A.I.E.S.E.C. BALL The AIESEC Committee is holding a ball in University College's newly opened refectory on Friday, January 20th. It is being held as part of a campaign to raise £1,000, some of which will be used to finance an International Seminar which will be held at LSE in the Summer term. There will also be a cabaret which will be compered by Allan Segal. It will include Stanley Unwin and many ether well known personalities. The tickets to the Ball and Cabaret cost 5/- and this also includes a buffet. if NEV/SPAPER OF THE STUDENTS' UNION JANUARY 19th, 1961 ONOMIC SCltNGg THREEPENCE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS & POLITICAL SCIENCE - UNIVERSITY OF LONDON BEAVER STAFF CHANGES Richard Stevenson, a second year economics student, is the new editor of Beaver. He replaces Don Esslemont who has completed his term of office. Mike Burrage (first year sociology), takes over from Mass Niida as Chief-sub, and Lynne Sullivan and Roxane Romans, both on general full course are the new Arts' Editors. A further change is that Roger Eglin has replaced Paul Buteux as Feature's Editor and Brian Cohen joins Mado Demozoy as joint News Editor. Admin, changes The new editor was formerly Sports' Editor. He is also captain of the School tennis and table tennis teams. He hopes to improve the administrative side of the paper and the appearance of it. He also plans to invite student-journalists to contribute to an open column to be called "Viewpoint". Ex-editor Don Esslemont continues to write for the paper on a free-lance basis. APATHY OVER GRANTS FOREIGN GIRLS COMING HERE The LSE, in conjunction with the Youth Service Society, is going to organise a course of lectures for foreign girls visiting girls on 'aux pairs' exchanges. They will be taught some English and will receive lectures on the English way of life and English Literature. It is also hoped that they may receive certain Union facilities and may attend such things as the Bar Socials. Passfield Parking Consternation was caused among the car-running residents of Passfield Hall last week when it was learned that parking meters are to be placed in Endsleigh Place. One student has already placed his car on the market, and others are worried. The general opinion seems to be that residents in parking meter areas ought to giv;n more consideration. S.O.A.S. In an effort to improve staff - student relations the President of the School of Oriental and African Studies has challenged the staff to meet student teams in a debate and squash match; other competitions, he promises are on the way. number of students who voted in the recent election for a General Secretary of the Union. The petition was sympathetically received by Geoffrey Johnson-Smith, MP, who said he was strongly in favour of the abolition of the means test. Redbrick awake One positive result of the campaign is that the NUS president has been invited to meet the Minister of Education, Sir David Eccles. It seems clear that the provincial universities were on the whole more active and enthusiastic during the campaign. Granfs Week — Poor Response The NUS Officer of the Union, Janet Alker, has said that she is not satisfied with the part played by LSE students in the Grants Week campaign. This campaign, which was organised by the National Union of Students following the Margate conference last year, ran from 15th to 18th December. Only 39 LSE students volunteered to lobby their MP. Full information is not yet available, but it is Jcnowr that many of these were unable actually to see their MPs. A number of MPs simply were 'not available'. A wide range of views was represented by those Members who did arrange to see their student constituents. Some were entirely in favour of the Anderson Report, others said they found it good in parts. A number of Members of Parliament seemed to be unaware that the Report existed. Richard Joy's MP, Mrs. Joyce Butler (Wood Green) was the only Member who made a really constructive suggestion. She suggested that al! the interested Members and students might hold a meeting at the House. This idea had previously been considered and rejected by the NUS. Emergency The campaign was launched in the School at an Emergency meeting of Union. At that meeting, which was poorly attended, the External Affairs vice-president criticised the government for dealing with the problem of grants in a half-hearted fashion. By implementing only certain insignificant parts of the Report, he said, the government had distorted the underlying principles on which the Anderson Committee had worked. Three methods of campaigning were outlined. One was that of writing to the local press. Our information is that only one student from LSE did this successfully. Letters Students were asked to urge their parents to campaign for the abolition of the means test. It is not known how successful this has been. Feeling in the Union is that, since one of the results of the means test is that those parents who are affected by the test can exercise a greater degree of control over their children, this was not likely to be a fruitful line of action. Fiasco A petition was organised in the School by the Union as part of the grants week campaign. This turned out to be a fiasco. Only 537 students, out of our population of over three thousand, signed the petition. This is only about half the ON TURKISH AFFAIR NO ACTION On Friday, January 13th, the President presented his report on the Turkish Affair to the Union. It will be remembered that during the Summer Term of last session a special meeting of the Union was held to consider the possibility of action in protest against the alleged shooting of some students who were demonstrating against the Menderes regime in Turkey. A number of Turkish stu- Expulsion from the Union dents figured prominently in was considered but the Direc-this meeting and because they tor did not feel that the feared victimisation by their charges were fully substan-government if their activities tiated, Further to this the were made widely known the constitutional legality of a President, then John Moore, 'Secret meeting' and the ex-declared the meeting 'secret', tent to which it is binding is It seems likely, however, by no means clear. that certain students did not feel themselves bound by this alleviate the seriousness of the alleged leakage and so the Union investigated the matter with a view to taking action against the offenders. In view of this, the President, while not detracting injunction with the result that from the seriousness of the the Turkish students' compli- matter, advised that no fur-city in this meeting leaked ther action could be taken. to the Turkish Embassy. Fortunately no lasting damage was sustained because the After considerable discussion and a Council promise that the constitutional posi- Turkish Government only tion of secret meetings was lasted three raore days. being investigated the repoft This did not in any way was accepted by 48 to 39. LSE ROCK - MAN WEDS LSE's own representative in the Rock 'n' Roll industry married Miss Carol Poole at St. Thomas' Church, Telford Avenue, on Saturday, 17th December, at 2.15 p.m. Ray, who is in the second year of the B.Sc.