DECEMBER 10th, 1964 No. 45 3d. ''"'™o"c"!^pT"^opeless Incompetence ,L AND I ¦ ^ • sa^ LabSoc Chairman APARTHEID PROTEST (full story—back page) J EX->£RDIN& LECTURER SOUTH BPRILa m Max Still in Trouble AS the possibility of bankruptcy loomed nearer for Max Williams, the part played in his troubles by his namesake Mike was still unclear. MAX Williams is well known as a beaten candidate for the Union Presidency and as the organiser of the disastrous LSE Carnival dance— the dance which might lead to the bankruptcy court. MIKE Williams is the man who gave him the go-ahead for the dance, apparently on behalf of the London Students' Carnival Ltd, the company formed to safeguard carnival officials from legal liability if they incur losses. But Mike never filled in the forms from the LSC which would have given him official status as its representative in LSE, No rtandirs?^ So Max discovered on the night the dance lost £450 that the LSC didn't know of the dance, and that he had no standing except as a private individual, with no indemnity against loss. And while Max, a 26-year-old 2nd year economist, anticipates legal action against him, Mike, 20-year-old B.Sc. (Econ,), is legally a minor. ¦ POLITICAL AND EOONOMIO 8C! Nor is Mike in a position to be sued by the dance's creditors, as he had no dealings with them. Max told us: "I've an excellent chance of raising £150 from friends and commercial enterprises, which will settle my immediate debts to printers, coach-hirers and the cheaper groups. Owed £285 "But the National Jazz Federation, the agents for the Yardbirds and the Moody Blues who both played at the dance, are owed £285." An LSC spokesman says it has no legal obligation to indemnify Max, but its board will meet to discuss whether they h'vve a moral obligation to help out, (See 'Beaver' Late News Supplement.) Max has sought advice on the situation from the LSE Law Faculty, Mike is also watching developments closely. He has also consulted the Law Faculty, and 'phoned Beaver from his Hampstead home as the last Late News Supplement was going to press to find out what 'Beaver' intended to write about the aTair: "Only the facts," he was told. But Mike has consistently refused to comment to Beaver on any aspect of the affair. DEBATE AXED — as M.P.'s quit THE LASKI DEBATE, due to take place last Monday night, was called off by Debates Committee at three days' notice. As reported in the "Guardian" and "Telegraph" last Saturday, the reason for this decision was that substitute speakers could not be found at such short notice to replace ENOCH POWELL and RUSSELL JOHNSTON, the new Liberal MP for Inverness, who were scheduled to speak but who withdrew a week ago today. What the papers did not reveal was the complicated series of events leading up to these withdrawals. Beaver has unravelled them. They show lack of co-ordination on Debates Committee, misled by a false impression of Labour Party unwillingness to speak on the potentially embarrassing issue of nationalisation; and attempts by the Liberal Party and the Tory press to exploit this impression to political ends. The motion originally chosen was that "This House considers that nationalisation is doctrinaire and irrelevant in the sixties." This was put to Transport House for the Committee by LabSoc secretary Mike Colder, and to Central Office and the Liberal HQ by Chris Kemp. LabSoc cha-irman Jim Clarke con- . , ...... This left only 24 hours to find a took quick action. He rang up the Tory backbencher to "pair" with London Press Exchange and told Labour speaker Dick Taverne. It them that the misunderstanding was sidered this motion "unfair" to the Labour Party: "The Laski debate should be about socialist principles generally and not Labour policy in particular". He suggested to a LabSoc committee meeting on Tuesday November 17th, the day after the enquiries with the parties had started, that the motion be scapped and replaced. Although no vote was taken Colder objected on the grounds that time was too short: "Clarke was howled down in committee". "Indifferent" Next day Clarke attended the Debates Committee meeting at the invitation of the then chairman Roy Burke and suggested replacing the word "nationalisation" by "public ownership". He had tried shortly before, unsuccessfully, to contact Transport House. No other unilateral contact between the Labour Society and Party was made. The committee was. to quote Burke, "indifferent" to his proposal. But they were all labouring under the imoression, as Kemp has said, that "the Labour Party were having difficulty in finding speakers". Colder denies having in any way created this impression; indeed he says that Ian Mikardo was willing to come; but the committee were never informed of this. They decided to accept the change, feeling that it might make it easier to get a minister to oppose Enoch Powell, who would not otherwise speak. Transport House were unable to do this. Liberal HQ assured Kemp that the change would be acceptable to Russell Johnston; and although he in return assured them that for debating purposes the motions were synonymous Johnston announced a week later that he could not soeak on the new motion because of his support for the Highland Development Board; he suggested the use of the phrase "national public ownership". Considering this an unnecessary and dogmatic complication the committee did not pro-ceded with it, and on Thursday December 3rd Kemp found out quite by chance that Johnston would not be speaking. No letter to this effect arrived until last Monday, and in this Johnston condemns the change in motion as a "semantic idiosyncrasy" despite the fact that his withdrawal was based on a further one, "Mi^^iinderstandinp" Also last Thursday Enoch Powell notified the committee that he would not speak as no minister rould be found despite great effort from the committee, to oppose him. was impossible. Colder told Beaver that Transport House's difficulties were nothing to do with the change in the motion, which he describes as "good" in contradiction to his earlier attitude: "The debate collapsed because there were no replacement speakers for Powell," The debate was called off on Friday evening. The Liberal HQ put out on December 3rd a press release. This hinted that the Labour Party were unwilling to send speakers on nationalisation because of potential political embarrassment, and it was sent to the London Press Exchange, who circulated it round Fleet Street. On Friday Union office was beseiged by phone calls from newspapers enquiring about the debate. The first call, from the Express, was answered by Debates Committee member Mike Smithson, who, ignorant of the content of the Liberal statement, of whom he was speaking to and of the true situation with regard to the Labour Party's ability to provide speakers, confirmed the opinion that the Labour Party were to blame. New debates chairman Dai Evans entirely "our fault". Because of the possible political consequences of the story as it stood (the Evening News had in fact to make it their front page lead). The Express dropped the story when they realised there was nothing political in it, but the Guardian and Telegraph went ahead and printed. Chris Kemp described their stories as "fair and accurate". 'Not sorry' The Laski debate will now be held on February 8th with a completely new motion on Trade Unions. This commotion has been unfortunate; it has largely been due to lack of co-ordination on Debates Committee, "exacerbated," to quote Dai Evans, "by the change in the chairmanship of debates". Jim Clarke, who is "not altogether sorry that the debate has been called off", solidly placed the blame on the committee's shoulders: "They are either politically malevolent or hopelessly incompetent to choose nationalisation as a subject for the Laski debate." EDITOR TO RESIGN Brian Soddy, Beaver's Editor, will be resigning at the end of this term. "This is partly due to pressure of work", he commented. "I suppose I will have to start thinking in terms of becoming an apprentice thing in the library. I'm not looking forward to that but it seems the only way to get a good degree." Soddy went on: "I've had a really great team working with me. 1 think that Beaver has definitely improved this term — and sales have gone up 25%. This could never have happened without a good, enthusiastic staff." As this present edition of Beaver is the last this term the new editor will not start until after Christmas. He will be selected on the basis of a competitive interview, the result of which is subject to the approval of Union Council. Clothes for the up-and-coming lyfe ^ ltd 86 KINGSWAY W.C.2 Branches throughout London & Suburbs BLAZERS SLACKS TOPCOATS SCARVES TIES SHIRTS KNITWEAR 2 Beaver EDITORIAL December lOth, 1964 ' editorial RED TAPE AND LIBRARY BLUES End of term is approaching yet the thing uppermost in everybody's minds is the Library. The academic heart of the school has become an insult to the intelligence of every student v/ho uses it. Green forms, facetious notices on blackboards, and a Fred Karno's army of Library porters act as an even greater distraction than pneumatic drills, concrete mixers and the occasional brick on a corrugated iron roof. Young ladies who insist on v/earing clothes like skin have had to take second place. But the matter is serious. Serious because it intimately and adversely affects the manner by v/hich most students spend most of their time whilst at college. Blame must be spread widely, sometimes thinly and sometimes not at all. In some way or other everyone is guilty. The situation has arisen because there are too many students at the School, because the Library is starved of funds, because there is little room for expansion. The situation has arisen because the builders seem to be taking an infinity of time to complete the present operations— we are promised the East Building extension for the beginning of term, but one is entitled to doubt. A shortage of labour combined with labour's shortage of wish to work do not provide the speediest results. Students are also guilty — guilty because too many reserve a place, and never bother to use it. This was becoming common knowledge though, and such people soon found their places taken by others, and without the help of little green forms. But when an attempt to discover why the situation has taken the shape that it has done, the blame can be rested on only one pair of shoulders. The Library staff. The Library staff because they have adopted a pettyfogging, autocratic unsympathetic attitude. Because the assert their authority (delegated) with a minimum of diplomacy and sympathy. Because too often students are treated as tiresome idiots who impede rather than justify the work of the Library. Beaver condemns their attitude and requests that at least a few elementary laws of courtesy be applied. LETTERS Dear Sir, The library is becoming more like Auschwitz every day. Not only are we presented with the Gestapo on the door, but negotiation with the Enquiry desk to find ou-t which members of staff have appropriated the only copy of a vital book for weeks on end turns into a kind of "third-degree interrogation. And now they have instituted an armed patrol to take advantage of students unwise enough to desert their books for a quick fag by removing their lifetime studies and putting them in the most inaccessible parts of the library's innermost recesses to discourage recovery. The library has just broken out in a rash of green forms (death warrants?) which must, on pain of expulsion, be filled in to preserve a place. I recognize the fact that the library is faced with the gigantic task of fitting too many students into too few places but this is an unpleasant, and surely not the best, way of tackling it. I am also aware that many students abuse their rights. But this new system makes JEWELLERY & WATCHES 2S% D5SCOUNT TO ALL N.U.S. MEMBERS ON OUR OWN MANUFACTURED GOODS. DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RINGS GOLD — Wedding & Signet Rinns. GOLD AND SILVER — Cigarette Cases. Powder Boxes, Bracelets, Necklaces, Charms, Brooches. Ear-clips, Links, etc. SILVER AND E.P.N.S. — Tea-set. etc. Open weekdays 9—6, Sats. 9—12. 10/—20% DiSCOUNT TO ALL N.U.S. MEMBERS on branded Goods — WATCHES. Clocks, Cutlery, Pens, Lighters, etc., and on Secondhand Jewellery. GEORGES & CO. 80/90 H^tton Garden, E.C.I. Entrance: Corner Hatton Garden/ Grevtlje St.^ HOL 0700/6431 Special attention to orders by post or phone. PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Last issue, I tried to say something about what Council was doing about the acute problems of the eating facilities of the College. While the main schemes are still under way, the Welfare Vice-President has scored a minor triumPh in persuading the School that the student facilities should not be allowed to subsidize either the staff dining room, or the special functions for which the Refectory caters. Under the present accounting system, it is very difficult to determine whether the extra cost of providing, for example, waitress service in the staff dining room is in fact being off-set by the higher cost of meals. But a new system is to be introduced whereby we can be sure that refectory prices do not have to cover losses in catering for non-student customers. Limitation However, Council is rather worried by a turn of events affecting the role of the Refectory Committee when Mrs. Ellis leaves. There is a desire by the School to limit that committee's functions to a purely advisory level, and to create a new management committee to govern the policies of the Refectory Committee. As the School sees it, the Union is not to be represented on this body, and this, clearly is a very retrograde attitude; I have already strongly urged the Director to re- consider the matter, and Council will continue to do this until Union is represented. It is puerile for the School to base its case, (as it does), on the grounds that a student representative would cause financial hardship to the Refectory by opposing price increases in the Refectory. Attitude All the Union has ever wanted is information and reasons for action: if'the School had been more forthcoming in these respects in the past, our attitude on the old Refectory Committee might have been less rear-guard. At the same time, one feels little respect for the view that one place on the management committee constitutes a Union take-over, or, (as has been suggested to me), that is is unfair to expect a Union representative to be on the committee when he may be frequently out-voted. Petty I can only repeat that all Union expects is to be treated by 'the School with reason, and to have the chance to make its views known. This petty scheme to limit opposition by removing it includes neither, and is the sort of illiberal childishness that we must fight against tooth and nail. R.S.A. There seems to be a feeling by both Council and the Research Students' Associa'tion that the time has come for closer co-operation. The problems the post-graduates face are generally no different to those of under-graduates, and the division of effort encountered by separate courses of action in achieving a solution is wasteful and unnecessary. Moreover, the common accusations on the one hand that postgrads are stand-offish, reserved and generally miserable, or on the other chat undergrads are immature, impetuous or just downright foolish, stem from a lack of understanding rather than anything else. What we are trying to do is to establish a liaison committee that can sort out mutual problems, (the Library is an obvious example), and pool resources. Similarly, our staff/student committee works separately from that of the graduates, and there seems little need for this state of affairs. I think also that Union would benefit if more postgrads attended Union meetings, and we could be onto a means of ensuring this. Chris Bourne The Annual Budget Meeting is the last occasion in a Senior Treasurer's term of office. Chris Bourne has given the most valuable service to the Union during the last year, and I would like in this column to thank him on behalf of the Union for all the work he has put into our financial affairs. Traditionally Yours And finally, I give Union the well-worn cliche that I am told is traditional, (but I have doubts about this): Merry Christmas, and like your President, don't work too hard. life very difficult — a form, apparently has to be filled out even if a student only wishes to go to another room to find a book. If he doesn't, and the Gestapo is around, he will lose his place. Moreover, since, in general, only half an hour is provided for absence, anyone going to a lecture (which usually lasts an hour) is unable to reserve his place — even if he intends to return immediately after the lecture has finished. And what abou't those who wish to take their lunch break at a time other than the hours arbitrarily provided? And, since this scheme presumably operates in the evening as well, what about the arrangements for an hour's leave for dinner (apparently nonexistent) ? It seems to me that we will shortly have to be searched and fo.-ced to hand in two recent photographs, a life-history, and application forms in triplicate (or, dare I say it, bribe the Gestapo) before we can get in. Funny, I always thought a library was for studying in. Bryan Atkin Dear Sir, The Frankly Speaking article by Dr. Crick seems to reveal him as guilty of a somewhat introspective academicism. He has made it quite clear that he regards others who are not of his way of thinking as rather cumbersome nuisances, who could be well dispensed with. I suspect that he believes that we are just a convenient excuse to enable him to draw his salary, while he pursues his scholarly career. To seek after knowledge for its own sake may be a very noble thing, but that is not the only reason, indeed not the most common reason, why one learns. But perhaps Dr. Crick believes that LSE is much too good a place for any but academics, scholars, and suchlike. For an amateur teacher and a professional academic to say this, only belies his stand that such a step would make LSE a better and more worthwhile place. Is LSE to be regarded as one of those cloistered sheltered places, where an academic seeks refuge from a pace setting world? Hardly! LSE is very much the centre of just such a world, and it is just as well that it is not left to peonle like Dr. Crick to dictate what kind of an institution LSE will be. Tariq Osmany Dear Sir, I wonder whether I may use your columns to express the great pleasure I, and my fellows of the Woolwich Polytechnic Debating Team, had in attending the recent round of the University of London Union debating tournament at the School. I should like to take this opportunity of cong.'-atulating the winning LSE team on what was, above all. an entertaining debate, and of thanking the London School of Economics Students' Union for the reception we were given. A. T. Perrv (Woolwich Polytechnic Students' Union.) GRADUATE COLUMN Indifference, the selfish child of emotional and intellectual apathy, has long been one of the main concerns of modern literature and art. Forester in 'Howards End', Camus in "The Outsider', Braine in 'Room At The Top', to pick but three examples, are very much concerned with analysing the effects of individual's failure to respond to the values and demands of the society in which they live. Other writers, such as Colin Wilson, are more concerned with the failure of society to respond to the demands of individuals. Still others have been obsessed with the role of indifference in the relationships of individuals to each other. Contention On a more mundane level, organizations face the same problems. As long as they are not too controversial in their aims most of them come to find that their main enemy is not obstruction or opposition but simply lack of enthusiasm and support form the groups they are meant to be representing. This is definitely true of student societies of all sorts, both at the LSE and elsewhere. Most of us, for example, will rather vaguely recognize that the Union is a Good Thing, but very few are prepared to give it the work and the time to make it a better one. Graduates have the sime attitude to their Union, the Research Student's Association, which functions through an Executive Committee elected annually in the Christmas term (in future, though, elections are to be held in the Summer Term, under a new amendment). Each year the same pattern repeats itself in a sort of minor Rake's Progress. The committee starts off to an optimistic and energetic youth and ends up in cynical and indifferent old age. That this should be so, let me hasten to add, is no reflection on the Committee, which usually does its best with a programme of meetings, excursions, dances and so on, but rather on the graduates they have been elected to represent whose lack of response would sometimes drive the Chairman of Alcoholics Anonymous to drink, the Archbishop of Canterbury to witchcraft and Alistair Crowley to a seminary. Creative It is not for lack of trying that attempts to create a sense