BRITISH lieRARY OF POUTIML S ECONOMIC SQENCE
iJSt)
1 8JUN1990
NEWSPAPER OF THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS STUDENTS' UNION
No. 120
JANUARY 26th, 1973

MARIA CADAXA
(Jacoss. Ex-General Sec. See bottom right)
JOHN OARR
(Soc.-Soc. Senior Treasurer. Unopposed)
REX OSBORN	JOE CUMMINGS
(Soc.-Soc. Ctte. Member) (Soc.-Soc. Ctte. Member)
ELIAS NOUJAIN CARLOS MICHELSON
(Soc.-Soc. Ctte. Member) (Jacoss. Gtte. Member)
m
ABE OPPEL	EMMANUEL IGWE	HAMID HAROON
(Soc.-Soc. Ctte. Member) (Jacoss. Ctte. Member) (Jacoss. Ctte. Member)
JANE AYTON
(Independant. Ctte. l\^ember)
NICK KETTLE	GUILLERMO KELLY
(Soc.-Soc. Ctte. Member) (Jacoss. Ctte. Member)
THE ELECT
^HE elections are duly over for another year. For the Left, the result was satisfactory. All the candidates standing on the Soc-Soc/Jacos slate were elected with substantial majorities. But what can we expect from the new executive ? How are they likely to react when faced with new challenges both inside and outside the college ? These challenges are likely to be the most important and far-reaching that have arisen in many years.
Outside the college there may be bitter industrial disputes as
NEW ELECTION
New elections for the position of General Secretary will be held within the next two weeks following the resignation of Maria Cadaxa. if anyone from the present Executive Committee wishes to stand for this position, new elections will have to take place for the whole executive. It is not known if Maria Cadaxa will withdraw her resignation when she realises all that new elections will entail.
Beaver Staff
People who worked on this edition of Beaver:
ROSIE HURST (Editor) GEORGE FOY
(Assistant Editor) JEREMY CLIFT
(Cartoonist/Reporter)
Published by London School of Economics Students' Union. Printed by Ripley Printers Ltd., Ripley, Derbys.
workers attempt to defend their living standards and break the state control over their wages and organisations. Students are faced with declining conditions both in the academic sphere and in terms of the rapidly declining value of grants.
LSE students will need a sttrang, efficient and unified executive capable of giving a clear political lead if they are going to play a full role in student or working class campaigns.
ARTIFICIAL UNITY
Students are unlikely to get such an executive. On paper it may look united standing as they did on a common though eclectic platform. In reality, the platform is the result of four very different programmes, each embodying a radically differing conception of student politics. Yet all these differences have been sunic so that a short-term electoral unity could be won. But how "can this artificial unity last ? Did the candidates really give up their own deeply held convictions in order to present a united slate to students, or will their differences re-emerge on the executive.
If the first is true it is amazing how cheaply politics can be bought by votes. If, as is far more likely, the latter is true, then we may have an executive rendered impotent by the deep divisions that exist between them even over most basic issues.
UNION ELECTION RESULTS
Joe Cummings .................. 247
Rex Osborn ..................... 215
Emmanuel Igwe ............... 194
Nick Kettle ..................... 185
Carlos Michelson ............... 184
Jane Ayton ..................... 178
Hamid Haroon .................. 178
Abe Oppel ........................ 170
Elias Noujaim .................. 161
G. Kelly ........................... 155
John Blundell .................. 97
Paul Howes ..................... 99
John Stathatos .................. 64
390 ballot papers were cast.
Whichever is the case, it is essential that the executive is pressed into action from the Union floor to meet the new struggles that will arise.
If they do not respond then they must be removed as soon as possible, and a principled, politically unified executive capable of both responding to Union, which gives a clear political lead, must replace it.
T.P.
ONE of the candidates for the Union elections whose candidature was withdrawn (I wonder why ?) had the following statement in his biography on the ballot paper:
"J. D. H. Banks. Graduate member of Institute of Personnel Management. Diploma in Industrial Administration. Undergraduate mature student of
Economics (1st year). Committee of Society of Democratic Students. (Con-Soc). As a mature student with experience of working with 'top people', I feel I can aggregate and interpret student interests and put them across to their best advantage."
Joiin Blundell, ex-Chairman of Conservative Society LSE: "If we get in, I want a big headline ¦ • . I believe in capitalism as a viable and just economic system, that's why I'm a Conservative."
A would-be saboteur set fire to several ballot papers last Friday. He was unsuccessful. None were destroyed. The partially damaged sheets were votes for—guess who ? Yes, Blundell, Howes and Stathatos.
P.S.: There were some confused or perhaps intentionally humorous votes cast for; Blundell, Howes, Stathatos and Kettle. Perhaps they don't know what C.P. stands for.
INSIDE
Paul Foot on Distillers ...	P. 7
Armageddon ..............................P. 3
Commertt and Third
World ................................................P. 2
Course Criticism ..................P. 5
Book Reviews ..............................P. 4
Entertainments ........................P. 6
Vietnam ................................................P. io
Ireland ................................................P. 9
Athletic Union ........................P. 11
Rent Strike ....................................P. 12
Assassination—Amilcar
Cabral ..........................................P. s
General Secretary resigns
V^HY am I writing this?
Better still, why are you reading it ? Because I find myself, almost by accident. General Secretary, and you have the right to know something about me. But isn't that the very antithesis of everything our political process should be about ? Why should I be in this elite position ?
How could I get here without you knowing anything about me, perhaps not even my name? You didii't vote for me; I was declared unopposed, which in fact means I appointed myself to this post simply by writing "Gen. Sec." on my nomination form.
There are a lot of things which could and should be done to improve the role of Union in the life of students, and that of students in society, and I still basically stand by the action programme put out by Jacoss and Soc-Soc. But the most important thing is that all of us must have an equal share in what is done.
There is no elite, nor should there be one. There isn't real democratic participation or procedure in such elections and how could there be, when "elected" officers become a clique, whose names and faces are unknown to most students, let alone their actions?
I find myself in a situation where my principles are negated totally by my position and the means by which I achieved it. Therefore > must resign. I can only suggest that if Union is ever going to do anything, everybody is going to have to do something. We are all equal.
MARIA CADAXA
» ii,rv, jail.	njio—ri*Sc j. w(j
COMMENT PAGE
WABHDL
^y^HY all the fuss about Warhol and the "Titart" sydrome ?
Quite simple; Whitehouse and her enlightened supporters are scaring shit out of the powers that be in television. Creepy Ross McWhirter (allegedly a member of the extreme Right-wing Monday Club) can wield his "censor's" whip over the knobs of the TV set without even getting out of his armchair, but simply by applying to a court of law. Viewers aren't even allowed the freedom to turn over if they don't like the programme.
Still, whereas a bit of naked exposure through one man's venture -into the realms of "artistic parody", seems to shake the balls off the "TV-boardroom eunuchs", there is still time allowed on television for some excellent material; perhaps most noticeably on the show which Hampstead liberals have long been waiting for, "Full House" (BBC-2 Saturdays).
Prominent among the good items last week was a play by John McGrath first shown at the Everyman Liverpool, called "Plugged into History." Interesting too were the cartoons from the States following the liberating pattern of Fritz the Cat from the Disney monopoly in this field. Sickening was the interview with JAK of the '"Standard", regurgitating his mock justifications for producing the filthy cartoon on the electricity workers' strike last year. His performance was hardly elevated by the dumb contribution by Gerald Scarfe who seems not to know why he draws what he does.
OR BUST
Also excellentt, a play which did not receive any reviews that ) noticed, was Peter Terson's "Shakespeare or Bust", about the travails of three Leeds workers to reach Shakespeare-country on a barge; workers in search of their iniherited culture. It was a sensitive play showing the workers' appreciation for culture. A change from t4ie usual Philistine caricature that is made of the working man. The fact that it didn't receive any reviews was probably due to the swamping effect of the plays 'The Last Days of Hitler" and "Don Quixote".
•t
Still, no doubt the time will come when "Whitewash's" "enlightened" apostles will attempt to encroach upon the realms of the political play. No doubt then the tit and bum "culture" will come back into its own, when the ruling class realises that bare bottoms are far less threatening than the exposures which Left-wing plays present.
R.H.
Editorial comment
I HATE to say "I told you so" but it was predictable that Nixon, once free of electoral considerations, wasn't going to spend any more time pandering to America's expanding Liberal conscience, but was only going to end the war as he himself saw fit.
An old anti-Communist like our Tricky doesn't change his stripes overnight—ask any rattlesnake who's just changed skins how he feels about biting.
So he and Thieu should be getting along just fine, feeling as they do about the cause of freedom. It's just a pity about the North Vietnamese, not to mention the South Vietnamese. A question for statisticians ; After how many tons of bombs do words like freedom become irrelevant?
On the subject of freedom, we come to our new compatriot (the Black Prince turns -n his grave), France, France has, not without some justification, been called the only authoritarian democracy in the western world. The strong, rigid powers of the executive over all branches of goveniment, the almost unique degree of centralisation, and the natural reaction most Frenchmen exhibit in favour of a strong rule from the top. all combine to give off a strong whiff of Louis XIV from French political happenings.
Anyone who has lived in Paris, especially in the Latin Quarter, would emphatically confirii-. this feeling. On an average non-tourist-season night in the one area of St. Germain-St. Michel one can easily see about ten police command cars lurking in corners. One one occasion, I counted 30 buses of 50 rifie-ar-ned policemen each in one half-mile. Normal cops, though, not the para-military CRS (Compagnie Republicaine de Securite) L-r the "elite" thug3 of the Brigades Speciales, whose sole function is to
(Continued on Page Nine)
The Left in
Latin America
by Carlos Michelsen and Guillermo Kelley
^HE awareness at LSE of the status of the LEFT in Latin America is very low, so here you will find a quick run-down of what's going on and key event,s to watch out for.
First of all you must realise that the objectives of the Left are very similar from country to country but their tactics and political circumstances are very different. To generalise on tactics then is almost impossible.
Countries within which the Left is in a dominant position : Cuba, of course, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Panama, and perhaps Ecuador. Countries where the Left is out of sight: Haiti, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina. Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras. Dominican Republic.
Everyone knows about the Cuba of Fidel and the Chile of Allende, Peru, Mexico and Panama are countries a bit more obscure as to the position of the Left,
Mexico had a massive revolution in 1910, a revolution which preceded the Russian Revolution and marked the beginning of revolutionary movements in this century. During the 50 years since the revolutionary coalition took power it has implemented many important changes in the social structure foremost among which Is the Land Reform and the nationalisation of all basic industries during the period of President Cardenas,
In spite of all this the revolutionary impetus slowed down as the local entrepreneurial elite took a leading position in the industrialisation process. The upshot of this was a student movement which had its climax in the days preceding the Olympics of 1968 culminating in the massacre of Tlatelolco which became a turning point in Mexican political history.
The new government which took power in 1970 was forced by these events to take radical measures which implied regaining of the government's position in order to effect structural changes along a Leftist line, which are now taking place. The survivors of the Tlatelolco massacre are now in a position to dictate policy and implement it within government. The situation now in Mexico can be described as the confrontation between a government pushing policies of the Left and an industrial elite struggling to maintain a dominant position.
The Cardenas stage in Mexico is now taking place in Peru at a far more advanced level. The military government which took power in 1967 has implemented

radical changes in the social structure including, the nationalisation of all basic industries, a radical Land Reform, the implementation of asset sharing, a programme by which the working class will become owner of 50 per cent of the means of production, opened contact with the Communist world, and opposed USA imperialism in foreign policy. Policies which although outlined in the previous elected government were opposed by the oligarchy.