(Econ.) course, is better known to his fellow students as Ray Rear-don, a member of the Beaver Staff. Whilst studying at LSE Ray has made over a hundred radio broadcasts. He has a regular BBC Light Programme series every Monday called Go Man Go\ It has been running for the past two years and has again been extended into 1961. In addition to this he has made numerous guest appearances on other shows including Saturday Club. Do these broadcasts ever interfere with his college work? Rays says, "No. I always prerecord programmes out of college hours so that I never have to miss essential lectures or classes. Singing is no more of a burden than any hobby— it's just more lucrative than most". New LP Ray is also on contract to Oriole Records and his next release is due in mid-January. Its title is still secret but one of the tracks will be of his own composition. Song writing is another of his activities. Most successful to date have been Little Christine, which has sold 50,000 copies in Belgium alone, and the song which m m came fourth in the Eurovision Song Contest Finals in 1960. His recent recording of Baby Doll was also his own composition. Typist wife Carol Poole, who is Mrs. Reardcn (or Pilgrim), is nineteen and a typist in a Fleet Street advertising agency. She does not really approve of Ray being a pop singer, but she has resigned herself to it. The couple were courting for a year before Ray lauch-ed himself into the music world and have known each-other for several years. Carol and Ray have bought a house at Streatham. They have been living there ever since the marriage. There was no time for a honeymoon because Ray had to spend the week after the wedding pre-recoiding several programmes for broadcast over Christmas. How will married life affect Ray's University career? "If anything it will make me more conscientious", he says. "After all, when a man has responsibilities he has to settle down to work. In any case, it was Carol who persuaded me to try for a degree. I shall continue singing as long as it does not interfere with my academic life. In any case I shall give it up when I leave University". Footnote On the subject of the low standard of pop music he says, "I would sing 'Baa, Baa Black Sneep' standing on my head if the money was right". 2 BEAVER January 19th, 1961 leaver No. 6 NEW STAFF LIST Editor: Richard Stevenson Chief Sub : Mike Burrage News : Mado Demozay Features : Roger Eglin Arts : Lynne Sullivan Pictures : Peter Salathiel Business Manager : Mike Keenoy STAFF STUDENT RELATIONS We carry on another page a report of an attempt hy the president of the Junior Common Room at the School of Oriental and African Studies to improve staff-student relations there. He arranged for a series of matches and debates between students and dons, with the aim of enabling them to come to know each other better. We feel that something of the sort ought to be done here. Relations between Staff and students in the University are in an appalling state. On this page we print a letter from the Staff-Student Liaison Committee — a letter which, in effect, complains that the Committee are neglected by the students they exist to serve. There is no doubt that the Committee is potentially a very valuable institution, and full use ought to be made of it. But the real need is for more contacts of an informal nature. It is here that the example set by the School of Oriental and African Studies is particularly useful. We feel it is the duty of our own Union to follow this example. Too often elected Union Officers live with their heads in the clouds. They should come down to earth, and challenge our own staff to meet the students away from the lecture room — preferably in the Three Tuns. POOR EFFORT There is no doubt that the Students Grants Week was held at an awkward time. It was too near the end of term for students and MPs alike. But we are surprised that the project was treated so apathetically in the School, for the outcome of the Anderson Report will affect most LSE students. Glad as we are to know that Sir David will meet the NUS President, we had hoped that the LSE would play a greater part in achieving this result. ORATION It is a pity that Sir Geoffrey Crowther's Oration was given so near the end of term. Not all of what he said is new by any means, but his speech deserves to be discussed, thought on, and much of it, we think, acted on as well. In an effort to give Sir Geoffrey's ideas the wider platform they deserve, we have summarised and commented on his speech in our Talking Point column on page k-It ought to be studied hy every student at the School. Staff-Student Liaison Dear Sir, It seems to me that many students of this school are not aware of the existence of the staff-student liaison committee. This committee deals with the matters relating to the conduct of tutorials, classes, lectures, and re-stocking of reference and lending library. So if you have any suggestion, difficulty, or grievance concerning these matters please make it known to me or any of the following members of the committee: Miss M. Loosemore (Sociology) Mr. I. Goatman (History) Mr. A. Marfatia (Economics) Mr. J. Hillburne (Sociology) Mr. President (Law Society) Yours faithfully, Jay Bhatnagar, Chairman, Staff-Student lioAson committee. Protest Dear Sir, The critics of the Pondo-land marchers seem to have had a field day in your last issue. Might I at this late stage attempt to answer some of their criticisms. First, only one critic, Mr. Jennings, was constructive. He did at least suggest an alternative to marching—that of sending letters of protest. Yet when this is done with the maximum of publicity, who is to hear that they were sent at all (apart from the unfortunate postman who has to deliver them!) ? It is an idea that deserves looking into in the future. Second, numerous marches would indeed defeat their own purpose, but they do achieve publicity, which is their aim. It was a proper time to attempt such a move. The next day would have been too late. I am not prone to marching myself, but it is essential that someone does something to show, if nothing else, that a few people still care, about this sort of thing taking place within the Commonwealth. We can do little indeed to help the victims of Red Fascism in other nations; we can do more to help the victims of Black Fascism within our own sphere, and at least register a dislike of such methods. Third, our President acted perfectly properly in his action. He held a meeting to ascertain the opinion of the Union, counselled moderation and emphasised that we were not clashing with the police. At no time did he act without decorum, and did a great deal with his humour to keep events on a friendly level. I would indeed have been disappointed if he had behaved like his critics, moralising and doing nothing. Finally, may I suggest that the anti-marchers do something constructive like attending "War on Want" lunches. Is it too much to ask to come and contribute just a little time to helping someone less fortunate than we are? "War on Want" lunches are but one way. Stop criticising and help. Roderic Beale. The editor of Beaver would; I like to appeal to all Chair-' !men of all societies to send ' in a complete programme of < 5their activities and meetings; I for the coming term. This will j ! enable us to give better cover->age of meetings. The paper also needs more; ! staff, especially reporters, and | 1 selling staff. Anyone who is I (interested in working for the I [ paper should come to Beaver; ! office any day at 4 p.m. The Editor wishes to make it clear that he cannot accept letters for publication unless they are accompanied by the name of the writer, not necessarily for publication. Readers' letters, preferably typed, are welcome. They should arrive in our office at least a week before publication. Dear Sir, In his review of the film "Never on Sunday" your critic N. D. says "the setting and the bouzouki music add a third dimension. For his inspiration Manos Hadjiakis has turned to the popular themes of the working class hashish dens that sprang up in most of the Greek cities after the war. These in turn are drawn largely from Turkish rhythms and sound strange to us". The theme music "Never on Sunday" is based on a traditional Norwegian dance plagiarised and popularised, by Grieg. Yours faithfully, W. Clement. President's Column At the present moment nominations are open for the office