NEWSPAPER OF THE STUDENTS* UNION OCTOBER 13th, 1960 THREEPENCE ^HHFtshlibrar® ^ tsocij^r ^ (|B PQl^^l: AND ^ iMxolz/C LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS & POLITICAL SCIENCE - UNIVERSITY OF LONDON WAN TED From now until the Easter vacation Beaver will be published regularly each fortnight on Thursday. There are vacancies on the stall in every departinert, and more workers are urgently needed. If you would like to join us, please let us know. No experience is required: we will teach you all you need to know. Several former members of our staff are now professional journalists. If you have ambitions in this direction, here is your chance to set your feet on the ladder. LS.E. STUDENTS STUCK John Moore has just returned to England from India after an eventful motor trip from Europe. He was a member of a party of four students, three of them from LSE, which set out this summer to follow the path of Alexander the Great on his conquering way to the East. The other LSE members of the party were Martin Dyas, who finished his studies in social science at the School last tprm, and Pannayis, a post-graduate student. They left England on 15th July, intending to go as far as Delhi, and to return by the beginning of term. But although they reached India, frequent breakdowns and serious illnesses delayed their progress. They did not arrive in Delhi until the beginning of term. It was planned that three students should return to Greece in another vehicle, leaving Pannayis to continue _____ in the original one to Malaya. As a result of the delay, however, John Moore decided to fly back to London, where he arrived on 8th October. THE BUDGET The Senior Treasurer has announced that unless he receives applications for Budget allocations from Union Officers and Societies by October 15th, the activity concerned may not receive a grant from Union funds for the coming financial year. GRANTS The Government has agreed to implement the Anderson Committee's recommendation that all students admitted to a degree course should be awarded a State grant automatically if they hold two A level passes. Further details of the new system are expected to be announced in the next few months, and it may come into operation next session. TRAGIC S When Moore reached his London flat he learnt that his father had died and he went at once to his home in Brighton where our reporter was unable to contact him before v/e went to press. We understand however that the two remaining members of the group intend to carry out the original plan and go back to Greece by car. Dyas will then complete his journey by train. He will not be returning to the LSE, but plans to marry and go to the USA. NOW KNEEL-INS m School News "A PRIVILEGE?" Sir Keith Murray, chairman of the University Grants Committee, said in July that en-. trance to a university should ' remain 'a privilege not a right'. Speaking at Manchester Grammar School, he urged the need to place quality before quantity in considering entrants to universities. ? ???????? BUTTERWORTH PERIODICALS at special reduced rates for law students The publications concerned are: THK ALL ENGLAND LAW REPORTS THE ALL E.R. NOTER-UP THE WEEKLY LAW SHEET THE JOURNAL OF AFRICAN LAW THE LAW JOURNAL THE LAW TIMES Lectures and students who wish to take advantage of the special reducd subscription rates for any or all of these publications—which will provide a valuable means of widening the practical scope of their studies—should write to the Publishers for further particulars. Letters should be addressed to the Student's Department, BUTTERWORTHS 88 Kingsway, London, W.C.2. Showroom: 11-1'2 Bell Yard, Temple Bar, W.C.2. Details of Butt«rworth Publications arc available on request. ? ???????? The campaign for negro rights in the American South has recently taken a new turn. Following the 'Sit-in' campaign reported in our last issue, students and others have started 'kneel-ins' in the segregated churches. A number of students have been expelled or suspended from their colleges as a reprisal for taking part in this activity. One student, at a Baptist college, has learnt that his fiancee will leave him if he persists in fighting for negro rights. CLARION Clarion, magazine of the National Association of Labour Student Organisations, is to be edited and produced at LSE this term. Nigel Harris. chairman of NALSO for th-' secrr>d year running, will act as Editor. NEW PAPER A new newspaper is to be started at Oxford. It aims to appeal to socialist students throughout the country, and the publishers hope for a circulation of 5,000. FINES If you forget to return vour books to the Lending Library on time it will now cost you seven and sixpence. Fines will be at the rate of 2/6d. per book for the first week, and 1/- per day thereafter. It is understood that this system has been introduced in response to a complaint from the Union about the delays in the return of books to the Library. WEEKEND SCHOOL A weekend school will be held on the weekend of 25th-27th November at Tyringham House, near Newport Pagnall. The House lies about two miles from the M.l, and it will be as easy to reach as Beatrice Webb House, which is not