BRITISH UIHIARV j STUDENTS' UNION No. 213 JANUARY 26th, 1983 NEWSPAPER OF THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS ELECTION FEVER BY MATTHEW PRICE AND JIMMY McCULLUM SPECULATION is rife over right wing plots to combine all their resources for the overthrow of Labour's hegemony. The idea is to back two independents untarnished by the dirty game of student politics. But for Simon Taylor, prospective independent senior treasurer this will involve a little Bennism—in other words hoping people don't remember the time before you became a virgin. He supposedly left the PCS early last term and has been promoting his cause as the man who puts students first (well second if you consider his career). The independent candidate for General Secretary is Richard Dunn, who has had his eye on a sabbatical post since aniving at LiSE, but \mlike most of our prosepective candidates has had the political grille to conceal it well. His chairmanship of the Malaysian-Singa-pore Society has given him a block vote from a group whose electoral potential is usually left imtapped. Most of the centre'right parties believe they are onto a winner. The ents clique (that's Ti'ots last ents clique first) think they could be once again treading the corridors of power. The Alliance has not had a natural candidate since the premature retirement of Ed Lucas (obviously looking for Gladstonian comeback being called out of retirement by a grateful nation). As for the Tories their intensions are not clear, being split between a wet leadership looking to an independent and the neo-fascist, hang 'em and flog 'em first years wishing to get their teeth into their first campaign. And what is the Labour Club's reply to this j'ou may ask? Mr John (all things to all persons) Donkey-jacket, the acceptable face of neo-Stalinism is the Labour favourite for Senior Treasurer. As for the General Secretary, the two favourites, Shiela Curran and Katrina Slarvik, seem to have dropped out, and so the probable Labour hacks who will run the gauntlet of glory are Dave Jackson, the unacceptable side of neo-Stalinism, Ian Bell, the thinking man's Tony Donaldson and the ¦women's caucus choice Debbie Hindson. Confirmed yesteray was the candidature of Dominic Freely, dark horse of the Tory front bench for General Secretary on his anti NUS away-day ticket. And finally there is the highly controversial offlflice of Social Secretary. Rumoured that Dave Bull, the ageing careerist, who occasionally appears as a half-stoned, groaning hippy on the LSE stage, (but that's enough of his performance as Union chairman), is standing for Social Secretary, as is the Ents clique choice Phil Vague. The main problem though will be once again to revive the student body from its post '68' coma. FISCU HXSCD AFTER an hour of heated debate at Thursday's Budget Meeting, the Senior Treasurer's "one year plan" was thrown out. The meeting rejected the senior Treasurer's allocation for 'ents', after social secretary Steve Virgin had claimed that his budget allocation had been drastically cut, but senior Treasurer Rick Young claims that the 'ents' budget has in fact been increased. Fi-om amongst the pages of figures and political rhetoric emerges a fairly straightforward argument: Should the expenditure of £1,370 by the social secretary on first year conference entertainments be included in his budget? This year the total entertainments allocation was £4,046 as against £3,410 last year. What Steve Virgin is complaining about is that of this £4,046, £1,370 is for the provision of first year conference entertainments, leaving him with £2,676 for all other activities. He argues that the provision of first' year conference entertainments is the financial responsibility of the whole Union and should not be paid for out of his budget. Steve Virgin is certainly correct that this allocation does leave him with less money than last" year's social secretary if his budget, has to bear the £1.370 loss, but last year ents actually made £655 on the first year conference. The ents budget also does not have to 'oear the full cost of its conference activities as the school gave £1,000 for the provision of first year conference. The idea that Ents should not be responsible for losses over this £1„OSO allocation is without precedent. Rick Young argues tliat the entertainments budget must be wen as a whole and any loss incurred in one part of the entertainments budget must be balanced by cuts in other parts. If the Union was to cover all the losses of the first year conference then the Ents budget would increase from £3,410 last, year to £5,686 this year. Rick Young says that the budget takes into account all areas that the social secretary authorises payment on and that Steve Virgin was told before the first year's conference that any losses he made would be financed from other sections of his budget. As a result of the budget being rejected it was decided at Friday's Fijiance Committee meeting to allocate entertainments an extra £oOO which gives them a budget of £4,546, but this is nowhere near the £5,846 they would like. The extra money for entertainments has to come from another part of the budget. The £500 is made up of £200 from the Graduate Society, £200 from new furnishings and £100 from the campaigns fimd. It will be for the budget meeting to decide whether or not it finds this acceptable. LORD dance ORDER RESIGN Certainly the right are determined to stop the budcet at every point. At the Thursd^iy's budget meeting they were all so keen to take their turn that SDP wcnder-bcy Andrew Cooper leapt up and proposed that the whole budget' be rejected, before most people had got past the front cover. V>"hen asked to substantiate this he panicked like a man who le^pt out of the trenches in his enthusiaim to get the enemy, and then discovered none of his mates had ioHowed him. As the futility of the f.rst charge was revealed. Cooper went, decidedly red, so much so that these sitting in front now were forced to remove coats and s'.\-caters. Fortunately the bi:cget iceetitig continued as othe^^^'.