1 Ch ? BRIUSH LIB/MRV OF POtlTfWL S ECONOMIC SOfllCE _ M52 1 8JUN 199o NEWSPAPER OF THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS STUDENTS' UNION No. 84 24th October, 1968 Price 3d. "Mine is a long and sad tale!" said the Mouse, turning to Alice and sighing. "It IS a long tail, certainly," said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouse's tail, "but why do you call it sad?" And she kept on puzzling about it while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was something like this: "Fury said to a mouse, That he met in the house ' Let us both go to law; l will prosecute YOU. Come, I' ll take no de-n i a l; We must have a trial ; For really this morning I've nothing to do.' Said the mouse to the cur, 'Such a trial, dear Sir, With no jury or judge, would be wasting our breath.' Til be judge, I'll be jury.' Said cunning old Fury: 'I'll try the whole cause, and condemn you to death.'" A MOUSE'S TALE by Lewis Carroll 2 BEAVER October 24th, 1961 Race Relations Research Assistant Fobbed (iff The attempt by the LSE Branch of the Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs (ASTMS) to gain recognition by the School has again been frustrated. This time, it was a decision by the Director himself that was responsible. The question was due to come before a sub-committee of the General Purposes Committee on October 16th. But the Director, not the Committee, announced that the Research Committee would be a more appropriate body to deal with it. Though the decision was made at the very last minute, nobody could claim that the issue was a surprise. ASTMS have been pressing their case for nearly a year. This was but the latest of a series of moves by the School, delaying the representation of research assistants and other research staff. The Branch was formed in January 1967, when the officially recognised Association of Research Assistants was told that it could 'discuss', but not 'negotiate', the salaries and conditions of its members. Following a survey of pay and conditions, the Branch submitted a memorandum to the School in January 1968. It proposed new salary scales from £950 to £1,600 for research assistants, and from £790 to £900 for junior research assistants, instead of the present £800 to £1,300 and £675 to £825. Increments were to accrue auto- matically, instead of being subject to review. Other right were defined for the first time, including the recogniti6n o research assistants as junior academic staff. The submission of the memorandum was followed by : series of delaying tactics by the School. They said that thi was a matter for the Collegiate Council. When the Counc: met, they found the Branch's cw reasonable in principle and sent it straight back as a matfer for the School itself t! decide. On September 3rd, ASTMS' Regional Officer learn that the case would come before the Standing Sub-Committe of the Appointments Committee on September 30th. But, o: October 1st, the Branch were told that both the date and th details they had been given were mistaken! It was a Sul Committee of the General Purposes Committee, and thi would meet on October 7th; on October 8th a further phon call elicited the information that the meeting would actuall take place on the 16th, not the 7th. Well, it did take plao but the Director postponed the question till November 7t when, hopefully, the Research Committee will meet. The School is very near to the point of finding itself regis tered at the Department of Employment and Productivity a in dispute; ASTMS could then officially take industris action to support the Branch. Gandhi Celebrations There is no colour problem in this country. There is, of course, an immigrant problem, and immigrants (or at least REAL immigrants) are coloured — pure coincidence. Further, it is sometimes necessary to 'voice widespread opinions' — particularly about wide-grinning picanninnies and rivers of blood. Government action must be taken to 'remove legal anomolies' or (better) 'form a queue' in the matter of Kenyan Asians. Finally it will come as a great relief to many that Her Majesty's Opposition want all British citizens to be treated alike— which means that recent, somewhat dark, citizens must report at regular intervals to their local police station where the traditional British bobby will greet them with the traditional cry of 'Now then, move along there. Evening all'. Entries for next month's euphemism are now being received; the judges decision is final, competitors are warned that the phrase 'The Final Solution' (entered by one A. Hitler) won an earlier competition and will thus be disqualified. Let it never be said that while racialism became respectable in this country the LSE stood aside. Last term we held a 'teach-in'. We had a full and frank discussion on the problem. Some blamed international capitalism,some blamed original sin, some blamed the weather. It was an intellectually stimulating afternoon. (Voices off) "But what did you do?" Well, we didn't DO anything . . . but it was a very interesting discussion, fruitful one might almost say. Almost but not quite. Pass the basin, we must all wash our hands. I have a theory. I believe (foolish optimist) that students (some students) do care, and would be prepared to actually — wait for it — WORK in the field of race relations. Dr. Desai, one of the organisers of the teach-in, shares this belief. We need people with information about any organisation working their knowledge with us. We need people prepared to work to make this a continuing effort. We need people to stick stamps on envelopes. If (again touching optimism) you would like to help please contact Meghnad Desai (Staff mail, or 4th floor, Main Building) or me Chris Brown (Graduate pigeon holes, Union Office or Bar). If you don't want to help, be warned. If we get no response we will hold more teach in's, more marches; and that's not a promise — it's a threat. CHRIS BROWN / ;! , \fr. shocking "Twenty - eight year old Marie Anne Jackson started the night of shocks for the police when she went speeding past Sgt. Thomas Wilkinson in her mini car at 3.30 a.m. "He was cycling home along Central Drive, Blackpool. "After zipping past the sergeant she stopped her car. "Sgt. Wilkinson saw her slumped over the wheel, and that wasn't all. He also saw that the front of her dress was wide open and one of her breasts was exposed." "News of the World" The centenary year of M a h a t m a Gandhi has brought about more activity than any amount of suffering in India can ever hope to. Committees, sub-com-mittees, working groups, and various other organisations have sprung up all over the world with the main objective of promoting the Gan-dhian principles. From this maze of committees is emerging a partly useless and partly constructive programme of events appropriate to the centenary. In Britain a working group has been set up by the National Peace Council to keep in touch with, and stimulate the activities of, individuals and groups throughout the country. Several possibilities through War on Want are being considered, including the exhibition and sale of Indian village products through War on Want shops, the adoption of selected villages in India by villages or groups in this country, and bringing about mutual assistance relationships between schools in Britain and India. The working group also proposes to dedicate part of its work to overcoming racial tension. A programme for cartoons The Observer in association with the Paper Mate Pen Company announce a cartoon competition which offers all aspiring student cartoonists a chance to short-cut the normally laborious path to the top. In addition to cash prizes totalling £200, The Observer will publish any outstanding cartoons, and will announce the winners on 19th January, 1969. The competition is open to any student registered in Britain. Each entry should consist of three cartoons, with captions. The first with a bearing on a home or foreign news story; the second must relate to a public figure; and the third may be on any subject of the student's choice. The cartoons must be on white paper (size between 6" x 8" and 12" x 16") and have the entrant's name, address and place of education stated on the back. Entries should be posted to arrive not later than Monday, 25th Novem-er, 1968 at: Cartoon Contest, The Observer, 160 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.4. schools is being arranged in connection with Learning for Living and CEWC. Groups of young people will also be asked to clean up public places on a chosen day during the centenary year since during the whole of his life Gandhi laid a special emphasis on cleanliness. An exhibition on Gandhi's life and work is being planned for the British Museum next year. A conference on the understanding of the value of village life is likely to be arranged, films relating to Gandhi are to be shown whenever possible, Winchester Public Library is to hold a programme of addresses on Gandhi, symposiums a: to be held at Birminghai and the School of Orient Studies, London, and a over the country, more let tures are under consider, tion. But as Gandhi himse said: "Meetings and grot organisations are all righ they are of some help b: very little. They are like t! scaffolding that an archite erects — a temporary ai makeshift expedient." A tendency to emphasise t> man rather than to follow 1 ideals is becoming evident. 