The Panamanian military government by a strange coincidence took over the same day that the Peruvian government. It implied again a sharp turn to the Left on all issues, but particularly on the issue of the Panama Canal which is an extra-territorial strip of land controlled by the USA and protected by 30,000 troops. These were the troops that helped in the inmolation of Che in Bolivia.
Of 20 countries, six stand in various positions at the Left, and 13 on the Right. Events to watch out for: the Argentinian election in March, the Colombian election next year, and the development of all guerilla movements which in some form or another exist in all countries.
Focus on Southern Africa Week
LSE, Jan, 29th-Feb, 2nd
y^FRICA seems to be moving jerkily but inexorably towards a Race War. Recent events along the Zambesi and within the remaining Portugese preserves may not be very significant in military terms— though Amilcar Cabral in Guinea-Dissau has already been called "Portugal's Che Guevara" : but there is bound to be a renewed quickening of the nationalist pulse and renewed repression from the colonial and settler regimes as a result.
Meanwhile, back on the European ranch, people are tempted to shrug off their responsibilities to the millions of Africans still denied their basic human rights: Rhodesia, for instance, is just a running sore. Or a bore. So best cut your losses and plunge your hands into the European fleshpots (such as they are) and leave the Africans to work out their own salvation. Conveniently forgetting that it was we, the colonial powers, who brought upon them many of these troubles—as well as the so-called "benefits of European civilisation"—in the first instance.
Added to this we have to take
into account the disenchanc-ment that many feel about the development of Independent Africa ("independent" should be heavily qualified — it has never been in any sense economically independent). There would be many who would ech« Paul Johnson's majestic indictment of the past decade :
. . . "Military dictatorships: petty satraps, sustained by foreign investors and, in some cases, foreign, troops; savages like Amin; ferocious theocrats like Ghadaffi; and. almost everjT\-here, the stench of corruption, the shipwreck of justice, the resurgence of racism and the itch towards genocide. Governments employ torture and bayonet the helpless; life and property are at the mercy of the ruling cliques, decked out, to be sure, in ideological verbiage and modern weaponry, but othen^'ise exhibiting all the vices, and few of the virtues, of the tribal monarchies which imperialism dethroned.
"Not surprisingly, the movement towards the liberation of Africa has been halted. The collective efforts of its independent states have proved wholly unable to extinguish the small provincial tjTanny of Ian Smith, Tiny Portugal clings without difficulty to all its possessions. And, in the far south, Boer racism outfaces the world with its brutal and triumphant mask. Western liberals are tempted to avert theii' gaze from this dismal scene: the truth is too cruel to bear . .
("New Statesman," 12/1/73).
In our "FOCUS ON SOUTHERN AFRICA WEEK" of January 29th-February 2ntJ, at LSE, we shall not be "averting our gaze" from any of the factors which cause radicals and liberals alike such dismay, we want to look at the scene "warts and all." And particularly at ouir own continuing involvement an*# responsibilities especially in Central and Southern Africa.
Our visiting speakers will bring their own expertise to bear: Abdull Minty and the anti-apartheitS speakers will focus on our economic involvement—we are still propping up apartheid. Judy Todd is especially concerned with the "talks about talks about talks" going or» between London and Salisbury.i Jeremy Thorpe will report on his own recent visit to South Africa and will put his own, rather controversial, views on British econo* mic policy there—with Peter Hain in hot pursuit! There will also b< reports from FRELIMO and SWAPO and ANC on the liberation struggles.
The object of the week is partly to get better informed—to think out the issues for ourselves (there will be exhibitions, films and a lot of literature around to help). There is a lot of confusion as well as disenchantment around . . . And, ^ well as raising consciousness we intend to raise funds for different causes. Because we are involveit, whether we like it or not. And wb have the galloping racism in thia country to remind us that this doesn't only affect the big investors, the economic strategists or the specialists in international affairs.
GRAHAM DOWELL.
BEAVER. Jan. 26th, 1973—Page Tliree
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9
H.M.
MACHINATIONS
IT often seems that the higher you appear to be on the social scale, the more polite and tielpful will be the average copper. Whether he spends more time escorting elderly ladies or bashing your teeth In depends what side of the tracks his beat lies on—Sgt. Dixon types go to Knightsbridge, policeman Pullys go to Notting Hill.
But does this regrettable, if not unexplainable, syndrome, extend to HM Immigrations ? Apparently, yes. The expulsion last Saturday, on a pure visa technicality, of two perfectly bona-fide Sudanese students enrolled in a British college served only to expose a practice with which all ''aliens" from the wrong side of the tracks are ill too familiar.
dollars
Howard Hughes, however, wouldn't have a clue what I WW talking about. With 100 million dollars, he doesn't even need a passport.
Even a relatively respectable
alien like myself has learned to tread softly in the Arrivals lounge. Being an American, with an adequate supply of dollars, I always get through. Being a long-haired-student who-doesn't-wear-a-tie, the process is always dodgy enough to make me feel like a successful heroin smuggler once Fm safely on British soil.
My first traumatic experience came at the British Consulate in New York. I had mislaid my first acceptance letter from LSE but I had my subsequent letters. No good—without my first one I would be sent home. "We get people in here every day who left for London the day before," I was told. I was also reminded I must have about 1,500 dollars credit before I'd be let in.
I found the letter—but when I came back after a summer at home for my second year, I had only my first year acceptance papers and proof that I'd passed my PI exams. I had thought these would suffice but no. "This isn't enough," I was told by the Immigrations officer I'd picked because he, too, had hair down to his shoulders. Pleading, I laid down the red tapes of my
life on the desk as if in some soul-less game of bureaucratic poker—old passport, student union card, drivers licence, and at last, in desperation, my red-cross senior life-saver certificate. Ten minutes of cross-examination on LSE procedures and finally Cerberus spoke ; "I should send you back but I'll let you through this time, since I did a degree at LSE myself." The Old School Tie, and all that.
lucky
And I was one of lucky ones. When you see a Pakistani family camped in the corridors at Heathrow you wonder what sort of grilling they get—and what happens when they are told to "go home" on their one-way ticket.
Money is apparently the only universal passport for HM Imjiii-grations, as the contrast between their reception for Howard Hughes and the average Third World "alien" shows. But, for what it is worth, this discrimination is theoretically illegal—if the alien has a legal (as opposed to technical) light to enter Britain. The exact legal details I cannot remember, but the next time Immigrations stop you as aliens because your passports are the wrong colour, try invoking the writs of hai}eas corpus and mandamus. Three should give you right to a fair hearing before you get kicked out on your arse.
I SAY, I SAY, I SAY.....
A CLASS BY HIMSELF
"Thank God,"'he said, "we are now totally classless . . , pretty well totally . . . well, in the world I live in, anyway."
Lord Snowdon — interviewed by Terry Coleman in the GUARDIAN, September 29th, 1972. CONSOC
"He went on to talk about what he called 'The incapacity of some people to manage their own aifairs'." When questioned about low incomes and supplementary benefits he answered that these were persons with low incomes "but the real problem is,' he said, "that they get married and have children.''
CONSOC'S report in BEAVER of Sir Keith Joseph's talk at LSE, October 17th, 1972.
AD LIB
"Decision making is essential for social action and takes place at every level of society . after all even the peasant, when he awakes in the morning, has to decide whether he v/ill first thrash his wife or his cow."
Prof. D. ¦ G. Macrae— Introduction to Sociology, Michaelmas term ding dong bell
"I opposed the introduction of legislation against racial discrimination . . . and for similar reasons I am against the Sex Act."
Ronald Bell, M.P. (Con.), interviewed on BBC about his opposi-to the proposed Bill to outlaw discrimination against women in employment, etc.
more of the same
'.'It is probably fair to say that no-one, in Ireland, South or North, wants legalised abortions."
John Whale, FOCUS, "Sunday Times," December 3rd, 1972. MEANWHILE
' Forty per cent of suicide attempts in Dublin occur amongst young mothers with three or more children."
"Irish Press," December 3rd, 1972.
OUR NORMAN (with apologies to "Socialist Worker").
Surveying the seasonal vomit on Holborn Underground platform led me to recall the recent words of the newly-appointed Under-Secretary for Education and arch-anti-abortionist, Mr. Norman St.-John Stevas, according to whom "no incident has done more than the Stirling University incident to turn members of the public against the students ... if these incidents continue and grow, it will not be a question of reviewing grants upwards. It will be a question of seeking to resist the remorseless tide of public opinion which will demand a radical reform of the whole system of student support."
It seems that Edinburgh, where gangs of young men, reportedly "straight, smartly-dressed, with short back and sides," wait to pounce on unsuspecting students in the alleys around Edinburgh University, would concur with this far-sighted statesman.
B.B.
ELECTION REPORT
^\NCE again, LSE students can ^ congratulate themselves on a well-ordered, disciplined election campaign, unmarred by incidents oS any kind.
This becrmes even more noteworthy when one thinks of the rising tension of elections, starting at. the beginning of term and soaring; to nerve-jarring, orgasmic pitch at hustings.
Both SOCSOC and CONSOC put up candidates in a calm and purposeful manner. SOCSOC used a new rnethod of selection this year, having a three-hour meeting at the end of which 13 people remained— 13 people? Why, that was the very number of candidates needed—and so the SOCSOC-JACOSS slate came into being. CONSOC found it didn't even need a formal meeting.-, the political reflexes of chairman J. Blundeil being such that his name and that of a crony were on the list before there was a list.
Hustings a.lso was played out in a calm and ordered fashion by the candidates and the 50 peoole whA filled the OT.
LAURELS
Nevertheless, despite this cairrj campaign we must not rest on our laurels and expect the elections t® take place in the same way as the campaign. With so much at stake, tensions and Ideological feuds arc bound to come to the fore, threatening the orderly functioning of the Union's democratic procedure. Some sort of security system to keep m eye on the crowds filing in wouftH not be amiss, but the only guaran,-tee for a lawful and orderly election must come from the students themselves—namely, from deference to an old tradition of disciplined democracy which Is the greatesft tradition of the British Empire.
G.F.
THE PRIME MINISTER leaving Broadcasting House after his world-shocking "ship of state" speech announcing the new price and wage freeze measures. Mr. Heath concluded his speech with the stirring words, "this great yacht of Britain, so recently/ attached to that great fleet which is the E.E.C., shall not founder upon the icebergs off economic foul-weather but rather set a new course fotr prosperity with this freeze,'" The Prime Minister was later heard to remark: "All the same, I'm not taking any chances."
U.P.I.
BEAVER. Jan 26th, 1973—Page Four
The Pill on Trial
"In the view of the Dunlop Committee and the large majority of the medical profession, women should be told of such risks as are known or hinted at in the contraceptive pills and then allowed to make up their own mind. This is, after all, what emancipation is about."
—Ann Shearer, "The Guardian", 1968.
iQPTIMISTS can see in the story of the contraceptive
ICE
pill one of the greatest boons ever conferred on humanity by science, a discoveiy which solves easily, and agreeably, the individual's problem of family spacing, and simultaneously offers a way of slowing down the frightening rate of population increase all over the world.
Pessimists see something else; a supreme example of scientific arrogance with its reckless interference with a vital process
of human nature for the sake of short-term gain, and its assumption that a mechanism as fundamental as human reproduction can be continuously put out of action by synthetic chemicals.
Between the two points of view are the women, nearly twenty million of them, who take the pill.