of the President of the Union. Later on this term there will be elections for the Deputy President, the General Secretary and the four Vice-Presidents. I will not presume to tell readers what they should look for in a candidate for even those who have been here only a short time should, by this time, have a clear idea of what sort of qualities a member of the Council of the Union should have. I would, however, like to draw attention to some features which I do not like:-— UNOPPOSED CANDIDATES Considering the amount of criticism levelled at Council from the floor and the great diversity of views represented at LSE, I would expect that however good a candidate may be there would be some who would disagree. The best time to disagree is during an election and the best way to set about it is to propose another candidate whose ideas and personality reflect another point of view. Very little is achieved by allowing someone to be returned unopposed and then badgering him as soon as he starts to do the job. KESIGNATIONS Candidates must recognise that they voluntarily accept social responsibilities when they allow themselves to be put forward. A resignation throws an extra burden onto the other members of a team which is already small in relation to the size of an activity of the Union. A resignation should be a very exceptional occurence. JOKE CANDIDATES People who stand for office for their own and their friends' amusement are insulting every member of the Students' Union. The people who find this sort of thing amusing should stop and consider and realise what an insult it is. PARTISANSHIP It is all very .well to go along to the Hustings and to make it clear who you support but you should also go to hear what the opposition has to say. In any case many people, who are still uncommitted, want to hear both sides. To prevent this by showing undue partisanship is in the first place downright rude and in the second place against the interest of the Union which needs to elect the best candidate not the one with the most vociferous supporters. ILL BEHAVIOUR Apart from undue partisanship there is also a tendency for audiences to behave at Hustings in a manner which would be strictly repressed if it took place anywhere else. I can only explain this behaviour by regarding it as a result of this repression. However, please, if you link elections with water pistols, toilet rolls and beer mats take a good long objective look at yourself. I would like to finish by giving my best wishes to all the candidates. FONDOLAND The recent demonstration at South Africa House which resulted in sixteen students being arrested has been the subject of a letter to me from the Director. He has asked me to give his letter general publicity and this I have agreed to do. The letter can be read on the Union notice board next to the pigeon holes. It is a serious sympathetic letter and should be read in the same manner. January 19th, 1961 Crowther's Second Front By Mike Burrage In the Founder's Day Oration Sir Geoffrey Crowther strongly criticised Britain's present higher education plans and outlined his own programme for future reform. Among other things he wants: % A massive increase in university places to ensure entry for everyone who passes two subjects at 'A' level. 9 A lower standard for the first degree, with graduate courses for those who wished to go further. 9 A longer academic year. % An end to the attitude among university staff that research and T.V. engagements are most important and that students are a rather troublesome secondary task. # Experiments to see if "satellite colleges" like Toronto's York University and run rather like the wartime "shadow factories" would not be the best and easiest means of university expansion. Pin-headed people Britain's present plans for higher education were. Sir Geoffrey said, "a formula for national decline" and unless we jerk ourselves out of our complacent rut—the future of Britain is dismal indeed; we will be to the 20th century what Spain was to the 18th. At present, we are a pin-headed nation; we have far too small a head for our body. Forming complexes Our plans for higher education in the '70s could be doubled and even then might not be enough; our targets are far below those of any country we like to compare ourselves with and much less than some have now. The gap between those eligible for university and places available is growing steadily. The crystal ball for the twenty-first century is gloomy. This is not all. "Why must the British", Sir Geoffrey asked, "so often deliberately set about creating inferiority complexes by labelling everything according to status? Why do we not call Dip.Tech. a degree and let those who need to know the difference find out for themselves?" No room at the top British universities are proud of their independence but too often 'independence' means snobbish exclusiveness and complete rigidity against criticism and new ideas. HOW TO MAKE MONEY — by NUS At a meeting of student journalists, held at ULU on January 13th, Leo ShaefTer, the Vice-President of the WUS, outlined his organisation's plans to raise £20,000 this year, The money collected is to be used to help the health service branch of WUS which is very active in establishing student TB wards, mobile X-Ray visits and clinical and out-patients departments all over the world. The Ball — and after Although the main effort is to be concentrated on Carnival Week which is is commence on May 15th, several other schemes come into operation before this. These include a house-to-house collection and a 'Lost World Ball'. A carol singing tour, held at the end of last term has already made £250. Baby-sitting One novel idea is to set up a Baby Sitting Bureau. Students will be asked to work on this scheme for as many evenings as they can spare. To compete with the professional bureaux special lower rates will be charged. NEWS IN BRIEF ? The adjourned India Society AGM was finally held on Tuesday, 14th December, when the new executive committee under President Khos-la was elected. Ranjit Khosla introduced his committee and stated his plans to revitalise the Society during the forthcoming year. Akhil Marfatia, outgoing President, moved a motion that a letter of condolence concerning the untimely death of Giridharilai Kejriwal, should be sent to his parents. Mr. Kejriwal was an active member of last year's committee. ders. The request has come after years of Constitutional argument. The standing orders have been modelled on LSE's own constitution. ? At the request of the Inter-University Jewish Federation Alan Segal was commissioned to re-write the Standing Or- ? Woman's magazine Vogue in its January issue are announcing a talent contest which they would like our students to enter. The prize is to be a minimum of six month's employment on the staff of the Conde Nast Publications Limited, and a cheque for fifty pounds on the first day of joining. Vogue have kindly sent us the full particulars of the contest which closes on February 10th. This information can be obtained from the Beaver office on request. BEAVER What more do you want ? During Carnival Week itself there will be a car competition, a fashion show and a Jazz Hop. There will also be a dinner at the Guildhall, a Jumble Sale, a Variety Show and possibly a shop and hotel collection. It is also hoped to hire a West End theatre for a Gala Performance of a new show. The prices are to be somewhat inflated so that around £4,000 can be made. Top people The Week is to open with a Fete and a Procession of Floats. As last year prizes will be given for the best float and the fete will include a number of stalls, sideshows and competitions; a revue will also be enacted. Lady Albermarle and Sir Bernard Whaley-Cohen, the Lord Mayor of London, have been invited to become co-patrons