available this year. The cost is expected to be less than £2 per head, and the facilities offered are much better than at Dorking. The theme of the School will be 'Education'. SIR SIDNEY Sir Sydney Caine has recently been made a member of the Independent Television Authority and of the new Overseas Development Institute of London. The Institute has been set up to study the whole problem of aid to underdeveloped countries. SOCIETIES Some new societies are in the process of being formed. They include: The Nev/ Left, Youth Service, Photographic, and Ice Skating Societies. They hope to begin activities this term. It is understood that the following societies are now defunct; Mill Club, Country Dancing, General Full Course, Celtic Union, and the Communist Society. PENNY ROY Penny Roy, the attractive, fair haired young Conservative who left the School at the end of last session after one year of the B.Sc.(Econ.) course, is now working in the City as an assistant to a company secretary. She expects to be able to visit her friends at LSE during the term. SUMMER SCHOOL Sixteen students from many countries attended the International Summer School held at LSE at the end of last term. Guests of the Students Union, they enjoyed a full programme of lectures and entertainments while in London. Since many students could not come to the school, the cost was only about half the budgeted figure. Honorary President Abroad Digby Wolfe, elected honorary president of the Union last term, is now touring in Austraha. He has had a very successful trip, and has decided to extend his stay. It is not yet known, as we go to press, when he will return. LEVY JOBLESS Brian Levy, the last Editor of Beaver, returned last month from New York, where he worked on a Newspaper. On his return he started work with his uncle, an estate agent, he has given this up, because, he says, he found the estate business, after the Rent Act, 'immoral'. A ^>!EW THEMRE The NuflJield Foundation has granted the University of Southampton £130,000 to build a university theatre, which Basil Spence has designed. The Nuffield Theatre will scat 510 people and will be ready in 1963. The university will create a fellowship in drama to develop a high standard of performance in university productions. It is hoped that the theatre will be a unifying factor between arts and science students in this rapidly growing university. Tyneside University King's College, Newcastle upon Tyne, will be a university in its own right if the Governmen; accept a petition that has be ^n sent to them by Durham Convocation. i Students of science and technology will benefit most from this extension, since two thirds of ti .e proposed ninety per cent, \ncrease in places will be in i.hese faculties. It will tske about two years for the sex iration to be completed, bi the extension schemes wiil take until 1970. Wanted YOUR i!SSURANCE OR INSURANCE PROBLEMS Write or Phone MIK •COHEN Ling House, Dominion St., E.C.2 ELS 570S MON 0511 2 BEAVER 13th October, 1960. S5eaver No. 1 STAFF LIST Editor : Don Esslemont Ch. Sub : Andrew de Boltho Arts : Alastair MacAuley Features : Paul Buteux Sports ; Richard Stevenson Pictures ; Peter Salathiel Business Man. : Mike Niblock Secretary : Anne Stone FRESHERS RECEPTION On this page today we publish a letter from a first year student which represents a very reasonable reaction to the 'freshers' reception'. In theory this is intended for the convenience of the freshers. In fact it is now regarded as an opportunity for officials of the Union and of Societies to recruit working hands and subscription fodder. This is a human attitude, but a wrong one. Granted that the student who is conned into working for a Union activity will get to know his slave-master, it would be very much more satisfactory if the fresher's first few days at the school were organised with two aims in mind, and no others: to learn to find his way about the school; and to get to know other students, particularly those who are not freshers. It seems to jis that the best way in which these aims could be achieved would be to abandon the jamboree in Room 8 and to hold instead an increased number of social functions. Societies anxious to find new members would then have to go out actively to meet the freshers. They would thus make acquaintances who could act as mentors, guides, and what-not, during the first days at the School. THE LEFT The Labour Party Conference at Scarborough last week produced no real surprises, but it made it impossible to ignore, as Robert Mackenzie pointed out on Sunday, that there are at the moment two labour parties, with quite different aiTns and attitudes, struggling for control of the party machine. It would be futile to speculate on which is likely to win, but our own feeling is that, either way, there is a dangerous time ahead. Nothing so breeds apathy and cynicism as the knowledge that elections are decided before the poll, and this would be the result if the Conservatives opposed a Left consisting of three strong parties instead of one. PROFILE Pamela Waddleton Our Social V.P. has entered into the social life of the College with a grim determination that is peculiarly