Paul Vaughan, in "The Pill on Trial", examines the remarkable story of how the pill came to be discovered and reviews in detail the evidence on its safety. He discusses too the pill's effects on sexual customs and on the growth of world population. For the fii'st time in history, the pill gives women the
same sexual freedom as men, and compels us to think again about accepted ideas on sex and marriage.
In Britain, the number of people using the pill, by the end of 1971, had passed 1,800,000 and showed every sign of proceeding smoothly beyond two million. In other words, between 18 and 20 per cent of women of child-bearing age, in this country now prefer the pill to any other kind of contraceptive —a convincing demonstration of the pill's attractiveness and convenience, not to mention its eflectiveness.
Yet side-effects are still uncertain, amongst the most alarming being the dread possi-

,By Anna Kavan.
Published by Picador.
-Price : 40p.
"IGE" is a short novel which ' is at once both strongly reminiscent of "The Castle" and "Last Year in Marlenbad."
It is, as you may choose, an •allegory of the ageing author's addiction to heroin, an anti-totalitarian manifesto, or a journey into a surrealistic nightmare corridor, with the gathering ice rumbling behind, forcing one ever onward, with .doors on either side through .which one'can peer but never enter, seeing events, hallucina-;tions, and fantasy unfold before ;one, before being forced on to 'the inexorable finale.
By all accounts, though, "Ice" is a remarkable book, which 'captures an atmosphere of paranoia and doom from the very first page which is sustained to the last. At the same time it ¦has Kafka's simplicity of style that lends itself so well to the narration of a mere episode of science-fiction; the fantasy of an alienated prophet of doom.
To anyone interested in the anguish of alienation of the individual and of his society, "Ice" really is a must.
J.B.
"THE STORY OF THE
BLUES"
By Paul Oliver
"Well, a white man lives in a fine brick house.
He thinks that's nothin' strange.
But we poor coloured live in the county jail
But it's a brick house just the same !"
THESE lines by Jim Jackson
("In the Jailhouse Now") sum up part of the overt oppression and exploitation of black people throughout American history.
Paul Oliver, in telling the Story of the blues, brings out this inescapable fact in his fascinating, infomiation-packed book.
This paperback version, published by Penguin Books at 75p, bears up to many re-readings. It underlines the unique fact about blues, that it is, and must be, a proletarian music form.
' Oliver avoids any romanticism in his narrative and analysis, and tells the story of a music that gave voice and identity to people who had neither. Blues has remained essentially of the people, unlike jazz, which has become polished and professional with certain overtones of intellectualism.
BOOK
1 I
Oliver parades in front of us, both in photograph and imaginative narrative, a host of varied characters, from the raw blues singers like Blind Lemon Jefferson to the urban sophistication of B. B. King. None seem dull—all have a story to tell. Whether it be the poverty of the sharecropper, the homesickness of the southern migrant in Chicago or the thinly-disguised references to their sex lives, social comment is implicit.
The book is jam-packed with old recording labels and photographs which tell a whole social history in themselves, and what is noticeable is the prevalence of the shacks and slums over the "Ritzes" and the night-clubs.
Ideally one should listen to the double L.P. of the same title, whilst perusing its pages. Even without this, 'The Story of the Blues" is worth every penny.
LEN HOLDEN.
PENDULUM YEARS
By BERNARD LEVIN
AS with all of his written work, Mr Levin's wit, observation and incisive quill, now concentrated into a book for the first time, make for compulsive and enjoyable reading.
He has taken the major, the trivial and the seemingly insignificant events of the last decade and elaborately woven a theorj- about social change in contemporary England. He sees a popular renaissance, a renunciation of long-held values and attitudes in process, beginning mysteriously in 1963 with The Beatles, Profumo, the retirement of Harold Macmillan, etc., and gradually gathering momentum as the decade passed on.
To illustrate his case further he leads the reader on a ramble through nostalgia—^the Maharishi, LSE, Wedgie Benn, St. Miigg, Honest to God, Lady Chat's Lover. However it is, perhaps, a shame that the Englsh language does not allow Mr Levin a median between the Past and Present tenses.
PETER CAPEU
FUTURE SHOCK
By Alvin Toffler (Pan Books,
50p).
are moving towards a world not merely of throwaway products but of throwaway friends and marriages."
You could almost say this is a throwaway book as any textbook on the market nowadays is practically out of date before it's published. Accepting this as a fact, however, adds validity to Toffler's argument. Just how much more new data can we absorb ? We are in a transient society, nothing can be said to be permanent any more.
SECURE
Toffler points out that the British consider themselves to be much securer people than the Americans and to live at a slower pace. According to Toffler this is no longer true and to prove it he points out Britain's increasing crime and violence rate and the high degree of social frustration and apathy.
The book is well worth reading for the first few chapters, after that he is repeating himself but eluciating the basic facts presented in his initial chapters.
Future Shock according to Toffler is the disorientation that affects an individual, a corporation or a country when he or it is overwhelmed by change and the prospect of change. He says future shock is more than a metaphor; it is a form of personal and social breakdown which he believes is now beginning to affect Britain, having already overtaken the US and other "high-change" countries.
So it's not just the North American students who are suffering from culture shock here at the unfriendly cynical LS^, but it is all of us desperately trying to adapt to ever-changing circumstances!
Toffler becomes rather petulant and condescending when talking about "the youth of today." He naively wonders why young people don't buy houses anymore but just move from one rented apartment to another. He obviously hasn't tried to buy a house in Britain recently.
GUZZLING
His attitude to the teenagers who annually migrate to Florida is rather like someone picking up a pair of smelly socks. I quote ;
"The lemming migration of 15,000 American college students who head for Florida and stay there for approximately a week ; this teeming mass of sun and SEX worshippers, swims, flirts, guzzles beer, sprawls and brawls in the sands."
And what do they all want ? According to Toffler "freedom without responsibility."
Toffler makes a quaint division of human categories and I think the order he puts them in is interesting too. I quote :
"Atheist, Jew Heterosexual, John Bircher, Communist."
Cross off category which does not apply 1
For those students studying specifically the rate of change in society today, this is a valuable and informative book and I understand the only one on this subject written for many years, apart from Professor Gellner's book "Thought and Change" Chapter One.
For the rest of us it is still a book worth reading and does not present an altogether unpleasant picture of the future, particularly if you are adaptable !
E.H.B.
bility of a link between the pill and cancer. At the same time the use of pills low on oestrogen appears to have reduced the number of fatal blood-clotting episodes among women on the pill. No wai'nings have been heard from doctors engaged in research in Britain at the Royal College of General Practitioners into the fortunes of 20,000 women, half of them users of the pill, half users of other forms of contraceptive. One must assume that no evidence has yet emerged, which outweighs the pill's obvious convenience.
"The Pill on Trial", by Paul Vaughan (Pelican, 45p).
JEREMY CLIFT
NOVEL ON YELLOW PAPER or WORK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF
by
STEVIE SMITH
(Penguin Modern Classics, 35p)
Written by Stevie Smith in' 1935 and not accepted because-no-one could understand it. I liked the book—but I didn't understand it either. The book is written like a pi'ose-poem, reminiscent of Sylvia Plath. It's sad like a perpetual autumn mist. Don't read it when you're down.
IN WATERMELON SUGAR By Richard Brautigan
(Picador, 40p)
The nameless protagonist's parents were eaten by tigers, who then helped him with his maths homework ! Hero, now grown up (I would question this) lives in a place called Death where everything is made of Watermelons. It's an amazing book—it needs reading to believe that anyone can write such crap .. .
I quote chapter headed "My Name."
"Perhaps you stared into a river. There was somebody near you who loved you. They were about to touch you. You could feel it before it happened. Then it happened. THAT IS MY NAME."
Richard Brautigan is an ageing hippy who always poses pleasantly on the cover of his books accompanied by his woman. I would say he was probably brought up on a heavy diet of Hemingway and Watermelons. He specialises in four-letter words (don't get me wrong, never any explicit sex), short sentences and short chapters. Well it makes for easy I'eading.
THE COLOSSUS OF MAROUSSI By Henry Miller,
(Penguin, 40p)
Women's Lib can relax, our Henry rambles through Greece, farting occasionally and listening to long stories from his friend, an excellent racontem-.
LOVE AMONG THE HAYSTACKS and OTHER SHORT STORIES By D. H. Lawrence
(Penguin 30p)
Lawrence always writes more concisively when confined to the medium of a short-story. This book contains many good stories, which remain in the mind. In one story Lawrence quotes a lot of Italian like a poor man's Lawrence Durrell, when really Dun-ell is very much a poor man's Lawrence.
BEAVER, Jan. 26lh, 1973—Page Five
COURSE CRITICISM
'THE POVERTY OF EMPIRICISM
3
IN this series on course criticism, we hope to interest students to take up their pen in a critical or analytical direction towards their own subject, or subjects which interest them. There are many subjects, other than history (which is examined here), which might not be thought to hold any particular basis within the social sciences for philosophical analysis. We know, however, of recent educational developments from students, (rather than academics), to critical and progressive ideas on such subjects as geography and maths, and no doubt there exists so far untapped "critiques" of other subjects. We hope this series will help to promote some response from the silent.
ISTORV;
DERP OR
RLIVE
HISTORY
"Self-styled social historians tell us that what we most
need to know about civilisation in the past is what its poorer
and more illiterate members thought and did .. . our common humanity is best studied in the most eminent examples it has
produced of every type of human excellence."—H. W. C. Davis,
Regius Professor, Oxford 1925. _
"^HE TIMES" Literary Supplement suggested in a survey produced two years ago that the writing of history in England was on the verge of a renaissance.
This has been translated as meaning that the progress of British historiography in the last 100 years provides a spectacular case of arrested intellectual development and conceptual poverty, and yet the old tomes are still produced by lecturers for careful perusal by their students, anif the teaching of history has not radically changed in Britian.
Of all the branches of social studies, history is the oldest. Historians have been susceptible to the delusion that the facts they collect and use are the sole basis for the generalisations they deduce.
Gareth Stedman-Jones, in an article entitled "History, the Poverty of Empiricism," published in "Ideology in the Social Sciences" edited by Robin Blackburn, says that British historians have "largely remained impervious to the solutions put forward by Marxism, psycho-analysis and classical sociology, or else they have only glimpsed them through the blurred light of caricature and vulgarisation. The ingrained assumptions of British historical method have never been thoroughly shaken."
One may allow that, more recently, outside pressure has resulted in for example the "economic" force in history being considered relevant. But the structure, the methods of teaching, the ovemhelming emphasis on data which is itself implicitly predetermined in historical research by its partial selection and application, remains virtually intact and unchanged.
"The result is as weird as if a Newtonian physicist were to come across Einstein, admit that relativity was probably a factor of some importance, and then attempt to carry on as before, under the impression that the occasional acknowledgment would absolve him from the necessity of further thought about it."
The subjects and teaching within an institution like LSE give a perfect example of the co-existence of several separate channels and processes of historical learning. Economic history becomes a department separate from Politicat history, and sociology, law, economics, politics and government are seen to be worlds apart. The Political History Department is probably the most overt example of what could be called "mistaken identity". It is an artificially constructed discipline with self-imposed boundaries because it Is abstracted from all other disciplines.
• The world should be seen as a whole, and education should be based on, pnderstanding the world as a whole. Without this, all disciplines become handicapped by stigmas or blind-spots which blurr the educational telescope and distort understanding.
HISTORY OF REGENT HISTORY
It was in the 1860s that history was first introduced as a subject into English, universities. The historian Ranke saw the historian's task as being "simply to show how it really was," like a detective, to ascertain the facts.