of community among graduates have failed. But there is no doubt that up to now they have failed, that a sense of belonging to a lively and exciting community with members from all over the world is absent, that the exchange of ideas, the broadening off knowledge and extension of friendship through social intercourse are on the whole missing. A certain amount can be done. Greater contacts with undergraduates would probably be mutually beneficial if common ground could be found. A good area to begin might be in the field of literature and the arts, whose neglect in the Philistine atmosphere of Houghton Street neither group ran be proud of. The Research Students' Association, too, should keep up its efforts: maybe one day its intermittent perseverance v/ill get it somewhere. Rodney Gordon December lOth, 1964 FEATURES Beaver 3 THOMAS B. BOTTOMORE Mr. Thomas Bottomore, Reader in Sociology at the School is an extremely interesting man. He lounged in his chair in his comfortable room in the East Building, lit his pipe and began talking. He was educated at the Boy's High School in Nottingham ¦and then did his B.Sc (Econ) externally. His educational career was interrupted by the War. After the War he came to LSE for his post-graduate work. He was at the School between 1947 and 1949 and was awarded the M.Sc. (Econ) in Sociology for his thesis: 'An Examination of Some Recent Theories of Social Progress'. He spent the next year in Paris|jMlllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllMllllllllimillllllllllllMllllg on a Rockefeller Fellowship studying! r" f I ^ the development of French Soci-= t M K / \/ E ology. It was then that he began= I I Lilllvl V E a study of the French iHigher Civile _ . ^ = Service, which he later continued= !/¦ I M/T = and completed. E jpCUI\/llg = Mr. Bottomore returned to LSE= = in 1952 to teach sociology because-nillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllf; 'LSE is the home of sociology in and became involved in the study of the caste system. At one time, I gave a course of lectures in the School on caste and social stratifications'. Sociology faculty Turning to the Sociology Department at LSE, he said: "Of those who decide to do sociology at an under-graduate level, we get a good proportion of the best and within the past few years, it seems to me that the standard of undergraduates has improved. Mr. Bottomore feels that though the Universities of Cambridge, Leicester, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester have made a good start in teaching sociology and have good facilities — "The LSE Sociology faculty is still the best in the coun'try and the School is still the best place for studying sociology." Specialization "This is partly because we have a larger department than most places and can offer a wider variety of specialisation and partly because of our library which is invaluable to people working with the help of documents". Mr. Bottomore thinks that the new B.Sc. (Soc.) and the B.Sc. (Econ.) (Sociology) degrees are beneficial to sociologists as they allow students to specialise for two years and the students can concentrate much more on sociology." Regarding post-graduate work in sociology, he believes that "when we have good resources It is best to accept those who will benefit Britain and In 1952, there were very few places where one could teach sociology. But even if there v^ere a choice, I would have come here because of the tradition of the School In sociology and because of the literature on the history of sociology In many European languages which is available in the School library and is difficult to get anywhere else'. Marx Between 1952 and 1956 he went regularly to France 'partly to continue my research on the French Civil Service and partly to keep in contact with my French colleagues.' He still often goes to France and occasionally to Germany and tries to keep abreast with European work in sociology. 'In Europe, I was really interested in the history of sociological thought and the development of Marxist thought which is one of my particular interests. I have published several translations of Marx's works," he said, and the catalogue in the Library bears full testimony of this. Class and Caste He is also broadly interested in social stratifications and his^ book 'Classes in Modern Society' is a masterly piece of work. His book 'Elites and Society' was published earlier this year and has created a stir In sociological circles. Recently, he has developed another interest—India. 'I was In India during the war and became interested in India as a society Diary Some of the recent scenes in the Commons have descended to an unusually level of childishness. This is probably due to the fact that the Government is not used to being the government, and the opposition is certainly not behaving much like a responsible opposition. Thirteen years of one party rule were bound to produce this effect, particularly as an economic crisis ensued at the change over. Vicious Labour Is tending to govern by a method usually attributed to trainee typists, namely a slow but somewhat vicious stabbing of keys, whereas the Conservative contrive it as their duty to oppose anything that is'nt actually going to produce another General Election. "Man proposes, God Disposes" and one might add "A Conservative opposes" By the Neck The Capital Punishments Bill introduced by Mr. Sydney Silverman is almost sure of a third reading even as a free vote. The compromise of the 1957 Homicide Act was certain not to have outlived the present Parliament, whoever had won the election. The famous comment of one of the Lords Spiritual, a noted Tory supporter, that "if Jesus Christ had voted in the last election he would have voted Conservative and he ought to know" would not have held good had he been voting in the Hampstead Constituency. Dynamic? Many of the new Labour MP's ably supported by the Tory opposition have protested violently at the delay envolved in granting the increase in the old age pensions. They are quite right, the so called dynamic Wilson administration show up poorly in being defeated by a mere accounting problem. If the present administrative "There has always been a sort of association between the social sciences and socialism" T. B. Bottomore most and perhaps be university teachers or do advanced research in sociology. There is a great need for such people in this country". In the earlier days, LSE had the reputation of being a left-wing institution. This was perhaps because the School was the only institution devoted to the study of social sciences and there has always been a sort of association between the social sciences and socialism. Left-wing LSE "There was a feeling," Mr. Bottomore thinks, "that looking into society meant uncovering poverty, unemployment and race prejudice. Also, people believed that anyone who proposed reform or planning was a socialist and this feeling was given greater prominence in relation to the School because left-wing socialists like Tawney and Laski were on the School's staff". Workers' Control Politically, Mr. Bottomore has the reputation of being rather left-wing. As he confessed, "I am a very radical Socialist and therefore more or less permanently dissatisfied with the situation in the country. My own views go far beyond the Labour Party's official policy. I feel there should be much greater participation by workers in ownership and management. staff cannot do the job, get more staff. I suppose that if they started a recruiting drive right now and raised salaries as an attraction, they could have sufficient extra staff by Easter, or the Summer at the latest. Defence Mr. Wilson has started with commendable firmness that he will "Stand fore-square behind the Western Alliance" I am relieved to hear that my favourite politician has commended himself to the military tactics of the Duke of Plaza Torra and deemed it prudent to lead his forces from behind. Roger LabSoc's meetings next term will include some on racial discrimination. Fenner Brockway — deposed MP for Eton and Slough and a new life peer — will be speaking on discrimination in public places. L. J. Sharpe. Government lecturer here, will talk about a survey he conducted in Brixton during the October Election. On his return from the USA Ronald Segal — Editor of Penguin African Library — will compare British and American racial problems. I think the range of incomes in this country is excessive and the distribution of wealth is extremely inequitous." Socialism "Altogether, I am a sort of old fashioned Socialist who'd like to see much greater equality. My intellectual sympathies lie with people like William Morris and R. H. Tawney, whose socialism was thoroughly egalitarian — whose socialism was culturally and socially valuable and not merely an economic system but something which led to a good way of life." Civilization Mr. Bottomore does not find the idea of Britain as a great power very appealing. "1 would like Britain to be treated in another way. I would like Britain to be something like what Pericles called the 'School of Hellas' — a civilized society which would be regarded as a model by other societies not because of its riches and power but because of its culture, arts, and the nobility of character of its people. That is the sort of 'civilized' society I would like Britain to be." "But frankly speaking, no society, in the world looks very civilized at present." Dorab Sopariwala OBSERVERBRIBFINGS! "She may have had something other icomen haven't, but nothing in this wet film suggests it"* "A witty demonstration that what you lose on the marriage roundabout is easily picked up on the adultery swings " Every Sunday, The Observer in its two briefing' pages gives a lively consumer guide to entertainment and the arts—the when and where of what's good, what's new and what's coming. You can read short, sharp reviews of records, paperbacks, television, art, theatre, pop, pubs, films, night-spots, music, opera— everything that is part of modern culture. And Observerbriefing backs up the reviews with comment and background information. Try it this Sunday. In THE OBSERVER every Sunday * The film House Is Not A Home' ** The play 'A Severed Head' Beaver FEATURES December lOch, 1964 BEAVER PROBE by Features Staff— under Dorab Sopariwala Will it all seem worthwhile 5 years from now? At Turner & Newall a man's degree — whether in science, engineering or the arts — counts for far more than a passport to a round of interviews. Our Training Scheme is planned to employ all his university attainments