feminine. Her high pressure election campaign was marred only by the fact that she reached her post on the Council unopposed, but it is unlikely that any other first year student had had as much social experience as Pam. Now in her second year, Pam is busy with the preparations for the Commemoration Ball, hoping greatly to reduce the losses while still making it 'The grfeatest event of the year'. POLITICS Besides her Union work, she takes an active interest in AIESEC, the European Society, and the Conservative Society, of which she is of course Social Secretary. Pam could not imagine herself as anything but Conservative, describing herself as 'fairly liberal'. This is quite fashionable these days. She thinks that Labour (the Liberal Party was not mentioned) could learn a lot from LUCA and Young Conservatives as a whole, 'Not only social', she hastened to add. TRAVEL Taking advantage of the facilities which AIESEC provides, she travelled this summer to Denmark, and worked with a firm of exporters in Copenhagen. Pam took full advantage of 'the terrific social life', and although she did not have much work to do, thinks that she learnt a lot. Pam shares a flat at Chelsea. Outside her social activities at LSE she finds her main interest in travel. She has no idea what she will do when she graduates, but hopes to find a job which will allow her to satisfy this interest. Small Beer Dear Sir, Thank you very much for the complimentary copy of Beaver. I very much appreciate the distinction. The only inexactitude to which I might attract your attention is that the bottle of beer I received from the students v/as much smaller than that v/hich can be seen in the photograph. Yours sincerely, S. A. OZGA. Freshers' Reception Dear Sir, I have just spent a weekend attending the functions enumerated in the many sheets of typescript which are, I understand, sent to all students before they come up to the LSE for the first time. I now feel as if I had spent a month working at a coal face, and I have been gulled into joining far more societies than I shall ever have time to participate in. It seems to me that what is needed, for the reception of freshers, is a greater effort to enable us to get to know each other and the other students. As it is, most of the people one meets are concerned more with making recruits for their own societies than with helping the baffled and exhausted fresher. Yours faithfully, David Kirby. Beaver Dear Sir, Student newspapers have three basic functions. First, to provide opportunities for students to express themselves in print on topics of general interest or on particular problems of the college concerned. This does not really concern us here, although one would welcome a few more contributions from people not on Beaver staff. Second, they should keep students informed about the affairs of their college. Third they should deal with problems of interest to the student world. Unfortunately, while providing a reasonable coverage of gossip and Union affairs your paper neglects almost entirely the activities of the many thriving clubs that we have at the LSE. Yours faithfully, Tanaka Minoru. In the past, each issue of Beaver has carried a number indicating the Volume to which it belonged and its number in that volume. Sinc« the number of issues in each vohime has dei)ended on the number of issues produced each session, it has not been jwssible to tell whether a collection of Beaver is complete. For the convenience of librarians and others who wish to keep copies of tlie paper, each issue will in future bear a serial number. This issue, the first of the 1960-61 session is numbered '1'. Future copies will be numbered straight through, without breaking the sequence into volumes. PRESIDENT'S COLUMN by Eddie Lock As most readers of this column know. Council has four posts that are held for a full year and four that are held for two terms. At the end of last term, as happens every two years, the two types of office were filled at approximately the same time. Last term also, we lost our Permanent Secretary, Muriel Goulden. This meant a completely new team with the Senior Treasurer as the only experienced member of Council. Because of this difficult transition I think that Council and our new Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ginz, are to be congratulated on the way in which they quickly mastered their responsibilities. UNION ACTIVITIES Besides the various services which are administrated through the Union, there is the very important job of providing an informed forum of students, and provoking discussions among ourselves. In addition to the activities of the various societies. Union also provides debates, weekend conferences, talks by notable people from outside the university, 'Beaver' and 'Clare Market Review'. I am sure that the people we have appointed to these jobs are keen and efficient, they certainly deserve our support. SUMMER SCHOOL At the end of last term, Union finally signed the CEDESE Statutes. An International Summer School was quickly arranged with a budget of £200 from the Union and £400 from the School. Invitations were sent to fifteen schools of economics in