1 Britain, Harold Wilson unveil; a statue of Gandhi in Tavist® Square Gardens. This statue vr paid for by voluntary contrib tions from admirers in Brita , and India. If these peop wanted something solid for thi money they have got it. B ; what about the children in Int ; who want something solid 1 their stomachs. i The Gandhi centenary celebs j tions are taking the attitui "Let us re-study the man a \ re-state his convictions". I on l hope that by October 2nd, 19 j his convictions will have be t re-stated in more practical ten than at present. Groups in Britain are prep; ing posters referring to pre j lems of the day and addi j underneath, "What wot Gandhi have done?" Perha they should ask themselves t r same question. r Dilys Asht Q It costs you nothing to make a friend at Barclays Look in at your nearest branch, and ask to see the manager. You'll find he has plenty of experience in the vagaries of student finance. He'll help you to open your account, and give you any advice you may need on how to run it . . . He'll ask you for a couple of specimen signatures and a quid or two. Then, providing you stay in credit, your 'Student Account' will be free of all banking charges. And you'll have made a good friend for the rest of your student days. Barclays Bank Money is our business Editor:—Lynne McCann Helped by:— £ Richard, Paul, Rosmary, Dilys, John, Bria Arfur, George, two Martins, Harry Pete. ii Money problem this year? t} lc sc paying easily £300 I INTERNATIONAL . , , commentator university NEED A SFWRE-TIME JOB? | fe P< yearly with free international air travel I Become a representative for IC at your college/ te< IC c IC, 79 Buckingham Palace W Road, London SW1. Applications close 7 November 1968 __cc October 24th, 1968 BEAVER 3 3TS NOT THE PAIN - ITS THE EMBARRASSMENT"-christ PERIL ON TUBES I get paranoic about Tube Train Pukers. One day, I am sure, they are going to get me. I don't mind being beaten up and robbed on the train on my way home late at' night. I don't mind being, insulted, or sung at, or talked to, but I cannot stand the idea of being puked upon. If I travel on the Tubes at about 10.30 p.m. or later, I suffer most. I have got now so I can spot a potential Puker as soon as he gets on. Charing Cross is a bad spot. A lot of them get on there. You can recognise them by the little puffs around their mouths and something about their eyes. They are not rollicky, jolly, or vicious, like the other drunks. They have a terrible calm about them. They get on quietly and walk fairly upright down the compartment so you don't spot then) until they are nearly upon you. Then they sit down beside you. You glance at them out of the corner of your eye, wondering when they are going to get off, if they will last out, if you should just get up quietly and <• move away, whether this will offend them, whether they will follow you. At any minute, they are liable to turn round and let you have it. The very thought gives me the trembles. I am trembling now, as I write about it. I have never yet been puked upon. But I have seen those who have. Oh my God! I know that whatever happens, whatever heights I reach, whatever goals, one day, they will get me. Arthur Bryant Dear Mum, The sight of a man walking through Hyde Park arm in arm with a girl straight off the cover of "Vogue" sends cold fury coursing through my veins. I am no longer able to look at a schoolgirl's thighs; I have to turn my head aside before it fills with visions of Coca Cola bottles thrust upwards between their legs .... Screams fill my mind .... I feel an intense hostility for persons and properties of the young "Hampstead Set" . . . If I had a machine gun I would not kill a policeman, but those perfectly made-up teenyboppers on the tube.. Christ, we nearly lost the copy...... & $ FATAL DROP "Living is a horizontal fall . . . without opium, plans, marriages and journeys appear to me just as foolish as if someone falling out of a window were to hope to make friends with the occupants of the room below before which he passes." "Everything one does in life, even love, occurs in an express train racing towards death. To smoke opium is to get out of the train while it is still moving." JEAN COCTEAU THREAT LURKS BENEATH LONDON After living in fear of being blown up by a bomb, run over by a car, squashed by an aeroplane, ^>a new fear has entered my life. Looking through a catalogue recently I read that a book to be published in February, written by a G.L.C. geologist, predicts an earthquake soon in London. Think of the possibilities of an earthquake for a paranoic. So far I have devised multiple ways of escaping from buses, (tubes having been totally ruled out as a sensible means of transport with earthquakes on their way). I now avoid narrow streets; you see in a narrow street there would be less escape from falling masonry. Tops of buildings are deadly. I can imagine myself hurtling down from a great height into the gaping street below. I sit shivering at home, my flat is on the top storey of an old house, a sure fire risk if ever there was one. At least it will escape flooding if the Thames should overflow its banks. But what about holes opening up in the road beneath you, or wild animals escaping from the zoo and devouring you, and what about . . . This is a Paranoia Page. A blank space has been left deliberately on this page so that minor paranoics can scribble all over it. Scribble, and then just leave it lying around. In that way, you will collect Sympathisers. If there is something that a paranoic needs, it's Sympathisers. He must not be alone in the universe. Imagine ... All alone . . . No . . . The rest of the page is dedicated to Advanced Paranoics. For them, even Sympathisers cannot offer any help. They are both exposed and given Voice. They will be given Voice in future. Whatever it is that gets you, let us know. 6 LSE GIRLS WALK IN FEAR SAFETY FIRST As a student, the chances of you being searched and arrested by the police (as well as by the LSE Library Security Corps) are great. Frame-ups are common. If you were to always carry some marijuana around with you, the chances of having heroin or an offensive weapon planted would be considerably lessened. ADAMS 157-34-0 A rumour widely held in Goldsmith's College (and possibly elsewhere) is that the Special Branch took the names, addresses, and photos of everyone liable to be on demo this weekend, before term began. If this is so, LSE must also have been visited. The Authorities refused to comment but appealed to all students to inform them immediately if the photograph in the Registry does not bear resemblance to you. Somewhere in the Three Tuns, most nights lurks the Needier. Susan (Second year) fell foul of the Needier this week. As she discovered, he is a sexual pervert. His kind should be ruthlessly stamped out from among the ranks of society. Susan asked us not to reveal her surname. For the Needier might be among the readers of Beaver. Unnoticed, he might buy his copy, and melt into the crowd. Susan was standing near the table-football game. A large crowd was gathered around. There was jostling, pushing, shouting and laughter. The Needier, as always, struck from behind. From the inside of his coat lapel, like a sinister rogue-surgeon, a Jack-the-Ripper, he selected one of a neat row of needles, ranging from one to five inches long. He inched BEWARE! Scotland Yard advice: It is dangerous to trap burglars in your home. Therefore each time you go home, just in case there is one in there at that moment, caught in the act and liable to be violent, possibly armed, unlock the door loudly (to give him chance to bolt without mutilating you) and, just to make doubly sure, call out: "Aaaaaaaaaagggghhhhhh!" through the crowd of healthy people who were innocently enjoying their drinks and company, edged up close behind Susan, and then struck. Susan has a nice figure. She has been blessed. From behind, she is very rounded. Into this rounded part, with diabolic precision, was thrust the needle. "I didn't know what it was. I just felt a sharp pain and jumped round, but all I could see was a lot of people. It was impossible to say who did it," Susan said. Our editor suggests slipping a notebook into your knickers every time you go for a drink in the bar. A little uncomfortable when you sit down, but at least you will be safe from the Needier. 6 4 BEAVER October 24th, 1968 THE COMMITTEE Caineo, Poly " The Committee " deals with the problems of human awareness (of oneself, other individuals, the social framework in which one lives) and society's role, represented by the Committee, as omnipresent conditioner, supervisor, and judge of human thought and activity. Accordingly, two basic themes are developed for inquiry. One concerns the unseeing, insensitive existence of people so deeply enclosed by the rut (grave?) into which they have unconsciously burrowed that they are incapable of peering above the top. Moreover, they are totally unaware of their confinement, so the thought of attempting to extricate themselves does not even occur. The second theme concerns the debate between society and the central figure, which arises as a consequence of the latter's unusual awareness of his environment. As a narrative the film focuses on the central figure, a hitchhiker, who nonchalantly cuts off the head of the man giving him a lift. Shortly thereafter he sews the head back to the body and restores the victim's life. The victim drives away apparently unaware of having parted temporarily with what was once considered an essential part of the body. Society, called the Committee, responds to this surreal crime by inviting the central figure to appear at a country lodge; here a Committee of several hundred people is being formed. The mood at the lodge is one of festivity. However, behind the scenes the Committee is searching for the man who has refused to conform to society's rules. The techniques employed for discovery appear puzzling to