Factual historians like Maitland overturned stones and found facts like ants in an effort to uncover universal history. As though these facts would in themselves put an end to the study of history except for the day-by-day recording of events in the world.
General laws, like those applied to science, were then applied to history. One historian, "Comte", was criticised for "submitting men and human actions to the crucible of induction", i.e., history placed in the melting-pot to extract its essence, rather than deduction from the compilation of isolated facts. But even the pot-pourri was only the extraction from selected fats, not a theory.
Material moral judgments were used instead of "unscientific" laws. The historian Acton asserted that "the inflexible integrity of the moral code is to me the secret of the authority, the dignity and the utility of history." Thus the facts were used to gauge man's social behaviour; events being the weights on the machine which were used by those historians who invoked morality in their scale of values and judgments on man's historical worth.
Perhaps the most salient feature of most historians' interpretation of the past is the emphasis placed on the individual as opposed to the massed class forces In society. Much history has been focused upon "great men".
"Realities, like class, mode of production, or politically and culturally determined patterns of behaviour were empirically verifiable. History was more conveniently in-tei-preted as the interaction between great men and the institutions they created, modified or resisted."
As Charles Kingsley said In 1861:
"The new science of little men can be no science at all, because the average man is not the normal man .. . because the great man is rather the normal man, as approaching more nearly than his fellows to the true 'norma' and standard of a complete human character ... to turn to the mob for your theory of humanity is (I think) about as wise as to Ignore the Apollo and the Theseus, and to determine the proportions of the human figure from a crowd of dwarfs and cripples."
Stubbs defined history as the "training of judgment to be exercised in the moral, social and political work of life."
Socially, especially in Britain's age of imperialism, histoi-y was useful. As one historian, Seeley, put it, histoi-y was "past politics", "the school of statesmanship". Culturally also, study of history almost superseded the classics at Oxford to become a symbol of gentility.
L.
e
B.
I
T I £ I
5
n
Histoi-y should be more than a symbol, more than a useless icon to the god of knowledge. If I were to be asked what use history is as it is taught now, I wouldn't go far in my reply from Henry Ford's cryptic comment.
EXPERIMENTAL FLOP
Experiments have already been made in the teaching of history, which include in their format interrelated subjects. They have of course failed because the attempt has been made within the structure of the present education system. The students ci-y that they have too much to learn. They are right. Perhaps the argument against history nowadays is that there is too little to learn of real relevance. Students in a three-year course cannot be expected to cope with such a "total" history course as they have already been educationally formed since primary school to see subjects separated in packages.
The educational system will not radically change unless the system is changed. At the same time, education helps to stimulate change. To solve this problem it has been proposed by critics that there be a combined assault of socialist historians against the present academic orthodoxy. Socialist historians should form their own institutions and run their own journals.
Stedman-Jones says they should not retreat into the safe pastures of labour history . . . they should instead establish the theoretical
foundations of any history and advance into the structure and history of the ruling class and into the interpretation of whole cultures.'' At the moment this is undoubtedly pie in the sky. The attack on history as it is taught will come not from the established academics, but from the historians of tomorrow,, the students themselves.
To end with a quote. It's not really appropriate, but it makes me feel less depressed at the prospect of the next year and a half at LSE, studying histoi-y.
"History is in Itself change, movement, progress . . . the belief that we come from somewhere is closely linked with the belief that we are going somewhere . . . our view of history reflects our view of society ...
"I remain an optimist. When Sir Lewis Namier warns me not to eschew programmes and ideals, and Professor Oakeshott tells me that we are going nowhere In particular and that all that matters Is to see that nobody rocks the boat, and Professor Trevor-Roper knocks screaming radicals on the nose, and Professor Popper wants to keep the dear old T-modei on the road by dint of a little piecemeal engineering, and Professor Morlson pleads for history to be written in a sane and conservative spirit, I shall look out on a world in tumult and a world in travail and shall answer in the well-worn words of a great scientist: "And yet, It moves."—E. H. Carr in "What is History?"
R. HURST
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ISRAEL
Visit ISRAEL this Summer Swim Around Bus Around Sleep Around
For all information on travel, Kibbutz and accommodation:
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161 Great Portland Street, London WIN 6NN
Tel. 01-580 7733,
IVIOBdS DNIHIHI^OS
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01-589 3223.
BK.WrR. Jan. 2Gth. 19*3—Page Six
LS.E
Entertainments



AMERICAN BLUES LEGENDS 1973

boogie WOOGIE RED	WHISPERING SMITH & LIGHTNIN'SLIM
SNOOKY PRYOR
SATURDAY, 27th JANUARY
An ENTS presentation featuring
Homesick James Lightning Slim Whispering Smith Snooky Prior, Boogie Woogie Red Washboard Willie
Tickets 75p
Doors open O.T. 7.45 p.m.
IN CONCERT
^HIS is the first in the series of concert reviews featuring those artists who are perhaps not so well known, and are often second, or even third on Ihe bill to the household names of rock.
As the latter are continuously and adequately reviewed in the music papei's, it would serve no useful purpose merely to duplicate the work of the professionals. Also London has many small venues and far too few large ones for a city so big, and it is the musicians who rrequent these smaller venues, like the L.S.E., whom this column will be all about.
Starting oft with Gentle Giant (playing at the Rainbow during the
Christmas vacation), a four-album band who, for me, are one of the finest acts around at the moment. They are a "six-pieee" who play and
interchange xylophone, saxophones, trumpets, and recorders, as well as all the usuals. This gives rise to a unique overall sound.
For the second time I saw them supporting Groundhogs, who again sounded too miich like Status Quo for comfort.
Anyway, after an introduction by Father Christmas, Gentle Giant came on stage and played a great set for about 45 minutes, the highlight being an amazing version of "Plain Truth," which included a fine guitar solo from Gary Green, and some highly unclassical violin from bassist Ray Shulman.
Technically Gentle Giant's music is complex and is neatly summed up by a sleeve note on their second album "Acquiring the Taste": "It is our goal to expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of being very unpopular. We have recorded each composition with the one thought that it should be unique, adventurous and fascinating. . . . From the outset we
Records
UAViNG ripped off a few albums for review purposes over the ¦¦ last term and not.actually done any reviewing, I feel it is time to redress the balance. So, approximately in order of merit, hert goes.
have abandoned all thoughts on blatant commercialism. Instead we hope to give you something far more substantial and fulfilling."
I strongly recommend going to see this band.
The Amazing Blondel (nothing to do with Con.-Soc.), appeared at St. Paul's Cathedral on the 7th January as part of a charity concert. Anyone who has seen Blondel before would know exactly what to expect —very fine acoustic guitar, superb vocal harmonies, a collection of very odd string and woodwind instruments, and a quickfire delivery of bawdy jokes, the three men themselves clad in somewhat risqu^ gear. At this performance the dirfler jokes were missing. Blondel fans were taken aback when Gladwin, Wincott and Baird strolled on-stage in evening dress.
Amazing Blondel have a reputation for playing Elizabethan music, and although John Gladwin says that purists would probably sneer at this, really it is the only way to describe their style to the uninitiated. They have a style and create a mood all of their own and are a welcome change from the usual and ubiquitous present-day singer-songwriters.
OAVIO FLEMING
Undoubtedly the best was Mike Harrison's "Smokestock Lightning" (Island). Virtually on the eve of his re-forming Spooky Tooth, he came up with an album that captured much of the satisfaction that eluded the said band on record.
Essentially a bluesy-soul selection of tracks made with the cream of Muscle Shoals session men, including the inevitable Hood/Hawkins/Beckett rhythm section, it is an excellent vehicle for his underrated vocal talents, without falling into the trap of becoming just another tiresome songster's exposition.
In fact only one track is self-penned and the twelve-minute long title track could almost be mistaken for an instrumental, the tasteful and effective guitar work of Pete Can-, in particular, being allowed to shine, and not just stifled behind the "star."
As one of those modern contemp-tibles, the inteipreter rather than writer of songs (seemingly only Rod Stewart gets away with praise for doing other people's material), Mike Harrison can be heard to best advantage on two such different tracks as Jimmy Stevens' "Paid My Dues" (pi-o-settling down) and Joe Tex "Wanna Be Free" (definitely anti).
For those who maintain that beneath all the Rolls-Royces, Tom Jones is still a great blues singer, attention should be taken of the fact that Mike Han-ison doesn't have to grunt profusely to Indicate that he is" singing Black Music.
Where the recxsrd really shines over Spooky Tooth's efforts is in its lack of excesses. It is less frantic without being exactly easy listening, the numbers are strong, and despite its dynamism during a live performance, it is a blessing to hear Mike Harrison not punctuated by Gary Wright's screeching. It is certainly an album which bears repeated playing.
LARK
Lark, by Linda Lewis (Reprise), is a joyful little album. It is pleasant. fun and quite airy. The songs are clever, bright and catchy, at times even reminiscent of Tamla, not world-shattering, but who wants cracks in the earth?
Some fairly extravagant claims have been made about Linda, she has been hailed as the bringer of light to festivals, a sort of British Melanie, and as an important songwriter. the EEC's answer to Carole King. In fact all would seem wrong and not necessarily complimentary. She is less neurotic than Joni Mitchell, less spoilt and fey than Melanie, less flat and lifeless in performance than Carole King, and more convincing in her songs of lovers' dilemmas than Carly Simon, who one tends to anticipate bawling OWZAT like Freddie True-man at Neil Harvey.
In all she gives the impression of being more balanced, cuddly and approachable than her American countei-parts, just as yer average Londoner likes his birds. She may not have a welter of pop classics hanging on her belt and she may, though hopefully not, be forgotten in a couple of years, but for the present she is a most able and likeable performer of her own songs, and she is primarily a performer. If her songs don't achieve acclaim and aren't covered by the whole trendy community, then at least she may not be' condemned a singer-song-writer.
I remember reading an article some time ago, in which Jaime Rob-
bie Robertson (of the Band), heaped praise on the first great rock and roll guitarist, the legendary Roy Buchanan. I believe myself to be in the company of an overwhelming majority in admitting that I had no idea who Roy Buchanan was. He has evidently managed to escape from the cloisters of session work and has made an album simply entitled "Roy Buchanan" (Polydor). This is very much a guitarists' album, the playing is excellent throughout, but not brilliant, and this is the stumbling block, there is not that extra spark that makes the listener sit-up.
Nevertheless it is very enjoyable, if somewhat late-night and background, music. Roy plays good rock of various forms, but even the blues numbers do not deny that he is at his best and happiest with country rock. He is most ably assisted by a rhythm section other than Hood Hawkins/Beckett (they'll be writing to their union), but the whole album sounds like a controlled jam. Still, at least I npw know where Robbie Robertson gets his licks.
I did not expect to be anything but disappointed with "An Evening with Groucho Marx" (A. &M.). The four sides are a pot pourri of songs, anecdotes and brief sketches corded during a tour of life ..performances undertaken by Grou'cho during 1971. But Groucho is now an old man and that great zest and sharpness has inevitably left hini. It is also questionable as to whether Groucho could possibly be considered a stand-up comic of a.ny kind. He was brilliant in The Marx Bros, films, and I prefer to remember him like that. .
American blues pianist Sammy Price plays a nice spot of mainstream jazz on "Barrelhouse and Blues." The album was recorded during a visit to Britain, many of the backing musicians coming from that celebrated crowd of "Hooyah!" exponents, the Alex Welsh Band. The piano playing is good and easy, and Sandy Brown's clarinet is a stand-out feature, notably on the ten-minute instrumental "Strutting with Georgia." An enjoyable album, even if it does include that old chestnut "St. James Infirmary," but trad, jazz doesn't seem to be popular with students any mSre.