of the Week; the various Mayors of the London Boroughs have been asked to act as Vice-Patrons as has the Home Secretary. Advertising A great deal of money is to be spent on publicity this year in order to carry the appeal to the general public, so as not to have to rely so much upon the limited means of students to reach the target figure. Advertisements will be in the tubes and as many people as possible will be asked to display one of the 10,000 posters which have been printed. Work is also going ahead on a number of publicity stunts, one of which will probably be a 'Coffin Race'. The coffins will be paddled down the Thames. The organising Committee is trying to persuade ITV or the BBC to cover it in an outside broadcast. Our job To carry out such an ambitious programme a large amount of working capital will be required for the hiring of halls, the purchase of a car for the competition and many other things. In making this point the treasurer of WUS said that he was approaching a number of business concerns with a view to raising this money. It is understood that Billy Butlin has already contributed £500. As Mr. Shaeffer stressed, the intention of this year's campaign is to interest the general public in the World University Service. What is needed from students, even more than their money, is their assistance. Students are wanted to baby-sit, sell tickets, make collections, help with the administration and to help with numerous other things. Indeed, the success of this appeal depends upon the cooperation of the students of all the London Colleges, as much as the public, who it is hoped, will donate. ? ????? Simon Klinger, the President of AIESEC has been very busy this vacation. He introduced a doctor and some missionaries from a leper colony in Africa in an ITV programme on New Year's Day. Furthermore, he is engaged in negotiations with the British Institute of Management from whom he hopes to raise some of the funds which AIESEC need for their forthcoming activities. LIBRARY FINES MODIFIED - a lesson learnt— As from December 13th, the Lending Library fines were modified from 2s. 6d. per book for the first week overdue and a shilling a day thereafter, to 6d. a day for the first week and a shilling a day thereafter. This change has been introduced as a result of discussions between the Director, the Librarian and the Union. When the system of heavy fines was introduced, partly as a result of students' complaints about the difficulty of getting books, it was decided to review the situation after one term's experience. For this purpose comprehensive figures were kept regarding the extent to which books were being returned late. Reliability It seems quite clear that students exercised great care to avoid the fines. During a specimen period 5,446 were loaned, of these, 2,577 were returned before the last date, 2,869 were returned on the date, and 623 were overdue. This figure of 623 books overdue was a considerable reduction on any earlier comparable figures. This meant that more books were available more frequently. Furthermore, the number of book reservations increased sharply, presumably because under the new system students knew that they could be certain of getting the book after a fortnight. Previously there had been no such certainty. Unpleasantness The scale of the fines did cause some bad feeling, especially since one day's lateness could cost as much as 7s. 6d. Some students did refuse to pay, but most of them were talked round when faced with the threat of suspension from the use of the Library facilities. However, this unpleasantness was but slight and was more than outweighed by the all round improvement in the Library service. Congratulations Many borrowers made a point of commenting to the library staff on the improvement and more significant still, the Evening Students' Union were full of praise for the new system. It was appreciated particularly by Evening Students because they have only a limited time in which to use the Reference Library. Thus the Lending Library is relatively of more use to them than to Day Students. This meant that they were badly hit by the old, slack system, which did not actively prevent books from being kept out for very long periods. Heavy fines talk Under the new system Evening Students have commented on the increased availability of books. The imposition of heavy fines was in fact largely successful. It has been modified not because it has in any way failed but because of certain encouraging signs that students were co-operating by trying to return their books promptly. Genuine errors This was suggested by the fact that, during the specimen period, of those 623 books overdue, 232 were returned only one day late and 94 were only two days late. Thus over half the overdue books (326 out of 632) were returned within two days, despite the fact that they could have been retained for the full week for no extra fine. On this evidence, the Librarian, Mr. Wooledge, came to the conclusion that students were genuinely forgetting their books and not keeping them out deliberately. Either/Or The new scale has now been instituted so that these genuinely forgetful, short-term offenders, will not be hit quite so hard, whilst the penalties will not be lessened on those who offend by a week or more. The Librarian hopes that, during the past term students have got into the habit of returning books promptly, and that this softening of the system of fines will not lead to a renewal of slackness amongst borrowers. He warns that should this be the case, the old sterner measures will have to be reintroduced. A CAREER IN THE SERVICE OF CHILDREN THE CHILD CARE SERVICE offers careers in social work which is satisfying and worth while. CHILD CARE OFFICERS play an important part in the care of the many thousands of children who, for various reasons, cannot live in their own homes. Most child care officers are employed in the Children's Department of local authorities; they consider applications for children to be received into care and arrange for them to be boarded out with foster parents or cared for in children's homes. They also help parents who have difficulty in looking after their children and try to keep families together or to reunite them so that the children can return home. TRAINING COURSES are provided at a number of universities, including general courses in social casework and special courses in child care. Candidates for the one year courses beginning in October each year must have university qualifications in social science. There are also somewhat longer courses specially designed for graduates in subjects other than social science. GRANTS are available during training. WRITE TO : The Central Training Council in Child Care (12G), Home Office, Horseferry House, Thorney Street, London, S.V7.1. 