the observer; computer analysis of questionnaires, optical examinations, and blood samples are used in their search. At the party that night as well as on other occasions throughout the film, glimpses of the central figure's personality are revealed. Though he stands apart from society he is not particularly introspective. He is interested in other people and is sensitive to their interaction with him. For example, he talks about an experience with a girl as they were returning to her flat. Passing a pet shop, they notice many small turtles on whose shells are painted various slogans. One is particularly glaring because the shell is encrusted with Mother of Pearl (perhaps as people are encrusted with cliches). The girl enthusiastically admires this and remarks how " cute " it is, at which point the main character loses all desire to accompany her father. After the party the director of the Committee confronts the central figure. They begin talking about the beheading. The director's role evolves from detective-judge to teacher-philosopher and finally to an individual on approximately equal footing with the main character. Initially the purpose of the confrontation seems to be an examination of the reason or justification for committing the so-called crime; but eventually the discussion proves to be a rather complex learning process for both individuals. The central figure's crime is that he is able to stand apart from his environment and observe it with much greater insight than most of his contemporaries. He beheads the man who offers him a ride because he concludes, after listening to a stream of pointless chatter, that the man is essentially dead anyway. The observer is not forced to judge the gravity of a real crime inasmuch as the victim's life is restored a few minutes later. Nevertheless, a beheading in a much more important sense is presented; i.e. society, by a very subtle process of ingraining values and applying pressure, cuts man off from an awareness of important qualities within himself and in others. Furthermore, the thoroughness of the process prevents man from realising that anything has been severed. The victim's beheading is symbolic of this process. When an individual is at least partially successful in escaping this surgery (e.g. the central figure) he becomes at odds with society (the committee). The ensuing confrontation develops interesting suggestions as to the source and nature of the conditioning process and the possibilities open to one capable of stepping outside its reach. Peter Benenson "father" "pearls of the deep" Paris Pullman Drayton Gardens " Father" is a Hungarian film written and directed by Istvan Szabo. Three real memories of his dead father, plus many fantasies, make up the source of strength and identity for a child growing up in post-war Hungary. His coming to terms with the past as a fiction and a reality lead to his achieving maturity. Both these films are middle European and both show the influence of the French cinema on young directors. Part of " Father's" excellence is its debt to Claude Chabrol. It is beautifully made with the marvellous greys and silvers of the black and white cinema at its best. However, visual awareness does not slip into contrived montage. I enjoyed it very much. " Pearls of the Deep " is an anthology of Czechoslovakian shorts taken from stories by Bohumil Hrabal. Some directors make films that invite involvement and some just interest. In anthologies such differences of mood and tone obtrude from one film to the next. This anthology suffers for that reason despite the high quality. Jiri Menzel's " Balthazar's Death " (Menzel directed " Closely Observed Trains" from the same author) and Ewald Schorm's " The House of Joy " use in different ways the short format well and avoid the short stories' antedote disease. Andrew Brighton THE PEOPLE The Making of the English Working Class by Edward Thompson Penguin 18s. This book is the most important public event in English historiography since Tawney's " Religion and the Rise of Capitalism ". Both works present an argument as well as a narrative: but whilst Tawney's study is more obviously a study in the " history of ideas Thompson's massive story is even more indissolubly linked with his argument than is Tawney's. Indeed the story of " The Making of the English Working Class " is the essence of its argument: it is not an argument which can be extracted from its narrative, because it is not an argument that is imposed upon or added to the narrative. The story and the argument are both of an idea at work, and neither can be appreciated — neither their strength nor their weakness — except by means of a careful consideration of the whole. To Edward Thompson both the writing and the action of history are one democratic process: to see either the world in which we live or the worlds in which we have lived, in any other way than as the unending interaction of all individuals, is to be blind and deaf and dumb. Democracy in its literal sense means the rule of the people: but almost as soon as its first use—in the political arguments of Athens during the sixth century B.C.—it was being used polemically—to mean the rule of those who " really were" the people. But the polemic of democracy can be simplified, and made more realistic: so that it affirms, not the rule of all of the people all of the time—a debatable political proposition, but the existence of all of the people all of the time: an undeniable metaphysical reality. I am seeking to rescue the poor stock-inger, the Luddite cropper, the ' obsolete ' handloom weaver, the ' Utopian' artisan, and even the deluded follower of Joanna Southcott, from the enormous condescension of posterity", he writes in his Preface, and this he does. But he has attempted far more and endeavours to pinpoint and to describe an episode in the history of democracy —or rather, in that unending adventure of the at once vision and reality of democracy which is the open secret of history; and it endeavours to do this by describing the emergence of a class consciousness. The development of class consciousness is a necessary and vital aspect of the process of democracy: class consciousness is a consciousness of one's relations with others within the same group and with other groups within one society, and this relationship is most obviously in terms of how the individual and his group (or class) figures in the production and distribution of the goods of that society: the emergence of such a consciousness is thus simply the growth of the individual's sense of his identity. At the same time, not only Marx and Edward Thompson, but both the upholders and the antagonists of the traditional system of law and order (then as now), know that it is a revolutionary doctrine as well. Class, Edward Thompson points out in the preface to the first edition of his book (1963), is not a static thing but a dynamic relationship. And in the postscript to this new edition of his book he reasserts his basic premise: " class is not this or that part of the machine, but the way the machine works once it is set in motion—not this and that interest, but the friction of interests—the movement itself, the heat, the thundering noise . . . When we speak of a class we are thinking of a very loosely defined body of people who share the same congeries of interests, social experiences, traditions and value-systems, who have a disposition to behave as a class, to define themselves in their actions and in their consciousness in relation to other groups of people in class ways. But class itself is not a thing, it is a happening." We can debate the overt activity—the extent—the realism —of this revolutionary class consciousness, but not its existence. " The Making of the English Working Class " shows it as at once the instrument and the product of democracy at work even within a repressive social order. Martin Small JAZZ by Steve Crocker Autumn has come round again, and so has the annual influx of American musicians to the British scene. Despite devaluation, the Musicians' Union's closed shop, and the ubiquitous Harold Davidson agency, there are a fair number of 'new wave' players among those visiting. 'Blue Note' modernist Joe Henderson led the advanced party with a week at Scott's club in early October. Henderson, whose work on record shows high individuality and superb technique, seems to come over less well in live performances. On this occasion, however, he was not aided by a poor British rhythm section. Far more impressive was vibist, Gary Burton, who set the club alight with his playing, reassuring those who believed he had followed the Charles Lloyd trail into the pseudo-hippy pop jazz scene. Burton has progressed much since his first tour two years ago. His playing is still chordal and melodic, in sharp contrast to the more TWO SHORES OF HELL Michele Ray Published by John Murray 30/- Wars can only be fought so long as each side imagines the other to be monstrous, incapable of pity and inhuman. Whether we support the Americans, or the N.L.F., we discuss the rights and wrongs, the ideals and the politics, but seldom the people themselves. French journalist, Michele Ray, met and made friends with both sides during her stay in Vietnam and her subsequent capture by the N.L.F. What emerges from the book in which she relates her experiences, is not the political opposition of two intractible forces but a series of rare pictures in which humanity shines through. The Americans are insulated from the outside realities of war by air-conditioning, good food and the best equipment. But nevertheless, they suffer from dislocation. Michele Ray describes them