to the full, and to be adaptable to his individual needs. Just who are T & I\1 ? Turner & Newall is one of the strongest, most important groups in British industry. With a large and growing stake in asbestos-cement, in insulation, in brake iinings and in plastics T & N is closely linked to all four major areas of economic growth. To the building industry; the motor industry; the newer plastics; and to activity in the developing territories of the Commonwealth ... all adding up to a strongly expanding £100,000,000 business with 36,500 employees. Overseas, with 17 companies in 10 countries T & N has doubled its interests in ten years. Earlier Responsibility T & N thus offers outstanding graduates a career of great scope, keyed from the first to areas in which expansion is at its fastest. . . opportunity at its best. Moreover, under our broad and flexible training scheme, the graduate assumes managerial responsibility more confidently — and certainly earlier — than is often the case in industry today. Note to Research Men T & N also recruits scientists and engineers direct into its research and development branches, whose projects are particularly closely linked to the needs of the expanding industries. Opportunities for supervising work with a practical application, as well as for fundamental study, are thus outstandingly good. Ask your Appointments Board for further details, or write direct to: Management Appointments Adviser, Turner&NewallLtd., 15 Curzon Street, London, W.I. (Tel. GROsvenor 8163) FOREIGN y^MONG educational institutions, LSE has one of the largest percentage intake of foreign students and this percentage has (seen increasing since 1959-60. In 1963-64 there were 1,219 foreign students at the School — a massive 30% of the total student population. Over 50% of the students reading for higher degrees and doing research are foreign. It is their problems, their diverse origins and backgrounds, their hopes and frustrations, their finances and lodgings, their compliments and brickbats about LSE., their thoughts and emotions, that we examine here. The foreign country with the largest number of students at the School is the U.S.A. There are almost 300 Americans at the School (overheard an English boy outside the Old Theatre say "the b---- Americans are everywhere"). There are over 80 Canadians at the School. TURNER & NEWALL LIMITED TURNERS ASBESTOS CEMENT CO. LTD • TURNER BROTHERS ASBESTOS CO. LTD • FERODO LTD * NEWALLS INSULATION & CHEftnCAL CO. LTD • J. W. ROBERTS LTD • GLASS FABRICS LTD • BRITISH INDUSTRIAL PLASTICS LTD • STILUTE PRODUCTS LTD TURNERS ASBESTOS FIBRES LTD • /ND 17 OVERSEAS MINING Si fcUNUFACTURING COMPANIES We do not distinguish them from the Americans and when we meet one we usually ask him. "Don't you come from the States?" There is nothing a Canadian hates more than being called an American — for the Americans call him British — and he feels sort of illegitimate. The Americans and Canadians at the School are mainly Dost-graduates in economics and history. The others are research or general course students. East There are also about 300 Asians at the School — about 100 Indians, 40 Pakistanis, 25 Japanese, 25 Israelis and 100 from other Asian countries as varied as Iraq and Viet Nam, Korea and Ceylon. The Indians and Pakistanis are mainly doing either postgraduate work in economics or reading for the B.Sc. (Econ.) degree. The other Asians are mainly postgraduates or research students or are reading for some of the school diplomas. The African contingent of about 200 is made up of about 80 Nigerians, 30 South Africans, 30 Ghanaians, students from Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, etc. Here we find the first break in the pattern of overseas students in the sense that a majority of these students are reading for law degrees, but a considerable number also do economics and politics, postgraduate and undergraduate, and the social administration and trade union studies diplomas. West There are about 170 Europeans, mainly from Germany (about 45) and the Balkan countries (about 60). Most of them are doing postgraduate or research work though there are quite a few general course students too among them. They come from almost all European countries including the USSR and Poland. Except for the Greeks, the Europeans do not appear as any sort of distinct group at the School. South Americans number 40 at the School and there are about 30 Australians and a couple of West Indians and Fijians. Most of them sre doing post-graduate work at the School. The foreign students, unfortunately, make no contribution in improving the male-female ratio at the School for the vast majority of foreign students are men. Problems All the students encounter a wide range and variety of problems when they come to the country and during their stay here. To help the foreiqn students feel "at home", the Overseas Students' Council was started last term under the auspices "f the School's Students' Union. Three weeks before the opening of term the Overseas Students' Officer spent his afternoons at the School trying to deal with the immediate problems of the newly- arrived foreign students, mainly accommodation. The Council issued booklets giving tips on places of interest, restaurants, etc., around London. The Council has also been active in term-time and its activities are supported by the staff and all students. Accommodation Accommodation is about the most important problem. The overseas students live mainly in 'digs' in North London. Most of them have to go pretty far from the centre of London to suit their price range — as indeed have all students. A considerable number of foreign students live in flats — a few of them in real posh ones. Most of them prefer the company of their own countrymen or other foreigners, though some foreign students, mainly Americans, do share flats with British students, and find it an interesting and rewarding experience. Female foreign students at LSE often live in the University Halls of Residence. It is the same with a lot of male foreign students. About 30 foreign students coming from countries as diverse as Germany, and Viet Nam, Thailand and the U.S.S.R., Trinidad and Yugoslavia, Malawi and Israel, stay in PassPeld Hall, LSE's own Hall of Residence. Finances The overseas students' finances come from various sources. A majority are here on their own, but a lot of them receive scholarships from their Governments, from private bodies or from the School. Most of the Americans and Canadians are self-supporting. There are, however, three holders of the (American) Marshall scholarship and a couple of Fulbright scholars — but they too have financial problems. At least two holders of these illustrious and fairly substantia! scholarships have complained of a chronic shortage of funds. Cver S0% of African students are on Government or private scholarships or LSE scholarships. The number of Asians on Government scholarships is quite low. Some are on British Council, or private, or LSE scholarships. Politics As far as politics in the School and British politics are concerned, their attitudes are diverse. Students from Commonwealth countries, Afro-Asian countries, and the remaining outposts of the Empire indulge in quite a lot of politics. The Americans, with their copies of "Time", "New York Times", "Herald Tribune" and "Playboy", under their arms, are too preoccupied with their own politics — though a surprisingly large number appear too a-political to enter into political controversies here. Some of this lack of interest can perhaps be explained by the fact that most post-graduates, whether British or December 10th, 1964 FEATURES Beaver 5 STUDENTS foreign, do not seem to find the time to indulge in politics and suchlike. Similar is the case with Europeans and South Americans. Considering LSE's reputation as a hot-bed of socialism (or, now perhaps, of conservatism), the foreigner expects to find USE a hot-bed of something! A lot of strong, lively and rash opinions is what one would expect to hear. But a large number of students are reluctant to associate themselves with any critical opinion, even when asked about the general conditions at LSE, a fairly harmless topic. This certainly does not encourage the foreign students. Events like the forthright criticism and disenchantment of American and Canadian students with the general course as expressed by Canadian Paul Rigby in "Beaver" last year are becoming rarer and rarer. Perhaps there is a natural reluctance to criticise that with which one is not familiar, a reluctance which should be soon overcome but often never is and so, at the end of the course, a group of recluses will emerge, or rather, fail to emerge. Complaints As foreign students settle down, compliments and complaints start flowing in. Drawing the heavest fire is, of course, the Refectory. Whatever my be the feelings of students as indicated by the sample survey of sociologists, there are few kind words about the Refectory from foreign students. The general concensus seems to be that the Tour d'Argent and Maxim's, not to mention the Wimpy Bar, will have little competition from the LSE refectory in the near future. The School Library also came under criticism. Foreign postgraduates, in particular, complained about the over-crowded conditions in the Library. Several expressed disapproval of the classification system whereby one must look through a couple of shelves of books to find what one wants, rather than looking for an individually numbered book. Complaints about the over-heating of the Library during various periods of the session were not uncommon. "Disorganised" The School administration was not immune from criticism. Most ' of the foreign students interviewed agreed to a greater or lesser extent that the lectures and classes seem quite disorganised at the beginning of the session. An American commented, "You would have thought it was LSE's first year in operation." Comments on the quality of lectures and classes were generally favourable: "interesting lectures", "very stimulating", "boring but he knows his stuff", etc. An African undergraduate felt that there was need for better contacts between students and staff. Efforts are being made to bring this about by the Overseas Students' Council at whose fortnightly parties, foreign students have the opportunity of meeting other foreign students, British students and members of the staff. Moreover, there are some members of the staff whose regional interests in various parts of the world make them very helpful to foreign