Europe. Nine schools sent delegations and, as you will see from the report at the next Union meeting, an excellent programme was enjoyed. The cost was finally about £280. May I here give my thanks to those who helped to make it possible, especially to the Academic Staff who participated. The refectory has been redesigned during the vacation with the hope that the service will be quicker and easier. The new arrangements will do away with the one long queue to which we have been {iccus-tomed. Customers will probably be a little confused at the beginning but after some practice should soon master the new technique. A PROFIT Last year the Union Shop and the Three Tuns Club made a very useful profit. The retired Admin. V.P. Harry Aber-nethy and his helpers are responsible for the success of the shop. The growing popularity of the Three Tuns Lounge coincides with the growing popularity of Ron and Marie, whose food, service and welcome for customers are all both good and ready. I hope that those who have not yet visited Ron and Marie will soon become regulars. LESS NOISE Finally I would make an appeal. On Friday evenings after the Beer Social, please remember that, although we may feel very exuberant, there are a few tired residents in this area, there is also a hospital very near; they would like some oeace. There are also people having a quiet beer in the local who are not altogether pleased if a group of noisy students bursts in half an hour before closing time. Rags and pranks should be saved for the WUS carnival and fellow students. 13th October, 1960. BEAVER Education New Style by our Soviet Correspondent Sandwich courses conducted by factories themselves are the latest development in further education behind the Iron Curtain. A pilot scheme at five of the most up to date and efficient factories has been started. The courses will be taken either while the students are working at the factory, or in between stretches in the different shops where students will become familiar with the whole production cycle. Although this is claimed to be the latest development in modern educational methods, the result sounds very like the courses for HNC candidates that have been operating in British factories for some time. WHISKY A'GO GO As a result of the report in our last issue the owner of the Whisky A'GO GO has been interviewed by the London Trades Advisory Council. Ho confirmed the existence of a colour bar at his club, and refused to make any change. Laurence Orbach, a member of the Council, told us that there was nothing further that they could do. The Council is a voluntary body and has no powers in a case of this sort. Student Action A number of student bodies have expressed concern about the case, and plans are being made to apply pressure to the owner. LIBRARY CHANGE The University of London Library, which is located in the Senate House, has started a new system for the return of books. In future books will have to be returned only four times a year, in January, April, June, and October. This will save borrowers the trouble of renewing loans and will also reduce the burden of work on the Library staff. Books in demand will still have to be returned after 14 days, and a book will be recalled if it is requested by another borrower. The number of books which can be borrowed at one time remains at six, but the Library hopes that the new arrangement will be found more convenient than the old. GENERAL SECRETARY David Lindley, who was General Secretary of the Union last session, has graduated and is now studying at the Institute of Education. David was a keen member of the Labour Society, and was hoping to be able to start a cell va tilt; Institute, which is not at present noted for political activity. SAM WOOLF Sam Woolf, formerly a member of the staff on Beaver and highly successful Editor of Clare Market Review, has started to work on the Daily Mirror. ANOTHER PAPER A new newspaper. Concetto, has been started by students at the Chelsea College of Science and Technology. It is attractively printed on glossy paper and costs threepence. Copies can be obtained from the College at Manresa Road, S.W.3. The first issue contains a guide to ChtJsea restaurants and an interview with Spike Milligan. NEWS EDITOR RESIGN^ Alan Segal, who has been News Editor of Beaver since May, has resigned. traig-ht from the black) horse's mouth Have you a banking account ? If not, you should open one now. Thousands of University men and other Collegiate students keep tlieir accounts with Lloyds Bank. We give them an unrestricted Sirvice, at a negligible cost, and they quickly appreciate the advantages of a cheque book. We welcome them as customers and we would mlcome you too. h LLOYDS BANK Nearest branches: Aldwj'ch (346 Strand, W.C.2) Law Courts (222 Strand, W.C.2) and 67 Kingsway, W.C.2. PART ONE RESULTS Slightly fewer students took the B.Sc. (Econ) Part I this year; 319 instead of 327. Although the pass rate has not gone up, the failure rate has gone down, 19.4% as opposed to 21.5%. The leeway has been made up on those students who were referred in one subject. The pass rate is still far lower than it was in 1958 — 73.9% (Day students