a three to five guinea meal for the privilege of frequenting this well-known night spot just off Piccadilly. For a cover charge of 10/-you can dance from 8 ji.ni. to 1 a.m. to two star bands and enjoy tasty Continental dishes and all varieties of drink at moderate charges and in the most comfortable surroundings imaginable. The new policy of " Dancing dc luxe" was started primarily because it was not found a practicable business proposition to continue paying fabulous sums for top-line performers such as Marlene Dietrich and Tommy Steele, and to keep such an enormous staff, i.e., meat chef, fish chef, etc., house managers, various officials, waiters, cleaners, porters, when a small attendance one week would render all the preparations of elaborate meals a complete loss. « Luxury . . . and Jeans When you enter for the first time you will get the impression perhaps that you are in the vestibule or one of the halls of an opera house, the luxurious furnishings and tapestries being, of course, a legacy from the days when only the elite could afford the pleasures which it gave. Now if you ask the manager you may, even if you are a man, be allowed to see what used to be Marlene Dietrich's dressing room, now called the " Ladies' Boudoir ". You can either get a drink at the charming little American cocktail bar or one after you have been escorted down what are called the " Famous Staircases " to a little table near the enlarged dance floor. They are thus named owing to the celebrities that have used them, amongst them the then Prince of Wales, now the Duke of Windsor, and . George Raft, who visited this place in the days before he became a gangster. Now probably when you are comfortably seated, a pretty waitress dressed in the new uniform, i.e., jeans, will come tripping along to ask what you desire ... in the drink or food line, that is! After you have been dancing some time to the 4-piece band you will be conscious of the various lighting effects used, i.e., the spotlights, mirror ball, flicker and colour wheel, used one after the CLASSIFIED COLUMNS Hates for classified adverts: One penny per word. Hox number no extra charge. Spccial rates—apply H. A. Roper, through pigeon holes. Wanted: Recor