The latest insight into the dark side of John Entwistle's mind "Whistle Rymes" (Track), is a dull album. His songs about suicide, perversions, dirty old men etc., are certainly different, but overall a drag. It seems to be the production at fault, along with the uninspiring voice of the Who's bassist. The whole L.P. sounds dingy and lifeless, it isn't so much depressing as depressed. Perhaps he should try a few vita-yeast, for that greater zeal and enthusiasm, before he tries another solo effort.
Heap good praise has been heaped upon the once much-criticised Uriah Heap's new offering : :The Magician's Birthday." Unfortunately it struck me -as a right heap of old Uriah. I cannot think of a- good thing to say about it. Pretentious, weak, ill-structured songs and the group don't even thump along in their usual sub-Black Sabbath vein, but seems to keep trying "thoughtful" ballads. The widely acclaimed Mick Box never seems to get into his stride on guitar, and David Byron's vocals reminded me too much of Malcolm Roberts, except for a few excruciating yodels, presumably to keep one awake. I'm still not impressed, but if you want to buy the record it's on Bronze.
PAT SMITH
BK.VVER. Jan. 2fitU. 1973—Page .'(even
n
RIVERS OF TEARS
FOR BABES WITHOUT LIMBS
il-DAUL FOOT, a member of the International Socialists, is on the editorial board of "Socialist Worker." Known ma'.nly for his contributions in "P:;vate Eye's" Footnotes, he is ab: a well-known speaker on su ;h subjects as "Reform or Revo-ut ion," and has written books on. Enoch Powell, Wilson and ths Labour Party and on the Jjmes Hanratty Case. He has written a piece on Distillers for "E^aver."
¦ The Thalidomide case was taken up by Foot some five yens ago, and for his contribution in exposing this subject, and for many other equally unjust, and corrupt stories (on Maudling and his association with Poulson and the Real Estate Fund of America), he was . declared last week. Journalist of the Year.
9^ J VERS of tears have been flowing out of the most unlikely places recently in grief at the plight of the thalidomide babies. Sir Keith Joseph, who owns BOO shares in Distillers, the company which marketed the drug from 1959 to 1961, has been crying. So have the entire Parliamentary Labour Party. So have, even, the "Dally Express," whose proprietor Sir Max Aitken, owns 8,000 Distillers' shares. So has the Prudential Assurance Company, which owns nine million shares, so have supermarket chains which make hundreds of th<>usands of pounds from the sale of Distillers' products, so have Flemings, Distillers' merchant banks.
The occasion for all this grief is the campaign led by the "Sundaj' Times" newspaper for the payment of better compensation for the children who hav^e been damaged by thalidomide.
The "Sunday Times" have vociferously exposed the meanness of Distillers who originally offered only £3.2 million to the 400 families. By dint of some excellent campaigning, reinforced by all this grief from Parliament and the City, th^ compensation has been increased by about seven times. Now everyone is quiet again.
CAMPAIGN=SALES
The trouble with the whole campaign is that it applied itself exclusively to the question of compensation. Once Distillers finally and under protest agreed to increase the compensation to the £20 million which seemed to be the unanimous demand of the Press and the City, the matter has been instantly forgotten by the entire Press and television.
The Press congratulates itself on its courage and freedom, and the City congratulates itself on its humanitarianism, and both go back to the serious business of mammoth profits and collecting dividends.
The key question however is still not answered. How was it that one of the biggest and most powerful companies in the country was responsible for the marketing throughout Britain (and Ireland^where no compensation has yet been paid) of a drug w^hich was by any definition dangerous and which could by the simplest test be proved to be dangerous—both to the unborn child and to the fingers and toes of adults (the disease caused is known as polyneuritis).
SILVER-LINING
The answer is as simple as
by PAUL FOOT
the question. Drugs in this country, like most other commodities, are circulated by com- 7 panies whose main criterion for marketing is profit. Medical, research, and other priorities, take second place to profit. In the early 'sixties Distillers were on the look-out for a "wonder | drug" which would impi'ove the | sluggish profit figures of their j drug subsidiary.- They got the I licence from Germany for thali- : domide, and they marketed it specifically for pregnant women without once testing it on pregnant animals.
Compensation obviously is an important matter, and the Distillers' offer is still miserably mean. But the real problem concerns the structure of power and responsibility in an industry which affects the daily lives of millions of people. That is unchanged by all the Parliamentary and Press grief and until it is changed, until the proper priorities are adopted for drug marketing, which means the public ownership and control of the drug industry, there is no guarantee that similar, perhaps even worse, disasters will not occur again.
STUDENT NEWS
IN BRIEF
Student dismissals
frWE Students' Union at the High Wycombe College of Technology and Art have set up a Students' Register of Employment for students and young people in the High Wycombe area.
They have done this in association with the Wycombe Trades Union Council. Through the Register they operate a direct placement of students in local fii-ms involved in the scheme, where the student receives not less than the union negotiated minimum wage. They make no charge when they find the student a job; they regard it simply as a service, and can find evening, weekend and vacation jobs.
Mr. T. Foley, President of the Students' Union, says that "the Register has been set up to blunt the role of the employment agencies in the student labour market where there exists overt exploitation on the part of the agencies." The scheme has strong trade union
backing and is so far proving successful and popular.
Student employment
Last week a spokesman for the University at York said that i three students who have been ' expelled from the university cannot appeal any more against the decision. One of the students will be able to return after a year.	j
The students have been dismissed for intimidating a Jewish studefit. They are members of the"-extreme Right-wing group, the National Socialist League.
Lancaster students will be appealing against the decision, reached by a disciplinary tribunal at the end of last term, to expel them from the university for one year. The date of the appeal is to be on January 12th. The students have been found guilty of "impeding the freedom of speech of Ronald Bell, M.P.," a member of the Monday Club, when he was speaking at the university. Expulsions of this nature are unique in the histoi-y of Lancaster.
QN October 12th, 1972, Her Royal Self paid a visit to Stirling University accompanied by her team of upholstered ladies in waiting and bolstered Special Branch men. The sprucing-up of Stirling to receive her included the installation of Royal lavatory pans (which are ceremonially destroyed after use to prevent resale) and cost the university i about £30,000. But the authori-I ties hoped it was money well I invested since the Stirling fund-j raisers could really have got to ; work to exploit the rosy climate ! to be left by the regal parade.
As it happened things went differently. The Scottish students had the temerity to question the Royal investment. They held highly constitutional meetings of the Council of Student Associations to discuss the Royal visit. And when she arrived a demonstration was held to show student feeling against the visit. During this demonstration there were no arrests and only slight violence, employed by the stout ladies in waiting against passing students. Several students took a lift and a few stairs to reach the Queen and tell her about their objections. A student taking a pull at a bottle doffed his cap to the Queen and said "Good Health" in Gaelic. Another shouted Scotland for the Scottish. The Queen seemed quite amused.
Ex-pressed
AN ambitious journalist from ^ "William Hickey" of the "Express" descended on the "Beaver" Office last week. He wanted a new angle on glamour for a feature in the column. A Brains plus Beauty "bird" from LSE.
His line was that LSE is seen to be too political, and that it would make a nice change to have a different tale to tell about LSE. He was. unfortunately, welcomed by other members of the "Beaver" staff, until the female editor walked in and virtually told him to piss off. He didn't take to kindly to this. He said that she couldn't speak for individuals who might want to appear in the column. He's quite right, she can't and wouldn't attempt to, but she just wasn't going to help him. His next stop was Kings'. Look out for the glamorous blackleg. Perhaps the person who said some of "Women's Liberation's" worst enemies are women was right.
APPEAL
WE NEED MORE STAFF
Positions (unpaid) vacan: for;
4 DEDICATED REPORTERS WITH IDEAS
1 STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
2 WILIING-TO-BE-EXPLOITED SUBS
to work full-time for two days before each issue.
We must have follow-uu articles on course criticism for the next issue. Something to fill the Third World column. Also, we hope to print poetry anci short stories depending OR merit. Must be short.
Rake around your mind for ideas for Armageddon. (Alo«ig Private-Eye lines). Any real "scoops" paid for.
DISTILLERS AND PRESS LEAD STUDENT WITCHUNT
The national Press however had apoplexy. "Drunken Students Mob the Queen" screamed the "Mirror."' The industrialists who finance Stirling, including Distillers Company, who gave the world thalidomide, were equally annoyed. Between the two a royalist witch-hunt was whipped up. Jack Carter, who chaired the student protest meeting, was charged with being present, with failing to maintain order and with incite-
ment. The jovial toast in Gaelic got its owner charged with "causing Her Majesty distress." The Scottish nationalist was indicted with "using abusive language."
The local business bigwigs upon whose finance the university now depends were determined that "Stirling must put its house in order." So the university obliged with the most absurd disciplinary hearings on whatever charge came into their head. And local royalists attempted to take their own private revenge, driving several of the
students caught in the news photos into hiding.
The trials have not gone iiu-inarked however. A massive solidarity march was held as the first trial started, with students represented not just from Scotland, but from all over England. The Stirling Trades Council, the Scottish Area of the National Union of Miners and other trade unionists in the area have leant their support loo. Tlie whisky distillers and bible binders of Stirling with their bizarre concern of our Monarch's right to waste money, seem to have backed a loser.
Prom "Rebel." December. 1972,
BEAVER, Jan. 26tli, 1973—Page Eight
Philosophy lives
THE Philosophy Society, which had been thought to be deact, has been revived. Under the impetus of a conference held in London last summer by the Radical Philosophy Group, some of us thought we could see the way to collect active support for a philosophy, group at L.S.E.
The Radical Philosophy Group, which publishes the magazine, "Radical Philosophy" (available in the Economist Bookshop) works on the assumption that philosophy can have relevance to life beyond the academy.
The New Philosophy Society is based on the same view. We aimed to arrange discussions to which students and lecturers from various departments could come because their significance would not be restricted to this or that course or even to university achievement at all.
Our early meetings tried to seek out shortcomings in L.S.E. philosophy by a critique of three dominant figures, Oake-shott, Popper, and Gellner. Our aim was that these discussions should help the members to clarify in their own minds what they themselves wanted from philosophy.
FACTS OR UNDERSTANDING
The other assumption we made was that no philosophy meaningful beyond its own frontiers was going to emerge from the accepted format of the seminar. A meeting in which a speaker, normally enjoying a massive advantage by virtue of being the only person who knew what the paper said, quashed all
stated objections—or was igno-miniously shown up as wrong— would do nothing to make sense of the personal or social experience of the members. We did not abandon argument, but we wanted argument in which a clear understanding of what was real to those joining in, was more important than knowledge or proficiency in accumulated philosophical tradition.
Here we struck a difficulty which may not yet be fully overcome. Accustomed perhaps to copying down all their knowledge from their mentors, and belittling their own intellectual assets, we found that students would not come unless an authoritative paper was offered. We settled on a compromise.
Now we ask one person to prepare a subject for discussion and hand out as long a version of his paper as we can afford to have photo-copied via individuals in each department who, by personal contact, can (we hope) make a group discussion not a lecture.
Now people are beginning to come and join in. Forty-five people discussed the reflection of society in literature and sociology with Alan Swinge-wood, of the Sociology Department.
Still to come are discussions on the theory of surplus value with Jesse Schwarz (joint editor of the Penguin book, "Critique of Economics") ; on phenomenology with Maurice Roche, of the Sociology Department; on Marx ; on Gramsci; and on the Philosophy of Science with Greg Currie of the Philosophy Department. All are welcome.
REVOLUTIONARY ASSASSINATED
?