only). That one student in three should either fail Part, completely or should be referred in one subject suggests that there is something radically wrong with the selection methods, with the teaching or with the organisation of the courses. With university places as limited as they are, each failure means that at least one potential graduate has been deprived needlessly of the opportunity of taking his degree. The high failure rate might, however, be no more than a reflection of the lack of space available for study in the school and in the library. Unless students can be certain of finding both the books they want to read and somewhere in which to read them, they can only rely upon the sometimes meagre selection available at the local branch of the Public Library. If there is nowhere quiet in which they can read or write, they can only study at home in the evenings. Too many classes Also, in the first two years at least, classes are far too large. With twenty students in a discussion group, unless the tutor is an excellent chairman, the period tends to be monopolized by the five or six students who are sitting nearest to him while the others doodle or gaze out of the window. If tutors have too many students, meetings between them are limited to a brief half-hour once every three weeks or so. This is evidently an unsatisfactory state of affairs. Something will have to give. There are only three possible solutions to this problem: fewer students, more staff or less research by the existing staff. Of these, only satisfactory answer is more staff. But this means more space again. Probably no-one would disagree with this. The only difficulty is, of course, money. It should not be necessary by now to remind our readers of the comparison between the amounts spent on higher education and on, say, advertising. All the same, the comparison helps to put the matter in perspective. It is absurd to pretend that the country could not afford to double its expenditure on the universities. It is quite wrong to accept the present allocations from the University Grants Committee as adequate. They are not. DAY EVENING j 1959 1960 1959 1960 1959 1960 i % % % % ¦ % % Pass 191 66 185 67.5 24 63 24 53.3 215 65.7 209 65.6 Referred 38 13.3 42 15.3 3 8 5 11.1 41 12.5 47 14.7 Fail 58 20 46 16.8 11 29 16 35.6 69 21.1 62 19.4 Retired 2 0.7 1 0.4 — — — — 2 0.7 1 0.3 Candidates 289 100 274 100 38 100 45 100 327 100 319 100 DAY EVENING ALL ALL LONDON THEATRE CHANGES Royalty opens Tut Royalty Theatre was christened with champagne when it was o'jened last term. At the reception. Dame Edith Evans unveiled a piiiue. Charles Clore, the fin^^ncier who developed the site, M'js unable to say how much the theatre cost, but the whole building came to well over a million pounds. The theatre is situated in the basement of an office block in Kingsway, on the site of the old Stoll. Mr. Clore said that, with land at its present value, the theatre of the future would have to be combined with another building in some such way as this. He went on to say, however, that although he was happy to have been able to replace the old Stoll, he thought that it was plays and not theatres that were needed to save British drama-The Royalty has been fitted throughout with electr*-cally operated stage machi:i-ery and every modern device, including stereophonic sound. New role for Aldwych In December the Aldwych Theatre is expected to op(;n under the management of the Shakespeare Memorial Tht !-atre, Stratford-on-Avon. Tie Gulbenkian Foundation h? s given a special grant to efi-able the theatre to offer a ne^v type of contract, providing security of employment fo.r three years, to the actors. What's all this arg^ument about family planning^? Almost every day, there seems to be another shot fired in the great battle over family planning. Somebody eminent says that family planning spells disaster for the nation. Somebody else just as eminent declares that without family planning, civilisation will perish. What's the truth of the matter? Most thinking people realise that family planning is important in modem society. (If you compare the average sized Victorian family with the family of today, you'll realise how true this is.) Yet for all that, many people are ignorant of the basic principles of family spacing, and use hit-or-miss methods which have been condemned by doctors and churchmen as unsuitable or even harmful. There's a small booklet which helps to put these problems in perspective. It is called "Planned Families are happy families", and its object is to clear away some of the false ideas and misconceptions which surround the subject. If you would like a free copy, please write to H. F. Booklets Ltd., Dept. , 12 Oval Road, London, N.W.I. 4 BEAVER 13th October, 1960. Meet the Freshers This page is devoted entirely to Freshers—the Freshers themselves, and what they think about the LSE and the world we live in. Each year in October, the new students arrive at the School, are whirled through the maelstrom of the Freshers' Reception, and are, after a few days, simply 'students'. During these few days they make many friends among the other students attending the same