students. Cosmopolitan It is the foreign students who make LSE one of the most cosmopolitan institutions in London and they are very appreciative of the prevailing cosmopolitan atmosphere. An eloquent Pakistani undergraduate referred to LSE as "a shrine of enlightenment, not merely because of its admittedly distinguished faculty but because of the mingling of so many diverse groups," Opinions concerning social life varied greatly. Some felt that while the cosmopolitan atmosphere was helpful to social life, it was still extremely difficult to meet people. Many foreign students stressed the importance of extra-curricular activites. A Greek student suggested that the Students' Union should be more active and outward-looking: that, for instance, it should take the initiative in promoting the exchange of ideas in the socioeconomic field between Union leaders here and the Union leaders of universities in East European countries. Spade A majority of foreign students seem to find the same traits in British students as in the British people in general. Sometimes a spade was called a spade, sometimes a shovel and sometimes a gardening implement. Comments ranged from "reserved", "disciplined", "aloof". "civilized", and "sophisticated", to "stand-offish" and "cold". One postgraduate said, "The British resent ^lllllllllllllllllilllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll foreigners and treat them as outsiders rather than as guests." Very few of the students, in general, were willing to generalize about nationalities, but of those who were, the majority agreed that the North Americans were the friendliest. Adjustment It is the problem of adjustment to the physical and emotional environment which troubles a lot of foreign students, especially those from Afro-Asian countries. We can make the solution to this problem easy by drawing them out, accepting them more into our fold and making them feel "at home". An American criticised LSE as having a "Factory-like atmosphere — too impersonal" — and that isn't exactly a compliment. Many of the foreign students come from newly-emerging and developing countries. Many of them, in later life, will occupy positions of power and responsibility in their countries. In a world rife with discontent and lack of international understanding, we feel that if we are to make the world a better place to live in, to make people all over the world believe that we can be as gracious and friendly as anyone — and perhaps more so than most other peoples — then we have a chance here, in this institution, to observe and participate in the making of a truly international society. Besides the education imparted at the School, the foreign students will, we hope, carry away a good and friendly view of our people and our way of life. That could be, in a small way, our contribution to the future. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIinillllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll>||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||,'= ^'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini^ Jon s View ^llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllir. IF the ov/ner of the half-eaten jam sandwich left in my pigeonhole on Friday v^^ould like to come and claim it, it's all ready for him. Once I'd scraped most of it off my sleeve and apologised to the female rooting through the Xes next to me I began to wonder just what else got left in there. Who was the guy who sent a note to Jenny last March asking her to meet him in S403 and discuss marginal utility, for example? It must have been lonely up there, waiting for Jenny to turn up and her never knowing about it because the note got jammed in at the back next to a copy of "What is Hell? - The Catholic's Answer," which has a facinating section on Brimstone but we needn't go into that. There's a guy called Herbert whose second name is always unreadable but who's living one hell of a life or would be if he bothered to check those tiny little pieces of paper people drop on the floor when they shuffle the Ses (A-J) and wonder why their box always ends up with the dregs of the postal system, if that's what you can call it and I don't for a moment. It's more like a sort of artificial insemination played with paper and pigeonholes, ramming it in and hoping someone'll take some notice, but knowing really that they'll stay there till some frustrated letter-seeker stacks them back in the Q's in disgust and goes off to read the Netball Notices instead. Have you noticed it's always the same people who go ferreting through the boxes every morning, breaking their fingernails against the back, hoping desperately that their Declaration of Eligibility really has been returned at last and is lurking there in the depths of the Ps behind that copy of the South Eastern Gas Boards Annual Report for I'563? They scurry furtively past the porter every morning dead on 9.30 and stand there blocking the telephone kiosk as they flip longingly through the collection of French newspapers, out-of-date society notices, and adverts for last year's Hampstead Conservative Society Annual Garden Party, biting their fingernails whenever they see a name that looks vaguely like theirs and wondering whether they dare open that note they can just read the first line of by turning over the corner when no-one's looking. It's never quite what they expect, either, opening it when they think tliat American with the funny eyes really is looking at last Month's copy of Newsweek and not wondering just what the hell they're doing crammed up against the Third XV against Battersea Tech with their back to him. There's one there that begins "I don't quite know how to put this, darling, but. . . " which is irresitable till you lift the bottom half up under cover of your scarf and find it goes on to say that he can't make the Friends of Dumb Animals Meeting because he's got to collect his string vests from Aunty Hilda who's been mending them and would she see him in the Quantitative Economics Seminar on Monday instead? I've only ever had two things posted to me through the pigeonholes and one of them was sent to me by accident so doesn't really count as well as being embarrassing, me not knowing where Martin got the pills from anyway, and five times a day on top of hot baths seeming a bit rough, as I told her. though she didn't take much notice. The other thing was a note from the Hellenic Society which I didn't really believe existed and don't belong to anyway, me not being that way inclined and having seen Oedipus Rex, so I readdressed it to the first person whose name called out from the Ks but she obviously wasn't interested either, it still being there and now somewhat out of date as well. There's this voucher there too, entitling anyone who wants it to fourpence off a big big packet of Fairy Snow which I supoose I could count as mine if I wanted it only it turns nicotine the colour of Refectory soup and last time that hapoened this woman I found one Friday night thought I was a biochemist and talked for half an hour about her metabolism, which could have been interesting but wasn't as it Droved. So I stick to that one with Mrs. Dale and the fresh-air freshness as you'll notice if you come too close in a lecture I've run up three flights of St. Clements for because some damn professor's got himself stuck in it again on the fifth floor. Despite it all, though, people seem to crowd round these pigeonholes whenever you want to get through to see if that 2nd edition of Samuelson has been marked down yet and instead find you're tripping over the biggest damn leather coffin some fool's put in your way while he sorts through the Ts for the agenda of the Christian Union Meeting they said they'd send on to him if his feet played up again and he couldn't make it. But after Friday I'm leaving the correspondence game alone, much as I'd love to know what the next episode in the saga of Herbert will be, he just getting to the interesting bit and not knowing about it yet. But it's Herbert or jam sandwich, and it was days before lecture notes stopped sticking to my jacket. Someone, romewhere, just doesn't want to hear about it. m In complaint.. Once more LSE students have been led on by their extortionist brothers. The publicity for the Glad Rag Ball led the majority of people to believe that the Rolling Stones were to perform as top of the Bill. "Perform", in this sense, does not mean standing around on a raised platform as though waiting for a Green Line 'bus, opening their mouths and playing their instruments in approximate synchronisation with 'canned' music. In my opinion, the billing of the Stones as the 'Top of the Bill' was a great mistruth and very unfair to those who came to this dance. I do not object to collecting for charity: I object to resorting to falsehoods in the name of charity. Yours very chokedly, A first-year Economist. Carnival has been, and Carnival has gone, and no doubt by now people will forget it ever existed until next year. What amazes me is that the general reaction of LSE to these events seems to be complete obliviousness. Despite the fact that Glad Rag Ball was organised by LSE students — and I hasten to add by the usual small select body of LSE students — LSE has taken no part in what is recognised as part of the university tradition. It is easy to criticise the lack of interest and general apathy that exists among the body of LSE, but this year the responsibility must lie elsewhere. Whether it lies with the Carnival Organiser in LSE who did everything but organise, or whether it lies with Union who failed to give him the necessary support, is a matter for conjecture. What is certain is that such enthusiasm shown for Carnival by LSE as there is must not be allowed to die out. Perhaps then LSE can make a significant contribution as it did last year: success will no longer only be the work of a few isolated individuals and fiascos like Max's dance will be avoided. Tony Fielding Asst. Treasurer London Students' Carnival 6 Beaver ARTS December 10th, 1964 the a YOBSINLSE? Who reads this page? Who in this place cares about the arts? If indicated by the (active, not nominal) membership of the handful of societies concerned with them the number is low for an establishment with so many intelligent young people in it. But this may be no indication. There are obviously others. Theatre-goers; concertgoers; genuinely cultured people who do not join the established institutions for their aesthetic satisfaction. Established because the connotations of this word are unfortunately