QR. AMILCAR GABRAL, ^ leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (P.A.I.G.C.), was assassinated outside his home in Conakry in Guinea-Conakry.
Cabral has for long been acknowledged as a major figure in the world revolutionary scene, and was a major ideologue of the African revolution. His death will leave a very significant gap, not only in his own party but in the wider struggle against white minority regimes in the rest of Africa.
Cabral's assassination comes at a time when the rest of the international community was "utmost certain to give formal acknowledgment to P.A.I.G.C. as not only the de facto, but de jure, leadership of the African nation of Guinea-Buissau. by seating its representatives at the United Nations. This will be a mighty blow to the Portuguese, and has enormous implications for their fight in their other colonies, Mozambique and Angola.
The success of P.A.I.G.C. in taking their struggle so far along the road to. independence is most certainly in the greater part attributable to the charisma, intellect and force of personality of Cabral himself, and
|CND FILM|
I The I I Wargame |
I Monday 29th | |10 p.m. (50 mins) |
I Old Theatre I
I FREE I
fiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil
TREASURE
¦\^ELL, we're on the treasure trail again, God help us 1 This time it's for medical aid for Vietnam. So far, the Kent miners have sent us £10.50, and over £7.00 was collected in a quarter of an hour during Friday lunchtime.
Also planned are: A Valentine Party at Passfield, a cheese and wine party, and one or two other interesting activities. Watch the notice boards for details.
J.C.
Open 'Sesame'
'"THE Open University has just advertised for a full-time editor for its student newspaper which comes out about ten times a year. The newspaper, called "Sesame," is a tabloid and is an important form of contact for the Open University's 45,000 students.
"Sesame" is obviously in a somewhat different situation than most other student newspapers, in that the editorial staff's contact with students is limited as its students are scattered. They are anxious to put the paper on a professional basis by employing full-time people.
Other student nev/spapers are also toying with the idea of employing full-time staff ; either by electing a sabbatical editor or by employing a business manager to overcome the difficult problems of finance. A few, including the Bristol area paper, employ a full-time non-student editor.
International S><»c,iialists
Wednesday,	3tst
IAN BIRCMALL
#/
/I
The Europeon Econamic
Commyirify
C018 11 p.m. C.P./I.S. DEBATE
The British Road to Secialism
Duncan Hallas and Monty Johnston
February 14th, 1 p.m. C018.
it is a tragedy that he has not lived to see the fruits of his tireless struggle against Portuguese and western imperialism.
NATIONALIST LIBERATION
On a i-ecent visit to England Cabral was definitely aware of his responsibility as future premier of a nation, and refused to be pinned down on matters such as Britain's role in Ireland, or international problems of imperialism outside of his own particular struggle. Thus any comparison with Guevara is misleading, for although both identified the common enemy of imperialism and adopted the methods of guerrilla straggle, Cabral's ideology was a more authoritarian and conservative brand of Stalinism. A more accurate comparison of Cabral's impact and ideology would be with Ho Chi Minh rather than Che.
A point that will most undoubtedly be lost in the obituaries that will be published in the ¦Western press over the next weeks will be Cabral's identification of Portugal as a neo-colonial state itself, with the real imperialists in London, Paris, Bonn and New York. This was always a major feature of his analysis of Portugal's role, and his military and political strategy was always geared with this in mind.
Africa and the revolutionary world must mourn the death of a great revolutionary leader who will take his place alongside the other great martyr of Africa, murdered by imperialist agents, Patrice Lumumba.
Short story
MEMORIES OF SCHOOL
TyHAT do you do to take revenge on hurt pride, the humiliation, shame and mental torture of youth ?
Teachers could be so cruel, and that was many years ago now. The times when you look back and try to remember those events which shattered your being then, crumpled, small, smashed confidencie and blushing embarrassment, that was you.
The hatred that you felt when you were singled out from among so many others for coughing in assembly—You, girl, stand up. All eyes turned on you, murmurs of sympathy outweighed by sniggering. You remembered being alone in an empty hall, nestling into the corner trying to hide. Standing shaking on wobbly legs, sick with hatred. Afraid, so afraid, of the summons to come, when you would have to explain irreverent behaviour to a revered headmistress.
There would be a long silence and then profuse apologies and a humiliating retreat into the sheltering arms of curious fellow pupils. There you could laugh scornfully, flippantly, burying the hurt.
"No hymn book, hair touching shoulders, black instead of brown shoes, no beret in the street!" For crimes like these the inquisition racked, even hung and quartered men for lesser sins. •
"And she had the effrontery to answer back." The murmurs in the staff-room growing louder with the shocked surprised voices of spinster ladies, mingling with those of ex-Sergeant Majors who' now taught accounts and chemistry to yawning faces.
The pain lasted many years. The sore agony of memories bearing heavy grudges, worked out in sinful thoughts of burning out biology mistresses' eyes. Such evil anticipations had they evoked in innocent minds.
There had been one return to school, two years after leaving. It was an Open Day, and between stalls of strawberry tarts and chocolate sponge, the Queen of all the twisted minds stood magnificent, a martinet in steel-
toed court shoes, smiling slimily over the heads of wide-eyed first years, to their mothers beaming proudly. What duplicity lay there.
Dare you approach, be aloof, your tongue cutting like a knife her soft satire. No, fears were too great then.
But now riding on this train, a wealth of human experience behind, two children and twenty years on. A dagger in your hand to cut the heart out of your self-appointed victim. The school now yours by word of law, an inheritance of bricks and memories, and with that, the power to kick the woman out, dismiss her and erase her from your mind.
Even a degree in Psychology had not made you understand her motives. You put it down to frustrated womanhood.
Arriving, the red brick and blue gates remain the same. Two generations later, schoolgirls lay behind—in gymslips all alike." "Miss Pincer. Ah! She left some time ago, three years I think. Her address? Here, let me write it down for you. Old girl you said ? Owner 1 My, what a surprise. Uncle dead ? I am sorry, we had heard something. Let me show you round the school."
"Thankyou, no, I must be going." Backwards through the door. Smelt the same musty, fusty, but gymslips were above the knee, stockings, silks not woollen, and hair long, freely swishing down the girls' slim backs.
Shadows appeared in the dark recesses of the corridors, and your mind ? Walking down the hall, a dark tunnel of ghostly memories, softly hissing voices, whispering from the shadows. . . . Shh ! Miss Pincer, here she comes, stamp out your ciggies," and the pale faces with luminous eyes peering upward through the classroom windows, girls kept in after school, their vulnerable feminity smashed by the probing bulging eyes of Sgt. Major.
And there, your frail figure, shaking, sobbed - out and humbled as Pincer raps your knuckles with a ruler. A distorted thin smile creeping on to
her face with each tear that fell. It would have been eettter not to cry.
gaggle of laugh-the doer to sun-air rushing past not really there, paper with her the palm of your. by your agitated
A chattering ing girls opens shine and fresh as if you were The piece of address on it in hand, crumpled fingers.
The dark terraced cottage breathed of no life. A tall elm tree, gnarled and twisted blocking out the light from the front window. Two bangs on a rusty door knocker, and the interior creaks in response, shuffling steps along the passageway. Your heart hammering furiously.
"Yes ?" the voice crackles out of a hollowed wrinkled face.
"Miss Pincer ?" — her eyes closed, piercing, searching into your unrecognised face. "What can I do for you ?"—her voice, cold, took on official tones.
"Do you remember ?" Eyes unmoving, she opens the door to let you in. A cup of tea, a chat in the faded sitting room of an old woman. Lavender and moth balls with stale-food smells greet you as you enter a small sitting-room, of faded flower patterns on soft sofas.
Rough hands, twisted like the elm tree roots, shaking, prof erring the bone china, a shadow of a smile, and a shifting of her shawl around her shoulders.
This was the woman, omnipotent, glorious in her supremacy, spitting out at horse-toothed squinting girls who could not pronounce their vowels properly. Sitting a mass of chattering loosely - knitted bones, shrunken hideously rn her pale grey cotton dress, a clasp at the neck, a heavy watch on a large chain dangling from a flat breast pocket, anc old hands empty of jewellery.
A few memories spoken of, but nothing that came to say.
Things slipping cut of your mind, time swallowed up, and dagger sheathed ^vith pity. Smiling through forgiving eyes revenge gives way io age and understanding.
Never will bitter rcemories be erased, but vengeance cannot right the misery ci faded potency ; forgotten existence.
BKAVKR. Jan. 2Gth. 1973—Page Nine
BERNADETTE DEVLIN APPEALS FOR SOLIDARITY
To mark the first anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Derry, Bernadette Devlin has issued the following appeal for international solidarity actions in support of the Irish struggle on the weekend of January 27th-28th
gUNDAY. January 28th, 1973 will be the anniversary of Derry's Bloody Sunday.
On January 3t0h last. British para-commandos murdered thirteen peaceful demonstrators during an attack on a mass civil rights procession in Derry.
The murder of these thirteen, and all those victims of the British Crown Foi'ces who have died before or since then, is part of a calculated policy of the British Government to destroy the combativity and confidence of the nationalist population in the Noi'th of Ireland. Specifically, it was a last desperate attempt to shore up the corrupt Tory-Unionist regime at Stormont.
It failed, suspended.
Stormont has been
But British aggression in Ireland continues. Since the abolition of Stormont, the British propaganda service has attempted to give the impression to the world that Britain is
3.55 pm.
Derry, Bloody Sunday
playing the role of arbitrator between two warring Irish tribes. Whitelaw, the British gauleiter is depicted as a gentle and impartial referee.
The reality is very different.
The essential conflict in Ii'eland is between the Irish people and British imperialism, supported by native reaction. The specific foi'm it takes is an attempt by Britain to suppress the stmggle of the nationalist-
Catholic population and to crush its vanguard, the Irish Republicai; Army.
What this means is the continuation of concentration camps, the imprisonment and torture of thousands of political prisoners, daily harassment and mass intimidation of the total Catholic population—highlighted by the situation in West Belfast, where over half of the total male population has been arrested, questioned, or had their homes raided by the British Army. When people in
this area talk of the British Army of Occupation, it is no idle slogan. It is the literal truth. Andersonstown today is as brutally' and effectively occupied as Warsaw was under the Nazis.
But the people have not been cowed. By demonstrations, by armed struggle, by rent and rate strikes, they display their continued combativity.
They must not fight alone. The international anti-imperialist movement must rally to the defence of the heroic people of Ireland.
The week-end of Januai'y 27th-28th 1973 provides an opportunity for a worldwide week-end of activity to focus world attention on this struggle, and I appeal to all revolutionary groups, to the student movement, and to the workers' movement thi'ough-out the world to organise on that week-end, in every major city in Europe, America, Australia, Asia and Africa, demonstrations, protest meetings, pickets and other activities, to demand the withdrawal of British troops from Ireland, self-determina-tion for the Irish people, the ending of internment and release of all Irish political prisoners, to show their solidarity with those socialist and republican forces struggling against British imperialism in Ireland.
L.S.E. ANTI-INTERNMENT LEAGUE
"^HE original intervention of the British Army in the north of Ireland 3^ years ago was interpreted by the British Government as that of a neutral force to keep peace between two warring communities. Since that time, internment and the torture of political prisoners has been introduced, military saturation of Catholic areas has been conducted alongside a non-interventionist policy in the arms build-up within the Protestant community, and promised social reforms have not been realised.
To what political ends has the use of the British Army been directed ? Has the British working class anything to fear in the years ahead from the present use of the arniy in Ireland ?