4 BEAVER January 19th, 1961 FORMULA FOR NATIONAL DECLINE No one will argue with Sir Geoffrey's main point that the number of University places is inadequate. We can only wait and hope somebody up there 'connects'; but they no doubt console themselves with the fact that, per head, Britain spends more on education than most countries in the world. Lower Standards Some of Sir Geoffrey's other points however are not so simple as his cut-and-thrust technique suggests. He wants, for instance, lower standards -not of "intelligence" but of "attainment"—in the first degree. This distinction (like the one between pragmatic and deductive intellect) is one that none see so clearly as the sixth-former. It may exist, but it seems too vague and indecipherable to be the basis of any syllabus reform. Perhaps because of shortage of time, perhaps because there just isn't a solution Sir Geoffrey rather oversimplified the dilemma of the tutor torn between the necessity for his career to write, broadcast or do research and his duty to his students. Academic Year His words on the length of the academic year were similarly scant and superficial. Even if the reasons persistently put forward to defend this are "merely lingering relics of past centuries", why should it not be brought up to date by shortening it rather than by lengthening it? There is little evidence either way (although we know it's long enough and most of us would agree that we do more work in the vacs.). If Sir Geoffrey wants to see us do more work then the first problem is to get rid of the necessity to By Mike Burrage get vacation jobs, i.e. (in the majority of cases) to implement the Anderson Committee Report. Simple arithmetical calculations never provide a very profound analysis of our higher educational problem. The United States, for instance, produces roughly the number of graduates and Ph.D.s that Sir Geoffrey would like Britain, pro rata, to produce in the 'seventies. Their first degree is certainly a lower standard than ours though how near the standard Sir Geoffrey would like I cannot tell. Yet why is it that American companies continuously advertise for British science graduates? Why should the American Atomic Energy Commission have to recruit nearly 70% of its top research personnel from overseas? Increase in numbers will solve problems, it also creates them, evidently. ' Satellite Colleges' The "satellite college" is not a new idea. While Oxbridge sleeps London University has administered similar institutions for many years; there are Associate Colleges of the University throughout the Commonwealth. Exeter University is a perfect example of this type of university expansion. Sir Geoffrey didn't mention the tyrannical Oxbridge axis. A pity. It is perhaps our greatest problem. Its powerful influence over university education, in Britain is almost completely stultifying. It's appeal is based on snobbery and accounts for the grotes-queries of British sixth-form education; by poaching most of the best brains in the country it pauperises redbrick. When we are a tenth rate power—and were asking ourselves why—Oxbridge will have much to answer for. My Bank?. . THE MIDLAND OF COURSE! m It's no coincidence that many students choose the Midland: young people with forward-looking ideas like to deal with a forward-looking and go-ahead bank. OncQ you open an account with us you'll wonder how you ever managed without it. The cheques you receive are so much more easily dealt with. The bills you pay can be paid by chequc. And you may even find at the end of Term that you have actually saved something I Why not call at your local branch and see us about it ? Our staff there will be happy ro explain how the Midland Bank can help you. Midland Bank- THE GO-AHEAD BANK FOR GO-AHEAD PEOPLE 2,250 BH I.XCIIES IN Ky(;L.4.\n .4\D tr'ALES PLACES for STUDENTS i I'000 I 60 J I 50 ^ 40 I 30 \ 20 ^ 10 Estimates for':-¦ England end : : ; ; J Wales _ Number {passing GCt Bp A level m i. ^|or more subjects 7 — University places i I'000 I 60 J I 50 ^ 40 I 30 \ 20 ^ 10 1957 "58 '59 '65 1957 "58 '59 '65 This diagram — ccmpiled far the 'Observer' by the ' Economist' Intelligence Unit—shows how the steadily rising birth rate and increasing numbers staying on at school to take 'A' level have lowered the proportion of university places — despite expansion and overcrowding. ALIEN STUDENTS A Neglected Minority The NUS Conference at Margate dealt with the obvious. Higher grants and the abolition of the means test, mental health, objectionable landladies were all discussed fully. Everything, it seemed, concerning the welfare of the NUS member was dealt with. But amongst this fervour for improving the lot of the student one section of the student population was ignored—the alien students. During their stay in Britain, their card is graciously provided by the co-ordinating secretariat of the NUS, yet no one brings their problem before the National Conference. Legal Difficulties Many problems arise for the alien students when they reach this country, not least of which are those contained within the law. An alien, for instance, has to renew his visa every year; he has to VIEWPOINT By Akhil Marfatia Elections are with us once more. With our constitution as it is we are assured of a couple of elections every alternate term. Furthermore, resignations seem to be more common these days, so that we have had almost continuous electioneering for the past few terms. The most interesting is the forthcoming one for the Presidency of the Union. The office of President has a certain irresistible charm about it which assures the Union of some really enterprising candidates. At the same time, it is one of the few occasions when the Union sheds its apathy and becomes really active. Arduous Task However, the Presidency is also the most time consuming job in Union, carrying with it far greater responsibilities than most Union members realise. In order to cope with the routine administrative and representational work, the President has to spend at least six to eight hours a day in that little office. It also becomes the President's job to weld Council into a hard-working, cooperative team and to keep Union meetings in order. Added to this there is also the responsibility of organising a few "a la Pondoland" marches, of trying to get a Budget through, and of keeping the numerous sectional interests within the Union happy. No longer does it remain the enviable job to which quite a few students may aspire. It is only when one has worked on Council for a pretty long time that one can realise the immense responsibilities of innumerable difficulties that beset the most conscientious members of Council, and especially the President. The problems which will face next year's President and Council are likely to be considerable. The move to new premises is likely to be very time consuming, and there will be numerous odd prob- lems arising during the transition period. Budget Crisis ? Every year it is always difficult to get a Budget through, and unless Budget is passed in good time. Union and Society activities could be seriously affected. Though the preparation and presenting of a Budget is the work of the Senior Treasurer, the President needs to be in constant touch with all the details. This year for the first time an attempt was made to reject the Budget outright, not because the principles underlying it were any different from previous years, or because it was in conflict with stated Union policy, but because societies needed more money. In fact the greatest report changes of address and any trip which may take him away from home for more than a few days; he cannot work in his spare time, whether paid or unpaid, without a permit. NUS Should Act Although it is to the credit of the English Universities that these people are welcomed here and that they take an active part in college activities, none of them can feel at home when hedged in by these petty restrictions. If the NUS took up the cause of alien students, undoubtedly a great deal of unnecessary distress could be avoided. The question readers are entitled to ask is "what happens to British students abroad?" The answer is they are often up against the same type of problems. Does this mean that NUS should "retaliate" by ignoring this plea? Surely, it would be preferable for the English student body to take a lead in this matter. problem of the Union is an acute shortage of money— and next year's President's Council will have an even more difficult task in allocating the money for expenditure. Unless our grant is increased, and this will depend considerably on the personality of the new President and other members of Council a Budget crisis is almost certain to arise once again. European Contacts In recent years contacts with other European