distributing toys to Vietnamese children, visiting the whores, trying to make some sort of contact with their Vietnamese allies, but all the time missing their families. They are surrounded by the possibility of death. They see their friends blown up, horribly mutilated by mines planted by an unknown shadowy enemy. Michele Ray discovered just what it was like to be a Viet-cong when she was held by them for a month. She found herself hiding in a foxhole, threatened by the efficient war machines who before had been her friends. In the suffocating, frightening darkness, a little Vietcong professor caught hold of her hand and they shared the loneliness and the fear. As she had expected, she found them to be gentlemanly, but they were also kind and cheerful. But the intangible fear, loneliness and insecurity of the G.I.'s had less effect on her than the emotions she felt and shared with her Vietcong captors. If the Americans think of the Vietcong as sly, sadistic, "Victor Charlie", the Vietcong see the Americans as " a ruthless imperialist who burns women and children and eat them too." Propaganda shows both sides to be " everything evil and so they are made enemies. Michele Ray was unable to reveal either to the G.I.'s or the Vietcong the truism she rediscovered. " To make the enemy human is high treason ". Lynnc McCann COLOSSUS by D. F. Jones Published by PAN If one accepts a broad categorisation of SF into two camps, the ascetic novel and the professional novel, then D. F. Jones has produced one of the latter. Nevertheless it is a very accomplished piece of writing, and though not containing all the beauty of Azimov's Galactic Empire in the Foundation Trilogy, it is eminently comparable with his medium-lengtl novels. I did miss the poetic beauty of Ray Bradbury or the soul-searching of George Orwell, but we are living in the age of the computer and it is probably time we accepted the stream lined professionalism of technology as the next logicai development of art. Acceptance of our technology is the theme of the book the action taking place around 2000 A.D. Brief outline o! plot follows. The hero heads project Colossus, the construction by the USA of a defence system controlled by computer down t< the last missile. Unfortunately the Russkies have got themselves the equivalent called Guardian, and shortly after the two giant computers come into service it becomes evidem that all is not right. The story is that of the fight between the man and his own creation, a so-called machine. Storytelling superb, and for those interested in the relationshif between man and computer, relevant and important. Also worrying. Could have SOCIAL significance. ' It chilled my blood ' says the Yorkshire Post. ' Hellishly plausible', Sun. ' Not Bad ' Harry boy. H. Martienssoi percussive work of many of his avant-garde contempor aries. Burton is one of the better bookings of this year's Jaz Expo festival, which has held only limited interest for pro gressive jazz fans. Apart from unfounded rumours of appear ances by Cecil Taylor and Sun Ra, "safe" money spinner seem to have been the promoters' criteria — Dave Brubed; Gerry Mulligan, Dizzy Gillespie, Michael Garrick, Ear Hines, Count Basie and Uncle Tom's Cobley and all. Th: one exception to this has been the "Drum Workshop", i: which four of the world's best modern drummers, Ar Blakey, Max Roach, Elvin Jones and Sonny Murray let their respective groups. If only Milford Graves could hav; been there too . . . Turning to British groups, the London Jazz Centre Societ; is sponsoring a series of monthly concerts at Conway Hall presenting the best of British modern jazz. Forthcomin appearances will include Mike Westbrook, Chris Magrego and the amazing new Ronnie Scott band. \ October 24th, 1968 BEAVER 5 WHEN VULTURES GATHER..... militancy civil war ¦m. Today is United Nations Day. Liberals, Democrats, Socialists, and Humanists long for the dawn of world government. The claims made for a central world authority are identical with, and spring from, those made for national governments, both in their assumptions and in their collaries. We need authority above us to make us behave. We need authority abc^e us to organise our industry. Our patterns of consumption. Where we live. How much we breathe. We need authority to stop us hitting each other. And to stop us hitting that authority. But not to stop Them hitting us. Alex Comfort* has shown the relationship between centralisation and delinquent-selection in office. Large governments, with great powers, attract and choose those psychopaths who do not, up to that point, break the "social code". A delinquent can break the law, or he can join it. Become a policeman, a soldier, or an "anonymous" decision-maker. He can turn against property, and end up in prison, or against people, and be made a Field Marshal. Comfort is forced to conclude that we can only accept the assumptions and policy of world government at the sacrifice of the whole body of evidence about the motivation of social conduct, and about the nature of centralised authority. We have only to look at the large governments in the world, to see the reverse of the coin of material success. It is neither coincidence nor a planned opportunity for liberal protests, that all the large states have had their chain of aggressive adventures in recent years. Russia Has not only invaded all Eastern Europe, but the THINK While sympathising with almost all opposition to the American occupation of South Vietnam, it would be useful to critically reconsider our positions before excitedly rushing to join the biennial fight with the police in Grosvenor Square (which is where it will be despite the official plan). Motives for demonstrating may be more than a mere reaction to the war. Most people are attracted by the idea of being part of a great crowd, with banners waving, and slogans being shouted in unison. There are different slogans, and a different class background, but football supporters are more like demonstrators than we would like to pretend. Often, identification with a large movement compensates for the meaningless and insignificance of our lives. Hitler was aware of this, and took advantage of it: " the individual who, in becoming the adherent of a new movement feels lonely and is easily seized with the fear of being alone, receives for the first time the picture of a greater community, something that has an encouraging and strengthening effect on most people ... if he steps for the first time out of his small workshop or out of the big enterprise, in which he feels very small, into the mass meeting and is now surrounded by thousands of people with the same conviction ... he himself succumbs to the magical influence of what we call' mass suggestion." In a similar way we arc pressurised into uncritical support of the enthroned leaders of the new Left, from Marx to Marcuse. I don't think you should necessarily stay home this weekend. But, please THINK about what you are marching for, who you are against, and the motives of those who do the shouting. P.T. In the past workers have marched and fought in many countries, for many things. But they were fighting for themselves. We are marching to support others who are doing the fighting. When we go home and watch ourselves on the box, the Vietnamese have to carry on fighting. There is a danger that the militancy of English revolutionary minds, set on well fed and protected bodies, may exceed that of the Vietnamese who have to pay dearly for their militancy. For us to demand greater sacrifices of the Vietnamese than we ourselves would be prepared to give is unforgivable. P.T. The whole of the Home Counties police forces are to be mobilised, some 7,000 padded lawmen. Some of them have been training in riot control methods in Southampton. So have some Territorial Army units, and they will also be on the alert. The police have been issued with the text on riot control which was used by the Chicago police — "If it moves, club it". All of the London police attended a one-day course on riot control at Hendon. Guevera once said that he would not go on a street demonstration without a machine gun. He was, of course, an extremist. P.T. when will they do it? Moscow government itself has in fact been in occupation of the Ukraine and Eastern Russia for nearly 60 years. There is also the small matter of its persecution of Jews. America has its poverty - stricken Puerto Ricans and Red Indians, as well as the Negroes. And it has had its Guatemala, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, as well as its Vietnam inferno. And "our great teacher, our great leader, and great helmsman" has his Tibet and other areas. The hundreds of bodies that float down to Hongkong tied hand and foot have absolutely nothing to do with this. But what of those grand federations, and what of the needs for central government in poor countries to administer scarce resources? What about the Indian government's vicious attacks on tiny Nagaland? And, their burning of the Naga's crops. The corruption, and war budget of the Delhi Government divert terrific resources from those who need. We don't need larger and larger governments. We need a lessening of power above us, and more power in the hands of the losers at the bottom. Power to control their own lives, to control nature, not to be used against a new set of losers. The UN is a meeting place for governments, not peoples. Half of the governments there are not representative even by the democrats' standards. None of them can express the wishes of their people, or of you and I. We don't need to give them more power. We want to take away that which they already have. Down