classes and lectures, and, by and large, settle down as members of an in-group consisting entirely of other freshers. Only those who become involved in Union activities really get to know students of other years. This week you are invited to 'Meet the Fresher'. We hope our readers will find it useful. Also on this page is a report on a poll conducted by the United Nations Society to investigate new students' attitudes towards the United Nations. Joke Ogunniyi comes from Western Nigeria. After eight months already in this country, she has come to LSE to read Social Science. Amazed to hear Africans play little part in Union affairs, she is a good mixer. ction in jet nmse would s J sufficient not only to ena large jet air-eraft - to^^^; equiremenM^o^ eavy pist get Question i; Question 2: Question 3: Question 4: Question 5: Question 6: Question 7: This Paper to be taken by all Students (Candidates should attempt all qut^tions) "For sheer good reading, take The Scotsman." Discuss. "Variety is the spice of life." Apply this to The Scotsman. Reconcile The Scotsman's full coverajre of Scottish affairs with its wide international outlook. Demonstrate the value, to you, of the Careers and Appointments' feature in The Scotsman every Saturday. Intelligent readers rely daily on The Scotsman for authoritative interpretation of current events, and for lively reviews. Why ? Indicate what you know of the award wcin by The Scotsman for being the best designed newspaper in 1959. Ask your newsagent about the special sttident rate when you order your copy of k A. A A /. A. A A A m ' •>'> Lovely Frances Tang, whose home is in Malaya, is going to read for the Philosophy and Economics degree. 'The English are so difficult to get to know really well', she complains, but she is looking forward to her stay here. Ross Payton, 21, an accountant, has come from Australia to study Industry and Trade. He doesn't like our winter, he says, but enjoys being at the centre of things in London. We are waiting to see if he gets through March. Susie Saunders is a Londoner who has hjtii as a secretar^¦ in 'a feminist organisatior" (she wouldn't say whiL that meant). But ttcre is nothing feminist about Susie, who has joined Beaver as a reporter. vlargaret Chan, who is here to read Law will surely brighten the 'dark arid dirty' aspect of LSE, which was her first impression. Beaver's first scoop this year was to persuade her to join its staff. FRESHERS AND THE UNITED NATIONS by Brian Attewell AS A STUDENT YOU CAN BU Y IT FOR 2d Overwhelming approval of U.N. activity in the Congo and nearly unanimous support for Mr. Hammarskjold was the verdict of 75 freshers who took part in the opinion poll conducted by the U.N. Society at the Freshers Reception. A considerable but less emphatic majority was in favour of moving UNO headquarters from New York. Two thirds of the replies were from British students. On the Congo issue only 14% of them disapproved of UN action and of the majority group only 6% qualified their views: one sympathises with the one person who 'didn't know' — perhaps the most honest answer! 14% of the Britons wanted Dag replaced, but only two people broadly supported Mr. Khruschev's triumvirate proposals and another suggested Mr. Krishna Menon — the sole named replacement. The prevailing British view on the Congo and the Secretary General was shared entirely by the Americans, comprising 11% of the sample; and with only minor qualifications by the Europeans (4.5%), the Israelis (3%) and the Africans (4%), but one of the last criticized Dag's diplomacy. Neither of the UAR respondents wished the UN to be rid of its Secretary-General but they both disapproved of the action taken in the Congo as did one of the West Indians interviewed. Hiroshima? The third question, relating to the site of the UN Headquarters gave rise to the greatest divergence of opinion. One must bear in mind that no reference was made to the cost of the operation which, in terms of practical aid foregone would surely be regarded as prohibitive. Opinion was solidly behind the idea of moving UNO to a neutral city, only 75% of the Americans and 32% of the British disagreeing. Switzerland was suggested as an alternative site by 27% of the sample and Austria and Sweden had more than indigenous support. Outside Europe India was the most popular choice but one person nominated Hiroshima, the most startling suggestion of all. 13th October, 1960. BEAVER 5 r< t Photo: H. T. Bild. Maggie Jenkins and Mike Lucas in "The Garden of Eden". DRAMA SOCIETY IN SCANDINAVIA The success of this summer's tour surpassed that of any during the last five years. The play which we performed, Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus", was particularly well-received. This was surprising in view of some rather grim warnings that it was not suited to the Scandinavian Character, whatever that may be. "Dr. Faustus" is the last of various stages of nudity). the great morality plays in the tradition of "Everyman". Yet it was written when English drama was undergoing a far-reaching change, consequent upon the reformation. We can detect in it a lessening in religion and 'the moral' and a