Universities' Unions have increased considerably. Important decisions will have to be taken regarding the extent of our participation in pan-European student projects, and these will confront the new President almost as soon as he is in office. Fortunately the present President and Council have made persistently good efforts at tackling these problems. They have stood by their principles through thick and thin and by their clear and persistent stand have clarified and helped to solve the outstanding issues of the last session. The new President and Council will have a sound base to start off from. One hopes that the current elections will bring forth officers who will make painstaking efforts to tackle all these Union problems. DEGREE Out in February Articles include interviews with CASSANDRA and CELLINI OVER 40 pages Price I/- January 19th, 1961 " ¦ ¦" ¦¦¦"" »» Pasoale Petit and Jacque Charrier in "Les Trlcheurs" FILMS LES TRICHEURS "Les Tricheurs", showing at the Cinephon, is not a new film—it was made in 1958— but it has just been released here by Gala Films. It deals, sympathetically, with the activities of a group of what the hand-out describes as 'semi-students and semi-idle youth'. There is quite a lot of fairly indiscriminate bedding, which has drawn Gala's usual X certificate, but the real interest lies in the reaction of these 'semi-people' to the conflict between the pressures of their own society and those of the 'normal' world against which they suppose themselves to be in revolt. Anthropological The young people regard themselves as 'outside Society'—they consciously and deliberately withdraw, rejecting the mores of the squares, the honest, the old, the workers, and devote themselves to the pursuit of pleasure and freedom. It would be absurd to criticise Marcel Game, the director, for showing us such unlikely students; he has really given us an exercise in theoretical anthropology, with some interest to students of societies in which there is a conflict of values. D.E. THE SUNDOWNERS "The Sundowners" just goes to show what Deborah Kerr and Peter Ustinov can do with a mediocre plot. Even brawny Robert Mitchum, despite some difficulty in handling the Australian accent, admirably follows suit. The sundowners, sheep drovers of the 1920s in Australia are defined as people whose home is "Where the sun goes down". Conflict arises between Robert Mitchum, a staunch sundowner, and his wife, Deborah Kerr, who would prefer the security of a home to the uncertainties of their nomadic existence. Delightful Ustinov Quarrel leads to quarrel and tension builds as the wife vainly tries to accumulate money for a home while her husband loses it in gambling. What could be tedious repetition of the more serious theme is relieved by the riotous behaviour of the drover-men and especially by the phlegmatic humour of Peter Ustinov and that of lively Glynis Johns. Nor is there any dearth of excitement; it ranges from forest fires to horse races. With these three aspects of the film in equilibrium, the story rises to a neat climax. In developing the theme the director follows the current trend of the "plausible Western, i.e. with characters who are constantly smudged, disheveled, plainly - clothed, and rough in the manner of true pioneers. We hope the old stereotyped version has been permanently succeeded by films of this sort. LS. THE PURE HELL OF ST. TRINIAN'S In "The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's", the third of a series about Ronald Searle's school of female horrors, the producers have tried very hard to maintain the standard of comedy that we have come to expect from their team. Unfortunately, this time, they seem to have produced a film which appears to be striving too hard against a good reputation. Although the main players—especially Cecil Parker as an experimental headmaster, and Irene Handl as his assistant—fill their parts as experienced actors should, the film director has failed to make the most of the situation in which Searle has placed them. Sixth form sold The sixth form at St. Trinian's have been placed aboard a yacht by the villain of the piece (one Sydney James), ostensibly on a cruise in the Greek Islands, but in fact to be sold to an eastern prince with several lustful sons. A rescue is called for. With the aid of some typically efficient spying by Joyce Grenfell, and only after the failure of the Minister of Education and the RASC (mobile bath unit), the fourth form of St. Trinian's finally triumphs. Beautiful evidence The scenes which could have been a riot—the burning of St. Trinian's and the rescue, for example, could have occupied more time. The court scene, however, during which the entire school is on trial for arson, and the judge's decision is swayed by the tacit persuasion of a beautiful blonde sixth-former and the doleful violin playing of a little girl, is excellent. Glorious Grenfell The character parts, notably those of George Cole, Eric Barker and Miss Grenfell, are glorious; the black-stocking-clad sixth form are gorgeous; and the film; although leaving much potential unexploited, is good fun. B.S. BEAVER MUSIC Novello's rare works series Novello and Company are to be congratulated for main taining their policy of issuing rarely heard 17th and 18th century works. Cantata T 72 088 K consists of two Cantatas from "Harmonische Gottesdient" by Telemann. The complete work of 72 Cantatas requires one singer, one instrumentalist and continuo. In "Gott will Mensch und sterblich werden" the tenor is Helmut Krebs, the violinist Siegfried Berries. On the reverse is "Was gliecht dem Adel wahrer Christen" wtih an oboe played by Herman Tottcher instead of the violin. The Cantatas are very attractive, the performance of the former excellent. In the latter I find Krebs disappointing. He slightly overdoes his phrasing, seeing phrases where there are none, and this tends to break up the piece. The oboe, however, is superb. Dynamic Deitz On Cantata CAN 11 29 K Ruth Dietz (harpsichord) plays Vincent Liibeck's "Kla-vieriibung", Pachelbel's "Werde munter mein Ge-mute", and Bach's "Sei geg-riisset, Jesu gutig". The performances are very good but that of the "Klavieriibung" is really outstanding. Ruth Dietz maintains the interest throughout the whole of the work. Fiery climax The Fugue in particular is full of a vigour and fire that is quite remarkable. Phrase is built upon phrase to a really great climax. The drive and power of Ruth Dietz's playing is such that it is almost impossible to believe that this is the performance of a woman. The recording of both records is up to Cantata's usual high standard. P.S. BOOKS ON EDUCATION by Bertrand Russell This handsome paperback is one of the first in a new series published by Allen and Unwin. With both an attractive appearance and price of six shillings, these books would seem to be good buys for the money. All the books are reprints from Unwin's back lists—"On Education" was published in 1922—but we can be grateful that these old titles are now made available so cheaply. For amusement only "On Education" is mainly of historical interest; a good deal of what was progressive doctrine on education in the early 'twenties seems merely amusing now. This parent, trying to bring up two children in two rooms, on a grant of £320 a year, felt he needed the amusement. D.E. ADVISE AND CONSENT by Allen Drury (Collins) It is seldom possible for the ordinary citizen to get an insight into the workings of government; he is informed through mass media of the results of government decisions, but is usually unaware of the human drama accompanying the formation of these decisions. A government is more than a composite of rules of procedure and of political issues to be decided upon, it is a living, vital association of men—men sometimes united in a common