with World Government! Long live international co-operation! * "Authority and Delinquency in The Modern State." R.B. WAR AND STATE I am against the Vietnam War. I am against the machinery of war. The State. I make no distinction between one state or another. For me the State of North Vietnam and the United States of America are equally to blame. Why so? Because if you are against war you must also be against the State. Individuals cannot start war. Only the State has the machinery for war. I am a revolutionary. I wish to live in a world without states, Governments and Armies. I take no sides. The lesser evil is also the worse evil. I would take part on October 27 if the demonstration was against the State, here and now. But it is not. It is for victory to the Communist State, which I must ultimately fight. They have allowed the Press, the Home Office, the Police, to dictate the terms. They have allowed Them to choose the battleground and the targets. Why ? Because the only thing that differentiates them from the ones they attack is that they are out of power. Do you need examples of the heroes they worship ? The Ho Chi Minh and the Castro who supported the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia. Will I ever go on a demonstration ? It depends on you. John Rety Within a few hundred yards of LSE there exists a firm whose sole purpose is to distribute for use against civilians the highly toxic gases CN and CS. The company is called Civil Protection Ltd., 82 King William Street, E.C.4. These gases have been used in Vietnam, numerous American cities and the Middle East. On the 17th July, the Defence Minister, Healey, said in the House that the French police had used CN, "which is more toxic than CS". At least seven deaths from the use of this gas have been confirmed. HELP Civil Protection Ltd. was formed in 1965. The directors are Lord Renwick (former Chairman of ATV), who is also a director of the British Industrialists' Association, and holds 21 other directorships; the Hon. R. Renwick; and Mr. J. Macswiney who holds ten other directorships. Of the other 19 shareholders many are related to the directors. Among the firm's customers are the Metropolitan Police, and other police forces. The Home Office has said that at the moment the London police have only 16 grenades and 50 cartridges of CS. But as there is also a firm in Croydon which supplies these weapons, and if the police really do have so little of it, who else is buying it and saving the firms from bankruptcy? Presumably large quantities are being sent abroad. But where is it made? It has been admitted by the Ministry of Defence that the gases were developed in Porton. Perhaps they are manufactured in the Government's other germ warfare establishment at Nancekuke in Cornwall. Then where is it stored? By what route does it travel? The very existence of the gases puts us all in danger. Their sale threatens students and peasants, not to mention innocent bystanders, abroad. And it is remotely possible that they will be used in this .... ah, no, we're not like the Americans. Governments wishing to contact the firm can ring 626-5565. R.B. 6 BEAYER computer art: thoughts oh cyberhetic sere'idip Cybernetic Serendipity closed at the ICA four days ago. The exhibition tried to show creative forms engendered by technology. The person who reviewed this attempt in our last issue here looks more fully into the implications. COMPUTER POETRY IS combining letters of the alphabet according to certain rules. THAT words and sentences are a development only. RANDOM procedures are used for composition. " The poetry is hard to read at a glance. But if you read it you will find a wonderful experience in the unknown world of sound, word, language, and letter." Haruki Tsuchiya (Computer Technique Group) Toyko—CGT Example:— GE YAMUJA SDOI CEDUBILUROZEY O O MEYO QO XISAJA UBIYAFU AI JO WAYTON O QU GIM KOHWUGO ENO PIRYL E WEYIXUXIFNE BQUHEYE MOFU THKO IJUA O DU BOHY (CGT) Possibly the computer result with programming, in its effect, is similar in aim, but at present inferior to the work of such poets as Ernst Jandel (Ode to N) Bob Cobbings (War of the Alphabet), and George Macbeth* Example:— AN-AN CHI-CHI AN-AN CHI-CHI CHI-CHI AN-AN CHI-CHI AN-AN CHI-AN CHI-AN CHI-AN CHI-AN CHI-AN CHI AN-CHIAN CHIAN-CHIAN (extracts from " pavean for an unborn infant" by Macbeth) Another example:— D, LL L, LD NN ND L LLL, D M LL, NN M D N L, M. M D LD M N. (extract from " LDMN analysis of Thomas Nashe's ' song ' by Macbeth) The work of the computer poet relies on programming. Though the procedures are random, they are not enough (numerically). The work of the human poet concerned with these values of the letter (see for instance Cobbings' "War of the Alphabet ") is programmed by the whole of his experience to date, of his knowledge of literature, of semantics, of his life prior to the point of Creation. So the experience of the human in the field is greater than that of the computer. The computer is therefore limited in comparison. COMPUTER MUSIC Perhaps because of the subjective aspect of musical communication is not yet understood, and that there remains a romantic view of music as a message " from heart to heart" (Wagner), indignation and unbelief is prompted in the minds of the sentimental. Views of the mathematical basis of various musical styles were worked out and published by Schillinger in 1948, before the development of digital computers, but they could be used in programming a computer to produce experimental. pieces in these different styles. The role of the artist in the interpretation of music, in changing it from a set of symbols into an audible expression which progresses through time, being received by the listener, cannot at present by replaced by computer. But the reason for this may be simply that one has been psychologically preconditioned to accept the personal link between the musician and the audience. Most people (again at present) are not willing to have the same personal involvement with a computer. Quote from " Computers and Music " by Dr. J. R. Pierce, ' New Scientist' Feb. 65. " We are faced with an intriguing challenge. In principle, the computer can become the universal musical instrument. All that stands between us and all that was previously unat- tainable is an adequate grasp, scientific and instituti of the relevant knowledge of psycho-acoustics. Bot experimentation, and by careful measurement and an, of musical sounds, we must find amongst the bewild complexity of the world of sound, what factors, what meters are important, and in what degree, in achievin effects at which we aim: all the variations of sound \ we hear from a skilled instrumentalist, all the charade sounds of instruments, the rich massed sound of the or tra, and everything that can possibly lie behind these: liar elements of music." Quote from Cybernetic Serendipity Music. Notes for ta "Eonta (excerpt) 1964 (3 mins) Eonta=Beings (Ionian dialect, neuter plural of the present participle c verb to be) The work makes use of stochastic (probabilist) and bolic (logistic) music." These terms can probably be applied to the music af great deal of analysis. But at the moment the whole strikes as pretentious. The music (a wide term) is nove tending towards gimmick. I can, of course, only be purely subjective. The exhit as a whole is primarily fascinating, then exhausting, in ii diate afterthought frightening, in later afterthought unsl lating. Fascinating in that on entering one is confronted w: phantasmagora of laughing machinery feeling self-sati: emmiting knowledgable noises and glows. Exhausting in that the exhibits demand so much of or relying for effect on reaction to limited (impersonal) sti Frightening by nature of it being machinery which cr and threatens to replace the artist as a creator and event the human as receptor. The criticism of the state " machines working for themselves for their own amusem as being naive, not being the case when one has just been ditioned, or traumacised, by the computer creations. Unstimulating only inasmuch as the art products of the puters are insipid by comparison to the products of the ha The works are good, but one must not be overwhe by them because the computer created them, nor must be condescending and regard the computer simply as a The exhibition is an admirable collaboration of artist computer, but it is a collaboration that, being in its stages, has not yet achieved anything magnificent. Arthur J< abstract ihcahtatioh Language (the word) as an expressive, communicative form, compared with forms such as painting or music, has not progressed as far, but is used to describe, them (the latter). This is the prime problem that makes an analysis of work on the frontiers of language itself (the word, the letter), using language, very difficult. So this, rather than being an article, is a set of examples, propositions and ideas on, the first proposition being that the merit of " abstract incantation " (Herbert Read's description of the work of Kurt Schwitters) or " kinetic poetry " or " experiments " or " computer poetry," lies not in subjective, apocalyptic interpretation, but in the fact that it is working on and expending the frontiers of language. Kinetic energy—the energy possessed of a body by virtue of its motion. Kinetic poetry—an early example, reproduced on the cover, is Lewis Carroll's " Tale of a Mouse." YA CHAFOQOCA FOGY SUGEYQOO VOBIAGP EYQA TY YIPYE LOKIP-YOX BVA A KAYEZ FAKI Y PE PIQONUGH TKIP KHOTQADOHUL KU R PYF IBINIRAJA ROHAYUCH ZU < s V O G O ¦s o O FURY OF SNEEZING — SCHWITTERS TESCH Haisch, Tschiiaa Haisch, Tschiiaa Haisch, Happaisch Happappeppaisch Happappeppaisch