heightening of interest in the dramatic aspects of the theme. It is a lively play, extremely witty in parts and often very moving. The construction is somewhat chaotic, but this provides the aspiring producer with a great deal of scope. There are additional problems to consider, however, when producing a play for tour. We had little room, so we could take only the minimum of scenery—in fact only two or three screens. These were indispensable to the play, besides providing cover in the open air for dressing and making-up. (Except when they collapsed on one occasion, revealing the cast in There was little time for rehearsals, and the cast had to be ready to go on stage after only a brief glance at its layout. This was even more 'exciting' as the variety of stages which we came across this year was remarkably large. Some of them were so tiny that the actors were faced with the danger of falling off. Some of them were so shallow that movement was restricted. At times all we had was a raised platform in a field. At other times all we had was grass. The cast—and no less the play — proved very easily adaptable to these changing circumstances. Every performance was a success and some were quite outstanding. We never failed to overcome the language barrier, and were repeatedly surprised at the sincere and enthusiastic reception which we obtained. Alan Dare. FILMS The Fugitive Kind Too Hot To Handle The Time Machine The first of these films was adapted from a play by Ten-nesee Williams and the last from a short story by H. G. Wells. I think that the play has suffered less, since Williams was alive to see that his creation was not too badly mangled on the production line. The film attempts to retell the Orpheus myth in terms of life in the Southern States, and it has christianised the play. In the original, Val (Orpheus) was torn to pieces by police dogs and condemned to Hades. In the film he is burnt to death in a symbolic hell. This incident typifies the basic weakness of both the film and the play. Tennesee Williams has tended to stick too closelyto reinterpretations of original incidents without In the first three Tuesday films this term, the directors were attempting to solve two problems. How to tell a story in pictorial terms, rather than let the pictures illustrate the story; and how to communicate the expereince of having lived through a revolution and helped to create a new society. The next film in this series is Storm Over Asia, one of the best of the early Russian silent films. trying to recreate the symbolic meaning of the myth. It is difficult to see how either tracker dogs or a burning confectionery can replace the original Maenads. Joanne Woodward lacked the range to play the bad girl and both Anna Magnani and Marlon Brando were their own inimitable selves. But the film is the best of the bunch. The most ludicrous thing about Too Hot To Handle, in fact it is the only funny thing about it, is that Jayne Mansfield is far too fat to appear in tights as she does. Apart from this, the film is a cheap nasty and hypocritical pseudo-exposure of the Soho strip clubs which is badly written, shoddily acted and sensationally produced. This is cinema at its worst. A film that is intended to be pornographic but does not dare. A film that glorifies in crime and viciousness but ends up on a 'holy joe' note that really sickens. The main fault that I could find with The Time Machine is that the point of the story seems to have been lost in the making. When H. G. Wells wrote the story, he tried to show that when civilisation becomes so highly developed that men no longer have to struggle to live, they lose their wills and can be enslaved by any perverted form of life. The film was just a glorified romp, showing an Englishman's innate qualities of leadership, and giving the special effects department an opportunity to show its virtuosity in producing yet another type of monster that could be pToved inferior to man's ingenuity. THE MACHINE AND THE MIDDLE CLASSES by ALASTAIK McAULEY The working class has long considered the machine as a potential rival and this apprehension has coloured their attitude towards it. As early as the seventeenth century there were instances of frame-knitting machines being smashed in this country; the destitution of the hand-loom weavers is well known to anyone who has a nodding acquaintance with the economic or social history of the early nineteenth century; machine - breaking was one of the most serious problems with which the Soviet government had to deal during the rapid industrialisation of NEP and the first five year plan. This mental attitude is completely foreign to 'les bons bourgeois', who look upon the machine purely as a means of increasing output, or possibly, of reducing costs. But the time of the middle classes has now come; they too must regard the machine as a potential rival, hungry for their jobs, intent on depriving them of their livelihood. By introducing electronic computers and punch-card accounting machines, the Soviet Government plans to free ten million people from the unproductive labour of accounting and record-keeping. As graduates in economics, you may feel that