purpose, sometimes split apart, ferociously pitting their strengths against one another. Senate struggle It is this human element —the basis of all governments —¦ of which Allen Drury writes in the novel "Advise and Consent". Mr. Drury, who has had long experience in Washington, D.C., centres his plot around a struggle both within the American Senate and between the Senate and the President of the United States. The President's nomination of a new Secretary of State is required by the Constitution to be submitted to the Senate for approval. Three Bs The Senate is rent asunder over this nomination, with each side bringing to bear upon the other all the pressure it can. This pressure includes party manoeuvering, political bartering, bribery, and finally the lowest possible level of blackmail. Politics in all its grime is exposed along with the redeeming fact that there are also good, honest men in government , who uphold the integrity of their office and country. Human politicians "Advise and Consent" is more, however, than a fascinating drama of government in action; it is also a criticism of the slow paralysis which has affected post-war America. Mr. Drury protests against this weakening of America and pleads for her to realise that she must recover her willingness to lead the West in presenting a firm, united opposition to Communist expansion. The over-all point the book stresses, however, is that democracies are run by men who are human beings and are subject to great weaknesses and capable of great strength. "Advise and Consent" is above all a novel, and it offers fascinating reading to most people, whether it be because they are interested in politics, in the American government, in human nature, or because they just want to read a good story. R.R. DRAMSOC Work is really beginning in earnest now on the Second "Revulse", the revue put on by the Drama Society in the first weeks of February. Francis Hoff, the producer, has arranged his cast and is in the process of finalising the order of sketches and songs. PLAYS DUCHESS OF MALFI Donald McWhinnie's production of John Webster's "Duchess of Malfi" has avoided the usual pitfall of allowing the tragedy and continuity of the story to be submerged by the horror tableaux of hewn off hands, quadruple stranglings, mass stabbings, etc.—although these are certainly not underplayed! Leslie Hurry's settings are effective and Humphrey Searle's linking music maintains the taut atmosphere of this fast-moving play. Villainy Peggy Ashcroft in the title role and Derek Godfrey as her lover give touching performances and their supporting cast is of an unusually consistent high standard. Max Adrian and Eric Porter play the villains who torment their sister, the Duchess, try to drive her insane and eventually have her strangled together with two of her children. The tension is now and then slightly relieved by the macabre humour of Bosola, their henchman, played by Patrick Wymark. If you are prepared to sit through certain harrowing scenes this is, without doubt, a play worth seeing. John Webster's "Duchess of Malfi" is a powerful drama and this production sounds depths which make it impossible to dismiss it as being merely a "horror classic". Gillian Tregunna A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM How do you like your Shakespeare ? This is an important question to ask yourself before going to see Michael Langham's version of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at the Old Vic, for this is not a production to delight the text-follower or the traditionalist. It is an attempt to extract every laugh possible, at any cost, and has resulted in an adult pantomime which is very enjoyable as such. Trampled v/ords The sets and costumes are attractive, Judi Dench's Her-mia is as wholesomely athletic as any principal boy and Barbara Leigh-Hunt is delightful as a much wronged and not-so-pretty Helena. Pantomime or not, one still expects to hear Shakespeare spoken intelligibly and too much of the speech ¦ was trampled in the hectic pace of the production. Vic Cowatt LAW BOOKS NEARLY 2,000 LATEST EDITIONS SECOND HAND SPECIAL AVNOUNCBMENT After 123 years at our present address, we have now extended our premises, which include a Showroom of nearly 2,000 latest ediUon Textbooks; also a large collection of trials, Criminology and Legal Biographies Inspection invited — correspondence welcomed WIUJY & SONS LTD. Law Booksellers and Licensed Valuers since 1830 Lincoln's Inn Archway, London, W.C.2 Telephone: Holbom 51S0 Telesrams : Wlldy's, Holbom London JAZZ AT CHELSEA KEN COLYER JANUARY 28th, 7.30 — 11 5/- All profits to charity January I9th, 1961 HEAVY WEATHER AT HARP BEAVER Sports Page BOAT CLUB — NO WINS YET — but there's still hope As was indicated in the last report, the Boat Club intended to enter for two, perhaps three, races last term. Unfortunately the date of the Ibis Christmas Head was too late for the crews to stay in London, in view of the demands made by the GPO, the Club, therefore, did not enter. It did, however, enter its 1st Eight in the Vesta Autumn Clinker Eights at Putney on December 3rd. The course was from Crabtree to the Vesta Clubhouse, a distance of just over a mile. Unlucky draw In the 1st heat they met IC and Chelsea. LSE were unfortunate in drawing a position which, though usually favourable, became decidedly unfavourable due to the tide which was on the turn. This gave the crew a disadvantage in rounding the Fulham Football Club bend which they were incapable of making up on the straight. This, together with the relative inexperience of the crew and the superiority of their opponents, resulted in them finishing three lengths behind IC and two behind Chelsea. Inexperience shows The 10th December was the date of the University Winter Eights held at Chiswick, over a course of about S of a mile. Two LSE crews were entered; the 1st VIII using the shell boat were in the Senior Division and the 2nd with the clinker boat were in Junior Division. The 1st VIII rowed very well to tie with Westminster Hospital in their heat. As a result the last half of the course was re-rowed. Unfortunately one of the crew was seized with cramp so that Westminster rowed to an almost inevitable victory of about li lengths. The rather inexperienced 2nd crew fared no better. They were beaten by both Royal Vets, and QMC 'B' in a race marred by much clashing of blades. Practice needed That then is the picture at the end of the first term— three races and three defeats. What is needed now is intensive training so that the experience gained from these defeats can be used to good effect in the big races of the next two terms. However all is not gloom in the Club. As a result of the University trials two LSE oarsmen, W. S. L. Woolley and J. J. James and coxswain R. K. Yates have been selected to represent the University. Congratulations to all of them. SWEET The Michaelmas Term has been a very good one for the Basketball Club. Out of a total of nine games played, seven have been won and two lost. This record, however, includes a number of friendly games so that in the league the team is in second place having lost their only match to the unbeaten league leaders, Woolwich Polytechnic. Fitness Much of this success is due to the team's extreme fitness and their ability to blend into an effective team. At the beginning of the season they were no more than a group of individuals but intensive practice has enabled them to learn each other's styles and to develop the finesse of the game. Thus it is that the team has come to rely upon solid strategy, at least as much as individual brilliance. Brilliant Americans Despite this, it would be true to say that the real strength of the team lies in the skill of the Americans, Craig Lloyd and Don Fontaine. Craig, the Captain, is a very strong, illusive player with a fine sense of positional play. He is also the top scorer with an average of 22pts. a game. Fontaine also plays the high standard of Basketball which one has come to expect from these Americans. He too scores with great regularity, averaging 15pts. a game. The difficulty that these two find in adapting themselves to the English style of play, which involves more BAD WEATHER Adverse conditions have severely restricted the number of fixtures during the three weeks preceding the Christmas Vacation. Even so in those which were played LSE have done fairly well. The 1st XI administered a crushing defeat to a Brook-lands TC side and followed this with a 20-5 win over 'D' Division of the Metropolitan Police. In this match the team scored six tries of which only one was converted largely because of the difficulty of lifting the ball out of the morass of clay and mud which served for a pitch. The teams only recent defeat was at the hands of UC Churchwocd and Anthony both scored tries but this did little to brighten a 25-6 defeat. 