Happappeppaisch Happa peppe TSCHAA. " The poetry is hard to read at a glance. But if you read it you will find a wonderful experience in the unknown world of sound, word language and letter." Haruki Tsuchiya (CGT) " The language is only a medium to feel. Not to understand. Do you understand that ? You understand ? Do you really understand ? Do you understand that there are things which you cannot understand ? You understand, it is difficult, not to understand. Why speak a language which you shall not stand under ? Why paint a picture which shall not read ? Which you cannot understand ? You reader, you ! You shall become a feeler." (Letter from Kurt Schwitters to Raoul Hausmann) Extract from vowel analysis of "Babylonian Poem" by George Macbeth: PlC,Vy/\THlT$ bRftlNS L-j6AKJN(^ OUT ^Toppep AT rne to HnK<£ sufte it WAsqoi thfc kio hrway. l w PAUsins it • " •' 'A? I HliJb |/i / HArw : , woo •>: y / / ( y y 8 BEAVER October 24th, 1968 LIBRARY THEFTS A week last Friday, Union passed a resolution supporting the introduction of stringent card checks in the Library. The need for this was put as the need to curtail thefts of books. No-one asked how many are stolen, no-one understood the extent of the problem, if it exists at all. The Main Library has 60,000 books on the open shelves, and loses about 650 of these a year. The losses have not increased in recent years, although a slight upward trend was averted with the introduction of the Xerox facilities. Of the 1% lost, though, 40% are returned within a year. But the problem is not just the actual number which disappear, but that a large percentage of these are standard text books which need immediate replacement, and books which are out of print. It is not only books that go, but sometimes just chapters, or the book without the cover. Defacement of pages is also common. The Teaching Library loses 450 books a year out of 25,000. This is a greater proportion than the main library, although the losses are static whilst the number of books is rising. Again, about 40% of the books come back. The Shaw Library is deliberately casual, but this position may have to be reconsidered soon. About 75 books are stolen each year, out of about 6,000. Only 150 to 200 new books are bought each year, so that expansion is seriously impeded by the thefts. SECURITY The answer ? Well, the Librarian is of course reluctant to have too many checks, and anxious to retain the atmosphere of a library, as well as the books. However, strict spot checks of admission cards are to be enforced as from NOVEMBER 11th. People without cards will not be admitted under any circumstances. Checks will be completely random, and the Authorities are anxious that individuals should not feel they are being picked on. A remote-controlled barrier is being installed in the Teaching Library. The proportion of books stolen at other colleges is fairly uniform, and as the Teaching Library loses a higher proportion than the Main Library it is unlikely that outsiders take many of the books. One of the Department libraries last year lost so many books that they had to be retrieved from the staff, in whose homes they were found. SELFISH The librarian blames the " anti-social " and " selfish " attitude of certain students, although concedes that students suffer from over-anxiety about their work, and feel themselves to be under great pressure to finish work in time. Colin Crouch sees the problem in the same terms, that a large number of people need the same books, and so take a " selfish " way out. He also thinks it should be seen against the general high incidence of thefts in the college. lohn Bishop, the Academic Affairs V-P, thinks the reasons for the thefts are sheer dishonesty, the long term answer is control, and the immediate answere is immediate control. Looking at the statistics, and knowing what oneself feels faced with the opportunity, if not the necessity, to take something, it is difficult, while not supporting, to condemn the theft of 0.6 % of library books. Student condemnation is certainly what is needed to prevent further losses, but " crime " has reasons, and assertions about dishonesty are out of place. ENTERPRISE We live in a society which stresses acquisition, which makes acquisition by each one of us a necessity of survival. In a modern technology, with its advanced division of labour, it is impossible to say who produced what. All property is produced by, and by right belongs to, the entire community. When someone comes along and says of some piece of property "this is mine," it is theft. It is sometimes also called private property. Public libraries are incon-grous in our society, which is based on private ownership. When someone comes along and says " this book will be mine," it is merely an assertion of private property. In other words, such a person is merely reproducing the responses he has been taught from the earliest age. For society to condemn "thieves" is ridiculous. These people have merely been programmed too well. If there is crime, the fault lies not with the unfortunate who commits it, but with the orientation of society. Another way of viewing the problem is against the background of increasing neurotic thefts in society at large (supermarkets, etc.), springing from problems we can see, but not yet fully understand. So what can be done ? To say " change society " is not very helpful to the librarian. But to be more understanding about the causes of theft, and refrain from exaggerating the problems, is a start. Meanwhile, don't take your upbringing too seriously, and think of the rest of us when you see a book in a library that you require. R.B. POP by J. D. BurkinshcvW JOHN PEEL Your actual JD ventured deep into the heart of Regents Park to bring to you an interview with Radio 1 ?!!? D.J. and self-confessed hampster rancher, John Peel. Surrounded with souvenirs and an expensive hi-fi, Peel gave forth on various subjects. "Apart from the boost to my ego, I don't think that being voted top D.J. in the M.M. Poll means very much. That 6,000 or 7,000 people voted for me in a minority paper like Melody Maker does not really indicate a general change in attitude but at least a few more people listen to the music and not the D.J." "The B.B.C. is rather liberal really. You can do what you like as long as you don't offend anybody. The hierarchy of the B.B.C. is, however, largely composed of faceless men who advocate pops mediocrity. Robin Scott is, however, on our side; but his hands are tied. I have never been directly censored by the B.B.C., and have always been allowed to express my opinion. "There is a lot of indirect censorship by record companies and record shops. Why do people set up record shops when they know not a thing about records? "I don't think the answer is in free radio. I enjoyed Radio London but the pressures are the same, only from big business instead of a B.B.C. type hierachy. "The Musicians Union is another big drag on the pop industry. The M.U. hierachy is composed of guys who learnt to play the bugle when they were demobbed in 1946 and thought they should join. "He's a terrible bugler but a great union man." These characters resent both the wealth and the ability of modern pop stars and do all in their power to bring them down. One of John Lennons' thoughts is enough to blow out the minds of the entire hierarchy of the Musicians' Union." "Money hasn't made that much difference. I can, of course, afford to live much better but I don't buy groovy clothes or anything You can't really win. If I wore more extravagant clothes I would be criticised for calling attention to myself, but wearing mud colours, as I do, I'm accused of using gimmicks! What can you do!" The interview ended with an influx of Standard reporters, and I left to a "come again sometime" from Peel. JD DJ B B KING Blue Horizon continue their policy of releasing blues material on singles with a B. B. King side from his Kent recordings, "The Woman I Love". This a typical, exciting piece of B. B. King's artistry, taken at a rocking tempo with rifling brass and stinging guitar behind a shouting vocal. The "B" side is a rare instrumental, not at all in the vein expected . It is still very interesting though, featuring nice piano as well as exemplary guitar. Of course, it will never be a hit in a million years but it would be nice to see some support for Blue Horizon's courageous outlook. P.S. to Mike Vernon; when is he going to release the Otis Rush Cobra sides he has obtained. These must surely rank as some of the finest performances of their idiom ever recorded. JETHRO TULL This week's L.P. is the Jethro Tull album "This Was". Jethro Tull are about the most consistently exciting live bands on the London club scene; blues based but in no way limited by sticking to 12 bars like some bands I could mention. Their L.P reveals some inventive work with the front line of Mick Abrahams, guitar, and Ian Anderson, flute, admirably backed by a rhythm of Clive Bunker on, drums and Glen Cornick on base. Unfortunately, the stage features such as "Catsquir-rel" and "You're Breaking Me Up" have lost considerably on recording, not really approaching the power achieved in a live performance. The perennial "Sere-node to a Cuckoo" was, however, recorded very well, as was "Dharma for One". The overall impression of the album, despite production hang-ups, is very good. Jethro Tull must undoubtedly become a major voice in British music. If you want to see what I mean, come along to the L.S.E. dance on November 30th and see them. HELLO Hello Lunchtime. Eat and talk and quickly. It's Soc.