The L.S.E. Anti-Internment League has organised a four-part discussion series to explore in greater depth the role of the British Army in the north of Ireland. Meetings will be held at L.S.E. on Mondays at 5.00 p.m. in 8067. The first of the four discussions was held on January 15th. The remaining three discussions are as follows :
Monday, February 5th : British Army Tactics in West Bel-ast. (Discussion leader ; speaker to be confirmed). Andersons-town, in West Belfast, is one of the major Catholic ghettoes. It is bearing the brunt of the attempt of the army to break the morale of the civilian population.
The discussion leader will explain why the army has decided to concentrate its forces in particular areas, and the dynamic between the will to resist of the civilian population and the ever
COMMENT (Continued from Page 2)
break up riots, riding two men on a motor-cycle. I can personally vouch that the sight of 50 Triumphs bearing down on you at 40 m.p.h. with 100 yelling truncheon-waving thugs aboard is not one you forget easily. To join either the CRS or the Brigades, by the way. you don't have to submit your criminal record. Just like the old Degion.
So it's not surprising to find 90-year-old ladies fervently denouncing the "flics" when they're talking about squads who can, and do, pick you up and beat you up with or without the slightest pretext. Not that this has any direct bearing on the political situation in general, except insofar as the cops ca nbe expected to play, a I'ole in what promises to be an exciting election campaign.
President Pompidou's regime is, for the fii-st time since 1968, facing a valid threat from the French Left. Indeed, he is already bringing up "May '68" as an example of what Fi-ance does not need. But evei-yone knows that a coalition of Leftist parliamentarians is not the same as a mob of Leftist students, and it will be interesting to see next month whether new France, ruled by the pocketbook where Pompidou has done very well, is stronger than the old France, ruled by a spirit that puts change, ideas, and other things in life in front of the almighty dollar. I personally think that the almighty dollar has won yet again; but if it hasn't it will be interesting to see how Pompidou and the Leftist parliament resolve the constitutional crisis that will arise from the fact that the presidential elections in relation to the parliamentary ones are staggered by two years.
And there will be eerie chuckling in the graveyard at Colombey les Deux Eglises as the ghost of Le Grand Charles notches up yet another coup.
G.F.
more-sophisticated techniques of the army.
Monday, February 19th : The Morale of the British Army.
(Discussion leader: Alastair Renwick, IMG). Despite the attempt of the press to maintain the confident facade of the army press office, there is growing evi-
dence of serious demoralisation among serving soldiers. The discussion leader, himself a former soldier, will explore this topic more deeply.
Monday, March 5th : The Defeat of the British Army and the Glass Struggle in Britain. (Discussion leader : Paddy Prendi-
ville, IS). The Special Powers Act is now the law^ of Great Britain, with the heightening of class struggle in Britain, the common interest between the British and Irish working classes in a defeat for the British Army can more clearly be seen.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATES IN THE PROBATION AND AFTER-CARE SERVICE
If you are concerned about people, would you like to offer a professional service to the community and face the challenge of helping offenders and their families ? The probation and after-care service offers real opportunities for young men and women graduates. This is demanding but satisfying work which calls for an unusually high degree of initiative and personal responsibility if effective help is to be given to a wide variety of people. Training before and after entry helps the new officer to develop his skill and confidence in dealing with difficult problems of human relationships.
Career prospects are good and there are opportunities for work connected with research, training and administration.
There are vacancies for trained probation officers in most parts of England and Wales. Courses last between one and two years, depending on your degree, and lead to the award of the Certificate of Qualification in Social Work of the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work, During training a salary of at least £1,311 is paid.
After training, a Probation Officer's salary starts between £1,632 and £1,746 (not less than £1,689 for graduates) depending on qualifications and experience, and rises in all cases to not less than £2,232. Officers have opportunity to reach a higher maximum of £2,661. Promotion to Senior Probation Officer would bring it up to £3,216. The highest grades can earn up to £6,000 according to Probation Area (£7,000 in Inner London). Officers in the London area get additional remuneration.
For fuller information write or telephone ;
Charles Dodd. University Liaison Officer,
Inner London Probation and After-Care Area,
350 Old Street, London. E.C.IV 9NB Telephone 01-739 4761.
BEAVER, Jan. 26th, 1973—Page Ten
Vietnam solidarity campaign helps _ aid peace moves
1 J


You see, even you have your uses.'
QN Monday, January 15th, Nixon called off the mass bombing of North Vietnam. He was forced to stop the slaughter primarily by the resistence of the Vietnamese, but also by world pressure.
In many countries (including Britain last Saturday), mass demonstrations have marched
in solidarity with the liberation forces, often forcing their governments to protest against the bombing. In comparison, the British Government is still, allowed to wail about "Terror" in Northern Ireland, 'while supporting the greatest t'ferror in recent history, the bombing of North Vietnam.
LSE held a Vietnam solidarity
day last Friday with an exhibition showing pictures of victims of the bombing, outlining casualty figures throughout the war, and giving an account of the step-up in the bombing which resulted in civilians being slaughtered in their hospital beds, which the American Government called "military targets."
AT the Union Meeting held on Friday, January 12th, 1973, Andy Milner, seconded by John Bradbrook, proposed the following motion ;
"This UNION condemns the continuation of the American war against Vietnam and ; "(1) officially supports the Anti-War demonstrations on January 20th, 1973, "(2) officially supports a second Vietnam Day of Action on January 19th, 1973." The proposed' put forward a plea for urgency that this motion should be moved to the top of the Agenda. This was voted upon and clearly carried.
Andy Milner proposed his motion and announced that there would be Anti-Vietnam War demos all over the world to mark Nixon's inauguration, including National Peace Action Coalition (U.S.A.) and Indo-China Soldiarity Front (F.S.I.) in France and in Britain too.
Andy Milner quoted Nixon's speech on October 9th, 1968, when he said :
"Those who have had a chance for four years and could not produce peace should not be given another chance."
Andy then said : "Well Nixon has had four years, during which tirne—
4.5 million Indo-Chinese civilians were killed, wounded or made homeless.
1.5 million soldiers were killed or wounded.
40,000 South Vietnamese civilians executed without trial.
3.7 million tons of bombs dropped—2 tons a minute. You will remember that at the time of the U.S. Presidential elections, almost the entire Western press was conveniently full of detailed accounts of Mr. Nixon's pacific intentions and YET since Nixon's re-election, the U.S. air attack on North Vietnam has been almost as much as the TOTAL tonnage of bombs dropped on Great Britain during the Second World War.
And make no mistake, the recent bombing pause is due to :
Heavy U.S. losses—80 bombers,
including 32 B.52s.
Failure to break North Vietnamese morale.
International condemnation, especially in Europe, but also for example in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
This is where we come in : Of all the Western governments the British has been perhaps the most unstinting in its support for every successive American atrocity and for every successive escalation of this barbaric war of aggression against Indo-China.
It is important then that large sections of the British left are mobilised around a campaign of solidarity with the Indo-Chinese revolution."'
Andy asked Union support for this motion and for organisers for the demonstration on the 19th January. He also asked for students to join the march to the American embassy in Gros-venor Square on Saturday, 20th January.
One student asked :
"What do you want, peace for whom ? The North Vietnamese? "
John Bradbrook seconded the motion.
There were no speakers against.
A procedural motion was put forward for Union to move to a vote.
This was voted upon and carried.
Andy Milner's motion on Vietnam was put to a vote and CARRIED.
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BEAVER, Jan. 26th, 1973—Page Eleven
THE ATHLETIC UNION PAGE
EDITORIAL
o-TiIy a year to go until the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch comes the almost inevitable news that they will be the most expensive ever, and the rather unusual offer of students at-the University of Cantei'bury to donate one cent for every sale from their contraceptive vending machines
SEX
Sex is yet to be a subsidised sport at LSE but there is talk of a Physical Training Instructor to coach individual and team games and ianprove School "keep-fit" potential. With the advent of exams in all three years of an undergraduate course the AU administration feels that it will be under considerable pressure during the summer term, since the (^n Day at Nei^' Maiden sports ground takes place at the end of June. A paid official could thus help out at this time of year, on the administrative side as well. Ceitainly some arrangements will have to be made, either by employing a P.T.L or a temp, secretary, to tide the AU over this difficult period of the year, or students may feel disinclined to take on routine duties.
Yet, perhaps the decision to apply for membership of the Universities Athletics Union is the one that will have the most dramatic effect upon members of the AU as a whole. For it hopes to greatly increase the number of fixtures and the general standard of play available. The Director has b^n approached about this matter, and he has agreed to pay the additional costs of membership, thus relieving concern about where the money was to come from. It should be mentioned, however, that membership is not automatic, and the application can be rejected. Pi-ed Marrow, the President of the AU has been ^ting round universities enthusiastically canvassing for support-, in an effort to persuade the UAU that we really do have something positive to contribute, even if it's only the Economicals and the Three Tuns Bar.
MONIES
The auditors have now managed to produce the AU accounts. And these have been presented to the Director and Bursar. The full grant for 1972-73 should now be confirmed, and our large overdraft cancelled. This overdraft is the direct result of a lunatic allocation of monies, whereby the grant is divided into three equal parts, termly installments, despite the fact that the vast majority of clubs need their budget in the Autumn term. This matter has, we hope, now been rectified,
JEREMY CLIFT.
I
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.
16 FLEET STREET LOtiOON, E.C.4
(opp. Chancery Lane) 353 3907
INTO EUROPE
WITH LSE
A l-ONG with the many other events that have hailed our glorious entry into the Common Market, LSE has also done its bit towards Fanfare for Europe. The occasion took place a couple of weeks ago, when the Soccer Club took an assortment of players, including Sam "Mine's a litre" Hazely and Eric "nightmare" Lynn, to play in a tournament organised by EONEC in Lille, Northern France.
SUCCESS
The trip proved to be a huge success, with LSE coasting home in all their four games and proving the favourite with the home crowd. The cup which will be on show in the Three Tuns to all those who wish to see it; Sam will also be there with the cup that he won for the best drinker of the tournament.
Most games were enjoyable, although not of a particularly high standard, due mainly to the physical state of several members of the team. However, we were ably disciplined by the Tony Currie of LSE, Steve Gamble, whose tireless running was an example to us all. Highlights came from Phil Bails and
Aloin Kennet, who scored four apiece, and both full-backs, who netted a gem each.
STRIPPING OFF It was off the field where we really excelled ourselves though, with much ale being consumed, and Phillips and Hazely stripping off on numerous occasions, one such being in the British Rail buffet car, as the train pulled out of Orpington.
All round the trip was a huge success and piss up, and I'm sure I speak for all the team in thanking our exceptional French hosts.
SERIOUS SIDE On the more serious side, back home the season had been a mixture of success and failure. On the successful side, we had a good trip to Paris in November, and the first team are top of their League. Other sides are still battling in the various cups. On the other hand, the 1st XI lost in the cup to Barts. 3—2, and the 2nds, 3rds and 4ths have only average positions in the Leagues. However, spirit is still good, and with a little effort this term LSE could once again be back on the football map.
ROB PHILLIPS.
PRESIDENT'S COLUMN
DY the time of the next ^ issue of "Beaver," the A.U. should know whether the application to join the U.A.U. has been successful or not. This action, without doubt, is one of the most ambitious projects of recent years and if we are enabled to join its dynamic effects will be far-reaching.
DEMISE
Whatever the outcome of our application, one thing is certain, that it will be the last (some will say the only) major policy of the present executive whose demise is signalled for the sixth week of term. Nominations will be received from the 8th to the 14th February, whilst the elections themselves will be on the 20th and 21st February. It must be stressed that whoever does take over from us must be prepared to put some time and effort into the job, especially if we do get into the U.A.U.