2nd and 3rd XVs The 2nd XV also lost to UC by 11-0 but defeated KCS Old Boys by 20-0, in a game dominated by some fine three-quarters play. They also beat Goldsmiths 6-0, a try being made by Allen and a penalty kicked by Shuttleworth. In the only recent 3rd team fixture a rather jaded post-Commem. Ball side did well to beat Wimbledon 2nd 17-0. SMELL bodily contact than they are used to at home, does not prevent them from being the mainstay of the side. Another star is the much-improved player Arthur Hunt. His height enables him to gain possession from rebounds off the backboards and with his much improved shooting and efficiency as a pivot he is a most valuable member of the side. John Gilmore has also proved a reliable player who rarely misses an opportunity to score, especially in a fas^ break. Sound defence Most notably the team's defence is extremely sound. Their facility in getting the ball off the backboards has laid the foundations for several victories and paid off particularly well in the fine win they scored over last year's champions, Battersea. In fact, it is probably the best defence in the University having conceded only 191pts. against a total of 275 scored. Good prospects Next term there are five league and several Cup matches to be played. It is also hoped to arrange games with Oxford and Cambridge and possibly a foreign university. If the team continues to improve at the same rate as it has done this term, this session could well be the best ever for basketball at LSE. LEAGUE AND CUP PROSPECTS GOOD The Men's Team goes from strength to strength. The 1st team strolled into the third round of the Caribbean Cup with a 9-0 win over QMC III. They should experience no difficultv in reaching the quarter finals where, unless something goes drastically wrong, they will meet last year's winners and this year's favourites, QMC. In Div. I of the University League the team notched up a competent win over a weak QMC I team in a match distinguished by some fine play from Oyediran, who won all his games, but marred by some very erratic doubles Dlay which prevented the team from scoring full points. As it was the final result was 7-3 in LSE's favour. Jane wins three The Women's team experienced their first defeat of the season when they lost 3-7 to King's. This was not unexpected as King's are probably in the top two teams in the University. What was remarkable, however, was the excellent play of Jane Luck who won all her games against three very experienced University players. Surely this should make her a likely candidate for a University team place ? In a return match against Exeter University on the Welsh Harp, LSE Sailing Club scored a fine win by finishing first, second and third in each of the two races. The weather was appallingly rough with the wind gust-ing up to force six at times. This meant that most of the sailing had to be done with the saUs reefed so as to lessen the danger of capsizing. Hospital case Even so this did not prevent one of the Exeter crew capsizing. The fact that he was taken to hospital and treated for exposure gives some idea of the conditions. Reporter and typists urgently required for Sports Page. —apply Editor UNBEATEN FENCERS Last term was marred by a number of cancellations and postponements of fixtures, but of those played none were lost. In the last event of the term the inter-collegiate team cup was won by Northampton College, LSE were runners-up. This was achieved despite the handicap of not having a full team. This term will provide some of our hardest matches, and we are looking forward to reversing last year's defeat by HEC. Results v. King's College 9-4 V. Imperial College 13-0 v. Guy's Hospital 7-6 V. Southampton Univ. 6-6 NCL Cup second FAIR SUCCESS The Squash Club is having a fairly successful season. The first team has lost only two of its nine matches and these were to the very strong sides of Guy's and St. John's Cambridge. These, however, were only friendly matches so that in the really important business of the Intercollegiate League they remain unbeaten. No success The 2nd team have been less fortunate. They have been faced with a twofold difficulty: illness amongst their players and the strength of their opponents. Nevertheless, considering that many of their opponents are the 1st teams of other colleges, their record of played 4, won 2, lost 2, is not at all bad. In the first race one of the Exeter boats broke a tiller after a spectacular gybe on one of the marks. Because of this the race had to be re-sailed but when it did start LSE soon built up a handsome lead largely due to their excellent sailing on the windward leg. Exeter again The second race proved even more of a hair-raiser than the first. Not only was there Exeter and the wind to beat, but there was also the added handicap of starting at the same time as the University team race and sailing the same course. Then another of the Exeter team capsised and because of the wind, he was unable to right the boat unaided. Home and away Nevertheless the first LSE boat was stowed away on shore with the crew drinking tea before the first Exeter boat finished. In such conditions the LSE team did well to win so convincingly. The final points total was LSE 48*, Exeter 19. FLOODED CROSS COUNTRY On Wednesday, November 30th, LSE were narrowly defeated by King's by 38pts. to 46. The race took place on a wet, and in parts, flooded course, at Mitcham. All looked set for a convincing victory when Heck came in first and was closely followed by Cakebread (3rd), Allen (6th) and Hall (7th"). Thus the team had four out of the first seven, with six to score. Unfortunately, the last two were too far behind for the team to win. Heck superb In the Osterley Park Invitation Relay LSE performed very creditably against Universities as far afield as Birmingham and Southampton. On the first leg Heck held 5th place against notable opposition. For the next two legs the team dropped back to 6th but a fine finishing burst by Hall put them up to 5th again, which made them the first London college home. Good sixth On a bitterly cold day in December, the University Championships were held over 5i miles of gruelling muddy slopes. Heck, running as brilliantly as ever, came from behind to finish 5th. Unfortunately his navigation was not so good; had he not gone off course at one point he could have expected an even better position. Of the rest, Cakebread did. the best being the 22nd past the post. The team finished sixth out of sixteen. 86 KINGSWAY, W.C.2 HOLborn 3340 BLAZERS - BADGES Official Suppliers to the Students' Union Published by the Students' Union, London School of Economics and Po lltical Science, tTnlversity of London. Printed by Albert Clark & Co. Ltd. (T.U.), Waterloo Rd., N.W.2.