associated with these societies. "They're all pseuds", we hear. "They're all members of the Union Clique. They're only interested in their own social advancement." It is true, unfortunately again, that some do join, say. Drama Society, perhaps early in their School career, with some distorted romantic notion of undergrad life. But they do not prove active, and they are anyway few. The productions of the artistic societies, like the articles on this page, are the result of much time-consuming work by seriously enthusiastic individuals. And just how many of these non- The Carlton's offering for the Christmas bad-film season is "Rio Conchos" (dir. Gordon Douglas), a non-adult western with delusions of grandeur. Ostensibly it is about a U.S. Cavalry Captain (Stuart Whitman) and a civil-war-leftover southern Major (Richard Boone) who are trying to track down the villain who is supplying the Apaches with rifles. The villain turns out to be another Confederate survivor, a paranoiac General, who is arming the Apaches in order to wipe out the Union. Meanwhile the goodies have been joined by a negro, a mexican and an Indian girl. Between them they find the villain and blow him up with his army, his rifles and his apaches. Everybody dies except the Captain and the Indian girl, who live happily ever after. IDIOTS' WESTERN active but interested people are there? The gauge for this should be in the attendance at these productions. Last week the societies presented their major productions of the term. The audiences at the DramSoc presentation of Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex" and "Antigone", mounted under the pretentious title (irrelevant to the second play) of "The Oedipus Legend", were more than disappointing; and of the hardy few who turned up pitifully few were actually students. This society has been criticised (and recently) for not staging enough works from the standard classical repertoire. Well they tried it and what happened? No-one came. Corporate Effort The main weaknesses of the production itself, apart from the physical limitations of the stupid little stage they have to use, were due to an inadequate supply of acting talent; the leads were all well played, the minor roles valiantly but not always successfully. Did the people with talent just not turn up? Did they stay in the library and work? Or do they not exist? The last explanation is increasingly widely held. "They're all yobs at LSE", it has been said. The blame is laid at the School's door. Their policy is leading towards an increasingly technological intake. And more computational methodologists arrive, the number of arties goes down as the hearties goes up. The evidence is abundant. Not Music Society A Carol Concert on Monday December 14th, 5 p.m. in the Shaw Library. Admission free, all welcome. only Dramsoc have suffered. Last year's abortive Arts Society, born of the hazy romantic undergrad concept, died an (albeit peaceful) death from lack of support. The Music Society concert last week was a fine corporate effort; but how many of the musicians were from LSE? FllmSoc alone is booming; It alone can have a practically entirely non-active membership. "Poor Substitute" And this page? Sporting hearties have suggested that it be converted into an extra sports page, "It tries to do what the national dailies do, but it's a poor substitute." in answer to this, and to survey the field this article has skimmed over. Beaver presents, beginning now, a probe into the LSE arts societies. New Jazz Society President Geoff Jordan writes below on — Lassiter (Richard Boone) and Sally (Wende Wagner) J "CHRISTMAS VACATION WORK. Students on vacation in LONDON over Christmas are invited to apply for temporary nii?ht v/ork as Security Officers guarding property and premises in the Greater London area. Minimum a^e 20. Highest references. Pay from £11 lis. 6d. to £14 18s. Od. p.w. according to hours worked. Apply NOW and ensure an interesting job with free uniform and fares assistance awaits you in the vacation. Ring BRUnswick 7104 or cal' at SECURICOR. 366 Gray's Inn Road. W.C.I, for full particulars and enrollment forms." JAZZSOC REVIVAL The rowdy exciting climax of the Jazz Society programme this term rocked the quiet academic atmosphere of the Old Theatre on Fric'ay November 27th. The soulful strident wailing of Alexis Korner's blues singer; the reciprocating power of his Blues Incorporated group's beat; the mounting excitement and tension among the eager audience proved that over 200 LSE students at least are capable of appreciating more than the less sophisticated battery of Bar Social beat groups. It indicates the revival of interest in what was only three years ago LSE's third largest society. A revival because this term started very badly for the society. Due to lack of help last year's President Vic Schonfield was unable to organise a stall at the Freshers' Reception, and this lost us many members. But the enthusiasts were there. After the first concert a society machine was established; and due to the keenness of these, to a generous budget from Union, and to Vic's invaluable contacts with illusive jazz musicians, concerts have been staged featuring some of the finest of them in this country. These include Tony Coe, the New Departures Quartet, Alexis Korner and Joe Harriot. Five lunch-time talks with records have also been given to eminent jazz speakers. The society lays emphasis in its programmes on modern jazz: partly because it would seem to be the taste of most LSE jazz enthusiasts: and partly because we like to try and support new and under-publicised musicians who due to their repertoire do not appeal to mass audiences. This is not to the exclusion of other types of jazz: there have been talks on Pete Brown and on the Blues. But we remain essentially a jazr society and when groups like Alexis Korner are booked in recognition of the great Interest in his medium it is because they contain jazz musicians. This policy is to be continued: next term we will present Mike Westbrook and Greham Bond, and talks by among others, Benny Green. The jazz dances with the LSE MJQ will continue. Add to this free membership of Ronnie Scott's and you have imperative reasons why all here interested in jazz should join us. Next Issue: Music Society Big Jazz This is the skeleton only: the actual story is totally incoherent and meaningless. What's more the characters are pure stereotypes, the dialogue is ludicrous and the acting non-existent. On top of all this the director can't resist the opportunity to comment on every possible permutation of race and colour prejudice, black-white, Mexican-white, Mexican-Indian etc. Furthermore the camerawork is lousy. In spite of all this Rio Conchos has the two necessities of a good bad western, originality and pace. The action bounds from one crisis to another with the gusto of a James Bond epic, and some of the incidents are startlingly original; for example the General lives in an unfinished cardboard imitation colonial mansion in the middle of the Texas desert, which gives the director the chance for some almost Bergman-like surrealistic shots. These two qualities almost compensate for the director's ham-handed efforts to introduce social conscience into what is basically a vintage idiots' western. Worth seeing if you're a western addict. Sinister Meanwhile, back at the Berkley. Corbucci's Goliath and the Vampires, a classic shit-epic, all red and green filters, plastic monsters and musclebound American hero. It doesn't have the perversity of the best of the genre, (Hercules Conquers Atlantis, or Sons of Thunder) but it has its moments. With it is Frankenstein, Tod Browning's definitive 1932 version. This is the old original, a straight adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel. Monochrome, ten times as sinister as the Hammer versions, and with Boris Karloff as a really sympathetic monster, this one is definitely worth seeing. Flop The second mammoth entertainment (after the Glad Rag Ball) mounted by LSE students for Rag Week charities was "Jazz UK", a potentially sensational line-up of British jazzmen presented at the Seymour Hall on Tuesday December 1st. One can make allowances in the cause of charity, but the organisers of this concert cannot escape criticism. In the first place the four bands that played were faced with a mighty task in having to overcome the acoustical barriers mounted against them. The hall alone is bad enough, but in addition the microphones and loudspeakers were so arranged as to prevent a complete idea being given of what was being played. The show was attempting to present a reasonably representative selection of British jazz. It started with the Jimmy Deuchar - Keith Christie Quintet, in which each individual seemed to be aspiring in a different direction. This newly-formed group never really clicked as a unit. Towards the Future They were followed by old-timer Humphrey Lyttleton. an essential component of the British jazz scene. Playing swing In his usual good-natured manner Humph prepared the audience for the highlight of the evening. This was the performance of the Joe Harriot Quintet which stole the show with its "Free-Form" style. By discarding bar lines and traditional chord structures the group managed to yield tremendous freedom of improvisation to the soloist. The audience reaction showed that Harriot's music, as well as tending towards the future, is popular with studen-t listeners. Any worthwhile musical blending by the Harry South Big Band was ruined by the positioning of the microphones; apparently inside the drums. The result was that the soloists, including the compere Ronnie Scott, were drowned, the audience consequently frustrated, and the band's overall texture raw. The concert was an ambitious project. It presented a diverse and interesting range of music. It was a pity that it should have been ruined by imperfect organisation, and that the audience should have been, numerically, correspondingly poor. David Adelstein December lOth, 1964 SPORTS Beaver 7 sport NETBALL— THE SPORT OF LADIES CINCE its initial conception, LSE netball club has made fantastic progress. Although only formed ten months ago, it is now established as one of the top clubs in the University. This success can be attributed to the skill of individual players, but the high degree of enthusiasm shown by the team as a whole is an essential feature of it. Its characteristics prove that netball is more than a game for "overgrown schoolgirls", an image which it seems to have acquired. It is unique in that it seems