this does not affect you. But accounting specialists first and others later had better beware, now the computer is a tool, but by 1970 it might be an alternative. Life with It rained. And the flat miles across Belgium and Holland seemed endless. And they said "Last year in Greece we suffered because it was too hot". So across the flat miles we sang songs and consoled ourselves. The people stared when we stopped in the main square They stood in quiet clusters round about when we pitched our tents and cooked our food. They came and watched us in the dawning light as we packed our luggage into the truck and journeyed on. On through Denmark and a mess of pastries to the city of Copenhagen and a student hostel where we stayed two nights. We danced and drank in the Tivoli Gardens and next day we travelled on past Elsi-nore and Hamlet's ghost along the Swedish coast to Angel-holm. We pitched our tents beneath some trees and lit ' Maggie' camp-fires on the beach. We swam—the sea was warm— and sang again and whispered gruesome stories in the dark. So on we went from town to town up into Norway's welcome. In Sarpsborg we were traditionally entertained to creamy porridge topped with melted butter, then ham and wafer-bread and wine. Some of us were sick that night. On to Oslo, another hostel floor and a tramp around the streets at midnight looking out for food. Finally to Tonsberg and a welcome fit for heroes, then South from Norway loaded up with gifts of food. We prayed that 'Maggie' would suffer nothing more than punctures on the long flat trek to Ostend. Our prayers were answered and the fourth and last occurred almost on the quay itself. Life with 'Maggie' for three thousand miles was good. BOOKS THE RED EXECUTIVE by David Grannick (MacMillan 21/-) Mr. Granick compares the social background, training and aims of Society factory managers with their American equivalents. He must be congratulated for presenting the Communist Hierarchy as it appears to most Russians, not a group of fanatics intent on destroying the world, but as another institution of government. If 'peaceful co-existence' is to be more than a slogan, this untendentious approach must be encouraged. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Russians as people and not as the implacable enemies of Western Democracy. Alastair McAuley. A HISTORY OF MODERN JAPAN by Richard Storry (Penguin 3/6d.) This is the best introduction to the study of Japan that I know of. Mr. Storry has produced ¦ a remarkably clear guide' to the complexities of Japanese affairs and, mercifully, he has assumed no previous knowledge of his subject in the reader. The ill-feeling towards Japan caused by the second world war still exists in this country-This can only be due to ignorance which this book should do much to dispel if it is as widely read as it deserves to be. It is a pity that the teaching of history at the School is so centred on Europe. One feels that if students could read the history of Asia or, say. South America, nothing would be lost. A great deal might be gained. D. H. B. Esslemont. INFLATION & SOCIETY by Graham Hutton (Allan & Unwin 15/-) Written in a tone of controlled hysteria, the main contention of Mr. Hutton's book is that the governments of the past thirty years or so have deliberately encouraged the disintegration of British society and the expropriation of the more worthy middle classes by their adherence to vote-, catching policies. He recommends an immediate return to pre-Keynesian economic ideas of balanced budgets and state non-interference whatever the cost. His obvious prejudice and the lack of references make it impossible to take him seriously. Alastair McAuley. SIMMONDS 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) LAW BOOKS NEARLY 2,000 LATEST EDITIONS SECOND HAND SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT After 123 years at our pre.*!ent address, we have now extended our premises, which include Showroom of nearly 2,000 latest edition Textbooks; also a larfte collection of trials, Criminology and L.egal Biographies Inspection invited — correspondence welcomed WILDY & SONS LTD. Law Booksellers and Licensed Valuers since 1830 Lincoln's Inn Archway, London, W.C.2 Telephone: Holborn 5160 Telegrams : Wildy's, Holborn London FILM SOCIETY The LSE Film Society has shown commendable initiative in arranging this term's programmes. Although its motto is that a student needs cheap entertainment as a diversion from academic life, it is providing us with far more than amusement. The general programme provides us with samples of the best films from most of the major filifl - producing countries. The next programme, Ashes and Diamonds is the third part of Andrzej Wajda's trilogy dealing with the impact of the German occupation upon the younger generation in Poland, exploring the nature of patriotism and the effects of a troubled youth. For those who are interested in the art of the cinema, the Film Society is also providing the chance to take a closer look at the 'national' styles that Germany and Russia have developed between the wars and how they have altered in the last two decades. BEAVER 13th October, 1960. Sports Page E