REMINDER
I would like to end by reminding ail our clubs that their contributions to the Annual Report should be in by Friday, January 26th.
J. MARROW.
A.U. President.
Undergraduates (Male)
required as
RESIDENT COURIERS
ABRO.ID.
Application forms i'rom: CANVAS HOLIDAYS LTD.,
Parkway Chambers, Welwyn Garden City, Herts.
CROSS COUNTRY
THE outstanding regular ¦ competitor has been Peter Foster, who this term takes over the captaincy of the team.
Peter has had many close battles with Herman Rooney, and these two, together with Nigel, Benny Levitas, Peter Morgan, Phil Murphy and Bob Gledhill, have provided the backbone of the squad throughout the first half of the season.
RIDING CLUB
THE Riding Club is still ¦ struggling to combat the dark forces of blinkered ignorance and non-recognition. There is a beginners' ride arranged at 3 p.m. on Wednesday every week at North-wood. The Club is also hoping to set up a lesson for more experienced riders at Park Farm, Northwood, on Tuesday evenings.
The L.S.E. first team is still gloriously carrying the banner in the London University League. It is at the moment tied with RVC at the top of the League or thereabouts.
The University of London held an International event with Irish, Italian and Germans competing. London's team came in second. (The age of miracles is not yet past).
Any frustrated riders awaiting liberation, please contact Val Davies (Secretary), or Sue Bennetto via UG pigeonholes.
MUCHO VINO COLLAPSO
^INCE the last edition the L.S.E. rugby team has continued to play its exhilarating brand of open rugby. Fourteen games have now been won and only six lost. The club reached the third round of the Middlesex Cup before being narrowly defeated by the Old Paulines. At the end of last term, the 1st XV played last year's U.A.U. champions, Bristol, and were very unlucky to lose 12-6. Victories have been recorded against, amongst others. Royal Free Hospital, London New Zealand, London Irish, Queen Elizabeth College and Old Aslceans.
2n(i XV REVIVAL
The 2nd XV, after a losing sequence in the middle of last term, have i-ecently had a revival, beating some very good teams, including Ewell Tech, Ists, and University College 2nds,
However, the Strollers have been short of good drinkers, and often have had difficulty in raising themselves from the Three Tuns Bar in time to play.
The club has benefited from the arrival of several new players •-Dave "Strongman" Browning from Stroud, John Walker, another crooked-throwing hooker, from Goole, and second rows Bruce Dobing and Andy Blacker from Devonshire,
PARIS
At the end of November, 24 players went to Paris for th^ weeltend, during which time most people reached a state of "Mucfio Vino Collapse." At one time the intrepid men from the LSE played a game of rugby v. La Sorbonne, which we won, we believe, although no-one can quite remember.
The more important aspect of the game, beer, has not been forgotten. The retirement of Dave Clark as captain was yet another excuse, alas, for much imbibing and general ribaldry.
Finally, if there are any budding rugby experts in or around the LSE who would like a game, on either a Wednesday or a Saturday, would they please get in touch with me via the U/G pigeon holes. Au revoir !
IAN DIAMOND.
GLIDING CLUB
Y^INTER weather is always cruel and frustrating to glider pilots and this winter has proved no exception. However, some members have managed to spread their wings during the Christmas vacation.
Sue Willescroft had an eventful time in a newly-acquired glider at her local glide club near Barrow-in-Furness. While further afield Gunter Heil enjoyed the sun and strong thermals of California, where he was able to fly a "Kestral"—a very high performance sailplane. The thermals were so strong, he said, he could have stayed at over 6,000 feet all day; however, he came down after only one-and-a-half-hours, only remembering to lower the undercarriage at the last moment—to the owner's satisfaction.
CLUB NEWS
Efforts are being made to link up with Imperial College, an<l University College, for a special series of lectures on the theory of flight, aerodynamic theory, meteorology, and air-law—hard work, but necessary if members are going to pass their Bronze Certificate. If, and when, this link-up takes place, members will be notified via the notice-board.
JOHN MELDRUM,

BEAVKR, Jan. 26th, lU/S—Page Twelve
L.S.E. STUDENTS SUPPORT RENT
STRIKE
AND ASK FOR HELP
"HE Passfield Hall and Carr-Saunders rent strikes got under way this week with the setting-up of a strike fund, the opening' of a bank account, and the election of two treasurers responsible to those on strike.
With this action, L.S.E. looks like being in the lead, as far as London is concerned, in the N.U.S. campaign for higher grants and a better deal for married women students.
L.S.E., however, does not fight alone. Already such universities as Sussex, Kent, Manchester, Newcastle and York (to mention but a few) are waging a successful strike campaign, and militancy is spreading. At Surrey the strike is particularly strong, backed by a fund now reach ing the awe-inspiring total of £45,000.
The number of people joining the strike at Passfield has so far been disappointing, but it is hoped that the strike fund will soon be supported by at least 60 people.
The fund is central to an effective- strike. Firstly, it provides unity by showing those on strike that they are not alone ; without a fund some individuals might think that everyone except them had paid. It therefore provides a p.sychological prop.
Secondly, it prevents people from spending their money on beer, cigarettes (and something else) and finishing up financially embarrassed. Thirdly, it prevents the authorities from becoming paranoid and calling in M.I.6.
The rent strike is not the only method of carrying out the N.U.S. campaign. A further and important course of action is a lightning catering boycott of the Refectory. This can involve all members of the Union and takes some weight off the shoulders of those in Halls. It is vital that these boycotts should last two days to prevent the food being kept and served up later. The mind boggles !
SOLIDARITY
In the future it is vital that the Union gets finnly behind Carr-Saundei's and Passfield, who have taken a lead and are moving forward themselves.
With firm Union backing, we can show the authorities we mean business, and along with other Universities, win this campaign.
Hon. Reginafd Maudling, M.A., M.P., P.O.
MUDDLING
l^iOT in the Old Theatre when Reginald Maudling, that scintillating ex-Home Sec., came to speak a week last Monday.
GOVERNOR
He is, as you may remember, on our board of Governors. With the theatre filled to capacity, Muddling spoke on (or attempted to anyway) the Conservative policy towards Noi'th-ern Ireland, the Industrial Relations Act, and incomes policy.
SUMMONSED
The best, or at least most amusing contributions came from the floor. "Mr. Maudling, as an upholder of law and order." Maudling: "Yes, yes" (enthusiastically). "Why, if you are such a law-abiding citizen, don't you go to New York where there's a summons waiting for you ?" Riotous laughter.
Doddling left the scene to a standing ovation.
LIFE FOR THE ABORIGINE DOWN
This article was written by BOBBI SYKES, the aboriginal girl, who recently came to Britain to publicise the plight that" aborigines are forced to live in, in Australia.
|N Australia, in almost all areas, reside people who might be considered "invisible." Even without a "caste" system as such, they are comparable with the "untouchables" of India, and their lives are on a par, though the geography of the countries is so vastly different. India, with its teeming masses, is understandably poor—but Australia ?
The living standard in Australia is one of the highest in the world. There is much mineral wealth, pastoral wealth, industry, etc. yet—living within site of this wealth are the original owners of the country, in abject poverty, suffering malnutrition with all its attendant symptoms, living in shanties and humpies, and having no say in the world around them.
The black Australian section has the highest infant mortality rate in the world, a life expectancy of 40-47 years after survival of the first four years, and incredibly high instances of TB and leprosy.
"JpHE majority of white people within Australia, and almost all people outside of Australia, know little—if anything at all— about this state of affairs.
Until recently, segregated from the community by confinement on Reserves, administered by State and missionary managers, the black people themselves have no opportunity to either fend for themselves locally, or to let the world know of their plight. How successful the Government policy in Australia has been with their plan to keep such a dreadful secret from the world can be ascertained by scanning your own minds for information regarding Australia's blacks.
The Government's continuing racist and genecidal policies towards blacks are a matter for concern, not just within Australia, but should be a matter of concern on this global village for all earth residents, especially those who in any way are connected with or affected by policies of Australia. Included here are all countries who trade with Australia, or who have business associations with Australia, diplomatic relations with Australia, likely to be at war with or against Australia, or who will be affected by Australia's position in the United Nations.
DUAL-LAWS
In most states of Australia, prohibited areas called Reserves have been allocated for the use of blacks. Over much of the area.
UNDER
dual laws for blacks and whites exist, although they are not blatantly known as such. Unlike South Africa, where the blacks constitute the labour force and are, "as such, taken care of to ensure their labour potential, Australia has absolutely no use for its blacks, and as such, they are left to die out.
Because of pressure, Australia has lately made token gestures, which, on paper, may appear to be an attempt at improving conditions, a Federal Office of Aboriginal Affairs, operating out of Canberra, claims millions of dollars are spent on the black population each year. Last year the figure was 44m. dollars, and this year 53m. dollars. Where does it all go?
Besides the Federal Office of Aboriginal Affairs, there are State Departments of Aboriginal and Island Affairs, and between them, these two bureaucratic departments manage to spend a great portion of the money on administration, inter - state flights and accommodation and long-distance phone calls, '
On each Reserve (there are eleven State Reserves in Queensland alone) there is a manager and administrative staff, mostly white, and these are all paid, with bonuses for living in isolated areas, or northern area allowances, and housed and transferred around at the expense of the Department or Office of Aboriginal and Island Affairs,
If anyone does have opportunity to visit a Reserve, which
is unlikely since Permits are required and are more often than not refused, they will immediately notice the discrepancy between the quarters provided for manager and staff, and those provided for the black inhabitants.
With a few enquiries, it is possible to find out about the existence of the dual laws, but the black people who live under these laws, and who must apply for permits to travel outside the Reserves, are often unaware that they are the only section of the community covered by these laws, and are unaware of what these laws entail anyway.
The education standards are so low that should they be furnished with a copy of the laws, it would be impossible for them to understand the implications.
Who in the black community in Australia has the necessary training to interpret the laws ? There is not one black lawyer; neither is there a black doctor, engineer or dentist. In fact, there are only two University graduates in the entire black population, one in Arts, and one in Social Studies,
In Australia, in 1972, there were less than eighteen black students
attending University, the highest to my knowledge being a second-year law student.
EYE-WASH
Yet Australia is able to allay international hostility by telling of the educational opportunities which are "available" for blacks. They do not tell of the starvation and malnutrition which robs small black children not only of their lives but of the ability to think. Instead they say that blacks are "lazy" and "dirty."
They do not say that on many Reserves there is not water, though water has been known to have been brought in on trucks—in order to water the gardens of the managers. They do not say that on rural Resei-ves it is known that there is only one tap to be shared by all residents, and that all water must be then carried in buckets quite long distances.
They do not say that many chnd-ren suffer from trachoma, and other eye diseases, which go untreated, and which result in blindness—nor do they tell us that these diseases are treatable, and only continue through sheer neglect. They do not say that respiratory infections become chronic, that vitamin C deficiency is taking the lives of many hundreds of chitdren each year. Instead, they say that "AustraHa has one of the highest living standards in the world."
Can Australia be allowed to continue its racist policies?
Information freely available; in the Australian underground pricss must be circulated to other countries. Finances are always necessary to allow black-initiated projects, particularly around health problems, to continue and expand.
I
Further enquiries can be made to: Abjab,
19 Sandwell Mansions,
West End Lane,
London, N.W.6.
Printed by Ripley Printers Ltd., Ripley, Derby. Published by L.S.E. Students' Union, St. Clement's Building, Claremarket, London, W.C.2A 2AE.