-time. You Soc. Soc. Soc. Hurry. Late. It's lunchtime. One t' two, lots t' do. Eat-Committee-Society- Beer-Books-Talk please. You want the world and you want it now. Hello Barrelhouse. Play music. What music? The best. We POP. Doors. Cocker. Tull. See-Saw .... We do. YOU WHAT? We Folk .... the best. YOU SOUL? What! Where are you Graham Wallace Room? Soon. TODAY UNSA: Dance. FILM SOC.: "Tom Jones". CATH. SOC.: Joint meeting with ANGLICAN SOC.— Ecumenism. JEWISH SOC. Israeli Folk. CHRISTIAN UNION: The Christian and the overseas student. WOOD GREEN ARTS CENTRE: Concrete poetry — continuing until 26th. FRIDAY 25th GEOG. SOC.: Field trip to Chilterns begins — ends 27th. BAR SOCIAL: Concourse area. LSE: Occupation in solidarity with anti-Vietnam march 27th. SATURDAY 26th LSE: Occupation. SUNDAY 27th Anti-Vietnam War demonstration, starting from Charing Cross. LSE: Occupation. FOLK free for all the Jolly Gardeners, Lacy Road, Putney High Street, 8 p.m. every Sunday. MONDAY 28th GEOG. SOC.: Closing date for articles for Horizon. WHAT'S ON TUESDAY 29th MUSIC SOC.: 6.30 p.m. Graham Wallace Room. Choir rehearsal. METHODIST SOC.: 1.15 p.m. at King's. Rev. R. V. Spirey. FILM SOC.: "The horse soldiers" and "Mafia, No!" ANARCHIST GROUP: Room 102, weekly meeting. Albert Meltzer: Law and anarchism. AFRICA CENTRE: The African comes to town, by Dr. Peter Lloyd. WEDNESDAY 30th MUSIC SOC.: 1.30 p.m. Lunch hour recital. Founders Room. Albert Feiber (pianist); and 6.30 p.m. orchestra rehearsal, Founders Room. THURSDAY 31st GEOG. SOC.: Mr. Kenneth Hudson " Industrial arch-taeology: " Is the honeymoon period ending ? " MUSIC SOC.: 7.30-10.30 beer and cider party Founders Room. 2s. members, 2s. 6d. non-members. NEW ESSENTIAL READING FOR STUDENTS. Keepin-formed on politics, world events, social & economic affairs, new books, all the arts. Every Friday, 1s 6d. RELEASE: 22 Princedale Road, W. 11. Poetry workshop free every Thursday, 8 p.m. FRIDAY, NOV. 1st BAR SOCIAL: Concourse area. SATURDAY, NOV. 2nd DANCE: Chicken Shack. Blonde on Blonde. John Peel. Occasional Word Ensemble. MONDAY 4th AFRICAN CENTRE: Evening conference: Sudan. Admission 5s. including supper. TUESDAY 5th GUY FAWKES NIGHT: Burn, Baby, burn. FILM SOC.: "The Killing" and " Little Caesar." ANARCHIST GROUP : Room 102 weekly meeting. MUSIC SOC.: 6.30 p.m. choir' rehearsal. WEDNESDAY 6th MUSIC SOC.: Lunch-hour recital 1.30 p.m. Founders Room, and 6.30 p.m. orchestra rehearsal Founders Room. Where no time or place is given, see notice boards on 3rd floor old building. statesman SPECIAL OFFER to new student readers: 20 weeks for 15s. Write sending 15s. to Arthur Soutter, NEW STATESMAN, Great Turnstile, London WC1. kf ober 24th, 1968_____BEAVER_____9 HELP WANTED COMBAT FLU ^PORT RUGBY CLUB REPORT After a season in the doldrums the LSE Rugby Club is again looking forward to a very successful season. With the majority of last year's First XV still available and the arrival of some experienced new players of considerable talent, the fight for places in the first and second XV's will be very much harder than last year. STRENGTH The strength of the club was well illustrated by the third XV's victory of 50-8 over a YMCA team in the opening game of the season, Dick Claydon playing very soundly and scoring a personal tally of 17 points. Last Wednesday, the first and second XV's opened their campaigns with good wins over the Royal School of Mines and City and Guilds respectively. Mears and Mcintosh (both new members of the club) showed up well for the first XV with Kenny, Minto and Turne demonstrating their great potential. The drinking form of the club was also well illustrated by the fact that 40 gallons of beer were drunk by 7 o'clock, much to the dismay of all concerned. DECISIVE WIN On Saturday the firsts recorded a 10-3 victory over London Scottish III, the team being ably led by B. Rothwgll in place of the injured club captain C. Jones. In this game one of the club's leading forwards Jim Richardson showed his complete return to fitness with a brilliant display of rugged football. The second team, although slightly disappointing, kept their unbeaten record with a 3-0 victory. The third XV, however, owing to injury and illness, fielded a much weakened team which suffered defeat at the hands of London Scottish extra 'B' team. The game was brightened, however, by some strong masterful runs by the wings W. Ball and D'Alberone. ORIENTEERING WIN FOR L.S.E. In the first event of the season held at Thursley Common on Sunday, 6th October, 1968, a team from LSE convincingly beat the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, among others, when winning the Course II competition. Derek Turner in his first competition was 4th in 1 hr. 25 min. 35 seconds, closely followed by David Parkin, 5th in 1 hr. 27 min. Hayes in 15th position completed our scorers, but another novice, Jim Toller, was 31st. There were 69 starters in this event, Atkinson missing one control and Zavoico missing three. BEAT RECORD HOLDER On Course 1 "Yeti" Nor.e, a Norwegian in his first year, was 20th in a class field and John Walker was second of the LSE contingent in 34th place, closely followed by Phil Ashworth, a research assistant on Dr. Desai's project, who in his first ever competition beat former British six-mile record holder Bruce Tulloh by over 13 minutes. John Pratt committed the unforgivable orienteering sin in losing his competitor's card when over half way round the course. DISASTER Course III was a disaster. None of the LSE team were able to find a single control although Alice did find a charming bunch of grasses, leaves and ferns. The chairman rejects completely the suggestion that the two social anthropologists who were out in the woods for 3« hours and returned looking so happy, had been studying the mating habits of the Anglo-Saxons. COURSE FOR NOVICES Sunday, 13th October, 1968, it was intended that 12 novices should undergo a one day Orienteering course at Bisham Abbey but on the day only seven turned up. Whilst the lectures had a mixed reception the course which had been laid out was excellent for novices. Starting with easy controls and getting progressively more difficult and necessitating close attention to the details of the map. David Parkin (some novice) was an $asy winner in 47 minutes after making a worse hash of finding the first control than any. He was passed by Bridget Pander and Mrs. Chastney scrabbling about on his hand and knees in the mud searching for a shoe. John Pratt ran well for second place. As dusk began to fall the mud bespattered but triumphant figure of Bridget Pander emerged from the woods, having missed only one control, a tremendous improvement on the previous week. NOTE ! Will Atheltic Union societies please let us have results, and reports, as soon as possible. Deadline: Monday morning before publication. Write for "(R)evolution" — a paperback to put demonstrations, sit-ins, and direct action in our own political perspective. Do you feel/think/imagine/infer/believe/agree? That: —democracy does not end with a rustling of ballot slips and the grimace of a parliamentary death-mask. —genuine free speech must be an extension of free action, not a substitute for it. —the value of production, acquisition and consumption lies in what we make of ourselves and each other in the process. —as long as majority wants can be objectively defined in a limited range of goods and services, even a dictatorship of the proletariat becomes the trappings, of another dictatorship — the dictatorship of the competent. If any of this means anything to you, why not contribute to "(R) evolution" with your own ideas on the personal/political issues you think most important for yourself and us all. The aim .of the planned paperback is to bring together popular thinking from across the disestablished left; to bring that thinking before a wider public and making our own sense of the TV images of beards, banners and brawling. Send up to 2,000 words, addressed to: "(R) evolution". C/O This paper or c/o 61 Cardigan Street, London S.E.ll. Deadline January 1st, 1969. Names and addresses will be published unless specifically declined. (signed) GREGORY WILKINSON* * Former foreign correspondent for international newsagency. Mass inoculation of LSE staff and students will take place on 24th and 25th October in S50 (television room) between 10 am and 5 pm. FIRST KNOWN REPORT The following extract is thought to have been the first report of 'flu in this country. It is taken from Anglica Historia, Book XXIV; it contains a dire warning:— "In the same year (1485), immediately after Henry's landing, a new kind of disease swept the whole country; it was a baleful affliction and one which no previous age had experienced. A sudden deadly sweating attacked the body and at the same time head and stomach were in pain from the violence of the fever. When seized by the disease, some were unable to bear thg heat and (if in bed) removed the bedclothes or (if clothed) undressed themselves; others slaked their thirst with cold drinks; yet others endured the heat and the stench (for the perspiration stank foully) and by adding more bedclothes provoked more sweating. But all alike died, either as soon as the fever began or not long after, so that of the persons infected scarcely one in a hundred escaped death. MARTINPLANNING makes your money go further When the problem that you're faced with is the longness of thetime compared with the shortness of the money, likely as not the answer could be a bit of Martinplanning. What's Martinplanning? It's the way we have at Martins of applying all our experience of managing money to help you make the most of yours. Call in and have a word with the local Martins manager—• guaranteed unstuffy. We