to be the only women's club in the college that boasts a male administrator. The secretary refuses to discuss the advantages that accrue to him, but admits that he doesn't do the job for the love of it. The formation of the club was inspired by Jean Robinson, who had already established herself as a university player, and wished to spread enthusiasm for the game in LSE. Despite the relative scarcity of women in the college, she was able to form a team which only lost one match during the whole of last season. The crowning achievement was in reaching the final of the ULU Cup competition. The Teams Jean Robinson is probably the outstanding player in the club, as she was awarded a University purple last season, and now captains the University team. She has played in every LSE match this season despite the fact that she has heavy responsibilities in the University sphere. At the beginning of this season she handed over the captaincy to Mary Sheehan, who, with the influx of freshers was able to form two teams. Mary spent a year V.S.O. in British Honduras before she came to LSE, but says that even an underdeveloped country is less of a challenge than LSE. The most enthusiastic member is undoubtedly GIna Jones, whose black wool hat is an essential feature of any match she plays in. Jacky Poskitt is one of the stalwarts of the LSE defence, which Is by now accepted as the strongest in the University. In complete contrast to Gina, she displays gentility on the court, which makes the team such a perfect blend. Janet Duck-v^orth has played consistantly well, and teams up in attack with promising Liz Walton. The LSE 1st team's record this season speaks for itself as testimony to its supremacy. Eight games have been played, of which seven have been won and only one lost. Goals for are 210 and against, 89. The only match lost this season was at Reading, one of the top University sides in the country, and even then, LSE were beaten by only 25-13 after drawing at half-time. The second team, ably captained by Gillian McNeill, has played four matches, of which two have been won and two lost. The Future Possibly the most interesting match of this season was played against the League champions, Bedford College (result in the late supplement). This was a real test for LSE's defence against the renowned aggressiveness of their opponents. k seems likely that LSE will walk away with the ULU League second division championship, and the team is in a favourable position to gain the Cup, which only eluded them by a narrow margin last season. Around the Clubs No. 2 by TONY FIELDING Table Tennis Unbeaten Record Table tennis is one of the few sports that can easily be played in the centre of London, and it is probably popular in more countries of the world than any other sport. Hence its tremendous popularity at LSE. The Table Tennis club is one of the largest and, undoubtedly the most successful, for the first team have remained unbeaten for several seasons. Members of the club during recent seasons have included one in the world rankings, internationals, and some county players, and with such prominent players, the excellent record of the first team is not surprising. This year the second team has won five out of its six matches, and all the other teams have gained more victories than losses. The club has six teams and encourages new members with a view to a prominent team position. It is anticipated that a tournament will be run next term, about which a further notice will appear in Beaver. Men's Hockey The Season On Wednesday Dec. 2nd. LSE drew 2-2 with QMC, fighting back a half-time defeat of 2-0. Playing under the handicap of having only one umpire, QMC were allowed to reach their half-time mainly as the result of slack marking. LSE showed more determination in the second half, with Beck and Powell levelling the score inside three minutes, making a draw seem a fair result. The match followed the season's form to a certain extent, for LSE started well with two victories and then ran into bad form, encountering two League defeats (against UC—3-2, and Imperial College— 5-0) and a 4-0 defeat by Battersea in the University Cup. Two League victories against Northampton, 2-0, and QMC, 3-0, seemed to remove any fears of relegation from Division One. Next term it is hoped that the team will improve their position in the University League, and triumoh in the six-asides organised by Battersea. The season's record to date is:— Played 12, Won 6, Drawn 1, Lost 5, Goals for 22, against 26. Soccer Firsts Defeated LSE 1st XI V King's 1st XI 1st XI went down by the odd goal in three at Berrylands last week, in wha't was their second defeat of the season. The home side opened well and were unlucky to be a goal behind after only fifteen minutes. The ball was swung across the goal and the King's Inside left had no difficulty heading through. Ten minutes later LSE were level. A move started by Evans and featuring Scott and Ammatt ended with Shepherd slamming the ball home for a picture goal. LSE were now on top, though MacDuff, In the home goal was called upon to make several good saves. He was beaten however, midway through the second half when Kiernan conceded a penalty. The spot kick was converted, though not without difficulty. The King's goal now came under heavy pressure and though Phllllp-son had a neat effort chased down, all else was dealt with by a solid King's defence with the minimum of trouble. LSE 2nd XI V LSE 3rd XI |N this tough, hard fought league match, a draw was considered by all to be a fair result. The 2nd XI had, at the last moment to bring in Colin Rendall, In the place of Martin Davis. This move in no way weakened a team which, on paper, should have beaten the 3rds with ease. But in these matches the 3rds always seem to rise to the occasion. The 3rds opened the scoring with a brilliant goal by Johnny Mac-Donald, who ran almost the length of the field to beat the goalkeeper with an unstoppable shot. Good defensive work by Geoff 'The Shoulder' Hughes and Mike Hodd then steadied the 2nds, who struck back with two quick goals before half-time through Clive DImmock and Micky Summers. With Mike O'Hare urging his men on in the second-half, the 3rd team defence came under pressure, but outstanding play by Johnny Mollis, Pete Gorty and Dave Ratcliffe enabled the 3rds to stand the test. Then In the last quarter of the game a scrambled goal by 'Stabber' Hill — gave the result. Cross Country Road Runners After what has on the whole been a mediocre term the Cross Country Club redeemed itself with a fine performance in the Borough Road College's Oster-ley Park Relay. Led by the Captain Colin Craven, (time 16 mins 08 sec) the first team clocked a total time for the 4x3 miles course of 65 mins. 6 sees to finish in sixth place. The second team helped by a fine run by Pete Greenhaigh, finished twenty-first with a time of 70 min 25 sees which is 2 mins faster than last year's first team time. Another recent success is the entry of the club into open competition. In the Rochester A.C. 5 mile road race on 21st Nov, the LSE A.C. team finished 14 in front of all the 'B' teams and many 'A' teams in a field including many high class harriers. This is particularly encouraging as the club has entered for more races of this type which are to be held during the Christmas Vacation. Women's Hockey / Bright Future Inability to field full or unchanged teams produced a poor start to the season, with many fixtures having to be cancelled. However, once the club concentrated on playing one match a week, the team began to settle down, and the results have been encouraging. Four out of seven games have been won, with one drawn and two lost. Although the defence has been the mainstay of the team throughout the term, greater confidence has enabled the side to play faster and more balanced hockey. This was especially revealed by the teamwork and coordination in the forward line in the last match played (against Battersea). If the spirit of the team shown this term Is maintained, and if members are still available, the future of the club looks bright. LSE V Battersea In their match against Battersea Training College at home on Wednesday 2nd Dec, the Women's Hockey Club won 5-1. Unfortunately, LSE had once again only 10 players, but good team work made up for this deficiency. Goals were scored by Dinah Jones (3), Christine Graham( 1), and Nancy Mussen( 1). Rugby Recovery LSE 1st XV V Bedouins After a recent loss of form the LSE did not have high hopes against this strong club side that beat the School convincingly in the corresponding game last year. The superiority of the Bedouins seemed to be confirmed when after twenty minutes of continual pressure, they went ahead with a fine try. However, the LSE pack was playing well, and during the second half led a remarkable recovery. Star of the team was second row forward Jeff Mayer, who celebrated his return to the side with two good solo tries. LSE's fitness then began to tell and they went further ahead with a try from Ken Hewis-son, who also kicked two conversions. This was a good win for the LSE fighting their way back from behind against a strong club side. Booksellers to the LS.E. and to the world.... Ask for our latest catalogues when you rext call THE ECONOMfSTS' BOOKSHOP St. Clement's Buildinq 8 Beaver NEWS December 10th, 1964 BAN NER -CAL L- Last week students responded magnificently to the call for support made by the National Union of South African students, which has been condemned by the "justice" Minister Vorster as a "liberal progressive and multiracial organisation". They came from all over Britain, from eleven provincial universities as far afield as Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Bristol and from 70 London colleges to join the march against apartheid in education. BEAVER 45 Editor ............... Brian Sodd/ Asst. Ed............. Nigel Hills News Ed.......... Richard Upson Features Ed. Dorab Sopariwala Sports Ed.......... John Baxter Arts Ed............. Tim Gopsill Business ............... Niru Naik Sales .................. Chris Kemp Distribution ...... Colin Elmer Photos ... Bill Price/Mike Rowe Published by the Students' Union of the London School of Economics and Political Science. CRUTCHLEY SCREED LSE's ace Marxist theoretician John Crutchley last week addressed the Marxist society on the subject of the family. Orthodox Marxist doctrine has it that the family is a peculiarly bourgeois institution, and Crutchley outlined his ideas of a substitute for it in a Socialist Society. He felt that so as to remove the stultifying Influences of family life, "Parents should not be allowed to bring up their children" they should be cared for by the community. Communal Service He advocated a National Sex Service as he felt that "everyone should have sex from puberty to death." A rapt audience listened as he continued "Distribution should not be left to chance." — "In the present set-up there is no regular supply for the middle-aged". Distribution of sex should be by the community. The only thing he could say in favour of the family was that in it "Men get it regular and women get security." Crutchley concluded by advocating methods which undermine "the mystique of the family". Homosexuality, perversions and pornography are progressive tendencies." "Adultery" he maintained, "should not be confined to the upper classes, but should extend through all levels of society." Pornography should be for the masses." "All reciprocal perversions should be encouraged" were his final stirring clarion calls By the light of flaming torches, 7,000 students assembled outside the ULU building almost blocking Malet St., to the consternation of the large police escort. Burke Leads President Roy Burke, who lead LSE's 300 strong contingent said that the turnout was marvellous. The vast procession wound its way to Westminster in the face of persistent drizzle, carrying hundreds of banners proclaiming opposition to apartheid. A huge cluster from the Reading University group called for the release of Dr. iHinson, who had recently been lecturing there, but has since been imprisoned by BRIEFLY Bright spark among the dying ashes of the contraceptive controversy came from Leeds where last week one desperate student made a last stand for vending machines to be installed as soon as possible "now that the cold weather is drawing in." As the Press (both student and national) ran out of angles on the story and realised that if we want 'em, we'll get 'em anyway, vending machines in the coffee bar or not, Cambridge rejected the idea of selling them, Bristol (despite considerable female alarm) welcomed it, and Hull sat gingerly on the fence. Last note from Sheffield, which announces the discovery of the 'plastic coil', 100% efficient, lasts a lifetime, costs 2d„ and "can be fitted by the average boy scout." Which is a new variation on the stones - from - horses'- hooves line, which always seemed a bit unlikely anyway. Southampton, having shown the rest of us how Rag Weeks ought to be run — stunts included breaking into Parkhurst Prison and Roe-dean — now pay the penalty by having it banned in future by the University authorities. Which seems almost as much a pity as the fact that if London's Rag Week were banned nobody would notice the difference. Welsh Dragons Seems Aberystwyth hasn't quite reached the rigor mortis stage after all: 85 students were fined a total of £170 last week after wrecking two hotels at Bangor. Fights brewed up after a sports meeting there and besides the usual glass and mirror smashing, pipes and lavatory fittings were dragged about one establishment. The game? Hockey. Maybe we were right after all ... . The only item that stood out this week from Aberystwyth's "Courier" was thickly headlined 'Hungry Women', and even that proved to be a complaint that they weren't allowing females into the refectory. Lastly — seen off the Charing Cross Road: "The starkly honest autobiography of a clergyman's daughter who became a prostitute— 'plumbs the depths of human experience.' " — Whatever happened to Sennet??? the South African regime. After the procession, the marchers attended a rally in Central Hall which was addressed by Fenner Brockway, Mrs. jo Grimmond and Eric Lubbock. Hilda Bernstein, whose husband was acquitted in the Rivonia Trial gave a moving account of torture in South Africa which earned a standing ovation. Tribute The final word came from Roger Lyons, President of UC Union who organised the march, which he called "a magnificent demonstration of solidarity with the South African Students — I thank everyone who turned out." ELECTION SOON SAYS FREEMAN John Freeman, editor of the New Statesman, predicted at a Lab. See. meeting last Friday that the Labour Party would go to the country between the next budget and the one after, probably in October 1965, Crisis Point Freeman suspected Labour would go ahead with its policies and would allow itself to be brought down over land nationalization. The reasons, he suggested, was that no proper planning would be possible while the date of the election was uncertain. He thought that proper national planning would be poss'ible only after Wilson had received a further mandate from the electorate. "Nothing draws the poison from bankers' blood like votes ... although the Central Bankers do not like left-of-centre governments, if they show themselves to be tackling the problems they will not interfere." New President of the Graduate Students Association elected on Dec. 1st, is 28 year old Scotsman Donald Munro. He is at present studying for M.Sc. Econ. in public Administration but feels he can help the G.S.A. to become a more effective organization. "I feel there is more to the G.S.A. than the purely social angle . . . it should not be content to fulfil only a social function." He has had experience, though— he was President of the Aberdeen University Union several years ago and has other organizational qualifications. "The problems of the Aberdeen Univ. Union are of a similar nature to those of the G.S.A., but are of greater magnitude." The G.S.A. only receives £360 a year income (about 6/- a head) but Munro hopes to increase this by some means or other. NEW TREASURER New Union Treasurer is 2nd-yr Industry and Trade specialist Pete Lamb, appointed this week after the resignation of Chris Bourne following the Budget. Chris Bourne his term now expired On a three-year scholarship from the North Eastern Electricity Board, Pete is 25 and married, presumably indicating a fair measure of responsibility. He's served on the Admin. Committee, helped out on others including Bar Management, and this year became Treasurer of the Union shop. Pete was the only applicant for the job of Treasurer — "It's a thankless job — I knew that before I applied," he commented, "A fairly routine task." His views on the Budget are strictly non-committal — "A fair Budget in general," — and he's keeping eaually quiet about his plans for the future. Last comment on his appointment from Chris Bourne: "He'll do a grand job." He wants to maintain close contacts with the Students Union — he feels the G.S.A. is "not a rival organization", and wants a united front on such questions as Library facilities, which he wants investigated thoroughly. If all goes well, the GSA is in for a period of rapid growth — grants, travel, and staff-student relations will also come under the Munro "Review". London Limits LSE he reckons "suffers from the ills of London .... there is less chance of forming an LSE community", though academically he finds it up to scratch. The quiet though forceful Munro received 115 votes to his rivals 99 — about a 70% poll, since only 300 graduates turn up every day, which if the estimate is correct Indicates either a better organisation than is found in undergraduate politics or unusual keeness in the graduate school. REFLECTIONS The visit had news content, it was an unusual one. Successful Israeli MP — former LSE Union President — returns to the School for the first time since he took his degree in 1953. But Gideon Ben-Israel is a quiet man. He chose to remember. He didn't say much, just mentioned a few characters, a few events, from the three years he spent at the School. He recalled the fight for the bar. "We had no bar, and perhaps the School authorities were against the idea — not that there was any place to put it. "But the School decided to build; the Union insisted on provision being made for the bar. Carr-Saunders was Director then: he was always ready to listen to the students." He remembered Usigoma day. "We worked very hard on that. "All the different national groups put on folk dances and songs. "It was great fun, but hard work. Now no one here has ever heard of it." Then and Now Students. "In my day they were much more non-conformist. There were many more characters. But now, perhaps because of the greater affluence, students seem more concerned with diplomas and their degrees. They're less interesting students. "There were many more socities. Things like the "Can-can" group and the Drama Society were bursting with enthusiastic students." And the Union. "People like Bernard Levin brought a lot of life to it. The debates were always very popular and well-attended. I remember one on an article in Clare Market Review which criticized the Royal Family rather strongly. There was a huge debate on whether the Union should associate itself with it." And so on . . . ." Students in those days were not afraid of getting themselves involved. LSE was much more politically conscious in those days — and in other ways. I remember there were once floods in Kent. LSE students were the first to get down there to help: the Director had given permission for all students to go ... . But the standard of living is much higher today." Drab Debate Debates at LSE are generally lively, occasionally dull, but never completely unmeaning-ful. But such was the sad case on Monday last week when the first round of the Observer Mace Debating Trophy took place. The idea was for three teams (of two persons each) from different London Colleges to face another three, out of which two were to be chosen for the 2nd Round. LSE 'B' team (why not the 'A'?) was our representative. The Essex Agricultural College, failed to turn up, so that left five: 1st. Year Mike Smithson, who was brought in to make up numbers, did what he could to brighten things up but even his ebullience could only produce a damp squib. The motion — supposedly intended to produce a good debate — was that this House believes "A Woman's Place is in the Home": dull enough in any case, but more the "Dead rather than Wed debate held a week previously. And the result? The motion was vaguely defeated, but no-one said which were the victorious colleges. Only long after the O.T. had emptied was it decided that LSE and Woolwich were to go through to the 2nd. Round. SIMMONDS University Booksellers Our shop is not the biggest in London, but it is among 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.G.4. (Opposite Chancery Lane) TOP SCOT Printed by Albert Clark & Co. Ltd., Waterloo Road, Cricklewood, N.W.2.