don't promise he'll make money for you, but we're absolutely positive he'll see you get the best possible value out of whatever you've got. Ask him for the leaflet we've prepared specially for students. Martins have a branch at Africa House, Kingsway, London W.C.2 Telephone: 01-405 2206/8 Ask to see Mr. Ravenshear Martins go to extremes to be helpful MARTINS BANK ¥ U.S.A. Are you interested in North America ? Join University Students Abroad International House 40 Shaftesbury Avenue London W 1 Tel. 01-437-5374 / 10 _BEAVER__October 24th, 1 O Turn On, Tune In, TAKE OVER: Official Union Policy (hopefully) IS UNION COUNCIL IF YOU MAKE A REVOLUTION, FINISHED? DO IT FOR FUN! On Monday afternoon the assertion was made at the meeting of the Ad Hoc occupation meeting, that Union Council was obstructing the motion passed by the Union on Thursday that "in view of Union's previous stand against American aggression in Vietnam, the LSE Students' Union affirms its support for the October 27th Vietnam demonstration. Specifically to this end it gives its support for the week-end occupation of the LSE buildings for the purpose of sanctuary, medical assistance, and political discussion and pledges its facilities for use by the Ad Hoc occupation committee". It is well known that many of the individuals on Council are personally antagonistic to such sentiments, and the question now arises, will they let these override the above instructions from Union? Immediately after the Union meeting, Council held "an informal discussion", behind LOCKED doors. "Just a group of friends having a quiet chat". All Council members, with the secretary. The following evening another friendly chat, barred to non-friends. On Thursday evening, bearing in mind the wording of the motion, the Ad Hoc committee asked the President if a leaflet could be duplicated. On receiving such an assurance, they left a copy of it with him. The following morning, despite promises to the contrary, it was not done. Lunch-time, it was still not done. In the afternoon, therefore, they offered to do it themselves. Ah, they were told, only the full-time staff can use the Union duplicator, and they're all busy. Has the External-Affairs V.P. contacted other colleges about the availability of our buildings this weekend? What arrangements has the Social V.P. made for our entertainment? Last term the President was anxious to point out that his attempted obstruction of the RSSF conference and French solidarity sit-in were nothing to do with his personal prejudices, but sprang from a deep respect for the constitution. Good. Union has passed a resolution, and it is up to the Council to act on it, or resign. In fact, a member of the Council believes there will be some resignations soon, but that meanwhile deliberate obstruction is on the cards. The same person justifies the closed Council meetings with a significant "even Parliament has closed meetings in war time". LIVE, instead of devising a lingering death MODERATION URGED Smash extremist domination of LSE ! With a mass petition, a "moderate" alliance of students opposed to the occupation has been launched in LSE. At a packed meeting in the Old Theatre (there were too many for the George Wallace Room), the 200 odd supporters of the new Con-Lab-Lib party met for 45 minutes to air their contempt for those who would bring the School into disrepute. It was suggested that "we should jolly well have a work-in over the weekend", and another speaker, plain-clothed, wanted to give full support should Walter Adams decide to close the School. Violence was not ruled out by these vigilantes. A vote revealed that 150 people opposed the sit-in, rather fewer than the number opposing it at the Union meeting the previous Friday. An ad hoc committee was nominated to consolidate the widely felt abhorrence of all effective opposition to the Vietnam war. So many issues are raised by the Vietnam war/protest/ student power, and we all hope that some of them will be thoroughly debated next weekend. We also pray that the same old ideaologues won't hold the floor too much of the time, and that the use of stewards will not be taken seriously by the organisers. One of the issues, at the same time philosophical and practical, is whether or not, in a revolt against authority, we need our own hierarchies, rules, and disciplinary procedure. If we are to create a classless society, can we afford meanwhile to create a new class? All this may seen unnecessary, but just look at the antics when the need comes to do something. What do they think of? Leaders, committees, delegates. All the paraphenalia they learned in the Wolf Cubs. Why not organise as you mean to go on? Not just for press purposes. Nor to experiment. But because if we can't try to live without authority NOW, there is little point in fighting the ones we've got. DEEP JOY What is the part of play in insurrection? We don't know, but it should be a substantial part. Like our stomachs, the blowable part of our minds could be undernourished if people sit back and let things happen to them. Use the initiative that our enterprise-based economic system has drilled into you ! If you know entertainers of any kind (juggling Council members excluded), invite them along. Organise something for your/our pleasure. The Union sound system is to be moved to Passfield Hall tomorrow. Can you help? For the weekend, the place is ours. Don't lets reproduce the banality of this hole, fed to us the rest of the time. Rename LSE: London School of Untrammelled Desire POLITICS OF FOOD Many organizational problems which seem unimportant now, could easily wreck the whole atmosphere next weekend. With the needs of publicity, literature production/distribution, organization of meetings, etc., the provision of refreshment is liable to be neglected. The bureaucratic rejoinder from certain of the "leaders" of the occupation that people can go out and buy food when they are hungry is pathetic to say the least. There are few grocers within easy reach, and most of the cafes are closed on Sundays (and certainly will be this Sunday). Anybody interested in the culinary side of Revolution or just prepared to cut rolls, should contact the Services Committee (see notice boards). If you can, bring your own food. And if you seriously want to make a Revolution, share it. STOP PRESS At a joint meeting of Council and "moderates", decision made to call a meeting to reverse occupation decision. Council afraid to propose motion and reveal true nature. Jones, Mountford, Stacey, Bignall and Crouch declared themselves totally against sit-in. Bishop, Tooze, Osuji and Sydney, for varying reasons, think decision should stand. By today you will know more. Know your enemy ! Let the people who want to organise things do so. No elections needed. By all means have co-ordinating committees. But on an equal footing with the other groups. And with no power of enforcing their decisions. Which brings us to another issue. Is the sit-in a step to something bigger. Do we need to discipline ourselves (e.g. leave drugs at home) so that the action is successful publicity-wise. Or do we allow it to become the real thing, allow it to justify itself? For a few days the buildings are ours. Must we wait, or do we try to live now? Is pleasure to be curtailed until the glorious day, or is it part of the prologue? And, most important, can our visious of the future be divorced from our present way of life? Beware the sexual hang-ups of the organisers ! The only worthy goal of a Revolution is the pursuit of unlicensed pleasure ! WE CAN'T WAIT! "Ace News of the World reporter, Simon Reagon 'the man who gets in anywhere', has cracked the great student plot for an October Revolution of violence, destruction, and anarchy. In a daring investigation spanning six months, he penetrated the revolution at every level. Posing as a would-be militant he was accepted in student war-councils and hidey-holes in Britain and all over Europe. Reagon's first report appears next Sunday on the day of the violence planned in Hyde Park to start the October Revolution. Reagon was there when it was secretly planned, not in England, but in De Gaulle's France. He reported "I followed a trail from dingy rooms in London's East End to back street revolutionary cells in Paris, cafes in Madrid and Berlin, a barge in Amsterdam, and eventually back again to London." Reagon's startling reports will name the 'puppet-makers', the dedicated revolutionaries and prophets of chaos, few of them students themselves, who manipulate student-power for political ends." Next week, this hack will communicate with 16 million (mostly working class) people. In Germany students found it necessary to obstruct the distribution of powerful and twisted papers. Know your enemy ! JOIN UP NOW! In the streets we fight those who attempt to control our disgust for the English heritage. But will we allow ourselves to be oppressed when the world is ours? The discussion about security produced some of the most irrelevant arguments that They have been using for generations. Fascists will machine-gun us. Anarchists will burn down the libraries (and outbid the Socialists?). Police will castrate us all (with obvious exceptions). Despite this paranoia, a motion was passed on Monday to the effect that "This Union reaffirms its principle of nonviolence as the first means of resistance" by a substantial majority. Nevertheless, a Security Committee has been set up, although its functions are not yet clear. There has been talk of the need to have stewards at meetings, to ban drugs, etc. Hard men should contact the Patrol Recruitment Office, SI 18. The Only Law Shall Be: Do What Thou Wilt