^e we would have missed the Phii^tp Groves' contribution. Groves, rtcently rei-jected by the Spanish inquisition for over - zealousness, f.pproa^hed the platform, wth his S.OOO-word dissertation. A man who h.is never quite got over 1536, pave us an impassioned anti-abortion speech in favour of abolishing the 'Wcinan's right to choose fi;nd'. La.bciir's response was to drop its trance bombshell Kirsty Long cn the xm-suspecting Groves, who then retreated. The next ?.ttr.-ck wf.s that it was unconstitutional net to have "cleaning" on .a ^epara.te sheet. This also failed and it l(X)ktc as if the combined opposition had shot its bolt, but at two minutes to twc. blood was siied as '.he entertainments clique triumphed and the budget was defeated. by Matthew Prke LORDS RULING RAISES GRANT HOPES ON 6th December, the House of Lords unanimously passed a ruling which might put a smile back on the faces of a number of overseas students who were, until now. victims of the exorbitant overseas students fees. The Lords upheld that the Court of Appeal in its decision of November 1981 was wrong In saying that foreign students were eligible for grants only if they had a right of infinite abode in Britain. In the past two and a half years, no foreign student has escaped the frustration of discovering that the phrase 'ordinarily resident' has at least as many meanings as the number of people he/she questions about It.. The confusion arising from this ambiguity — namely the exact meaning of "ordinarily resident' allowed many educational institutions to take the benefit of the doubt and classify many students as overseas for fee purposes. There were discrepancies in the be- haviour of different institutions. Some universities applied only the three year residence test while others took 'ordinary residence' as the deciding factor. Most universities fell into the latter category, each with its own version of the meaning of 'ordinary.' The Judgement given by the Lords defines ordinary residence as habitual and normal residence In the United Kingdom from choice and for a settled purpose." An attempt was made to^ggest that education could not be considered a settled purpose but the Lords ruled that It could be. They said that in deciding upon grants, the Local Area Education Authorities had attached too much Importance to the particular purpose of the residence and too little to the evidence of a regular mode of life adopted voluntarily and for a settled purpose — whatever it may be: study, bus, Iness, work, or pleasure. The Lords said that in doing so the Ed- ucation Authorities of the Boroughs were Influenced by their own views of policy and by the immigration status of the students. They pointed out that a further error of the Boroughs was their view that'a specific limited purpose could not be a settled purpose. While on the one hand this momentous ruling has cleared up the misconceptions and ambiguities of grant determination and of defining the status of a student, It has on the other hand, thrown the system into confusion. The main reason for the hullabaloo is the financial repercussions of this ruling. Although most universities will suffer when this ruling is put into effect, the LSE Is likely to be hit exceptionally hard. The LSE's budget relies substantially on the fee It receives from its 45 per cena overseas students, some of whom will now qualify as 'home' students. The school might now have to repay cer- tain students the fe«s they frtie s!-ready paid. Mr G. Ashley, the Registrar cf the LSE has said that refther the University Grants Council (UGC) nor the university cf London h£d given much room for optimism. A statement from the Department cf Education and Science and from the UGC Is expected by the end of tRis month. Meanwhile it seems likely that the present Government will be looking for ways to rewrite the regulations of the award cf grants. Tho delay In the pubiicatEcn cf the decision means that any student who has not previously applied for a grant may not te fli£-iblo for one. Ho'Aever it wcutd still be sensible for those who think they might qualify for a grant in the light of the new ruling to apply as soon as possible to their rtsjitclive Education Authorities in tbeir boroughs. GEETA G,ANCHI PAGE 2 8 OBJECTIONABLE CHARICATURE! Dear Beaver. I HOPE I am not alone in voicing my objections to your caricatures of American students, in the same issue where you. feign concern for overseas students at the LSE. Is it ignorance or envy which prompts your hurtful remarks, for it is surely not humour. What is your policy about racism and sexism and wV'v must you use the guise of free speech to oppress others ? ELANA EHRLICH Students' Union Welfare Officer Gim'me money! Dear Eeaver. COULD you PLEASE help publicise a nursery raffle in aid of the Chandos Nurserj- (where we subsidise places for students with babies under two years old). It's not just another 'silly old raffle' as this nursery is totally self-financing and when Heseltine closed the Centre for Environmental Studies in Sep-temper 1981. the nursery would have been homeless had they not taken out an £18,000 loan to .set up new premises in Endell Street where Camden Council was building new council flats, had expected to have a nursery but then couldn't do it because of their cuts which meant the" nursery got that lea.se but the whole thing cost an enormous amount of money, so this year's raffle must earn at least £1.000 Tickets cost 20p each, grand prize is no less than a free v/eekend for two in Paris, plus more, and tickets are on sale in the Welfare Office. Union Information Office, the Shop and the Bar and more volunteers are needed even to help sell another 361 books (10 tickets in each book) in my filing cabinet! You could print this letter or even better omit this sentence and run a reminder on the botto'm of each page of Beaver saying HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR NURSERY RAFFLE TICKET FOR 20p. GRAND PRIZE A WEEKEND FOR TWO IN PARJS — AT ANY STUDENT UNION OULET. WHY NOT? Many thanks, ELANA. The £10.000 loan might be reclaimed at any time from Thames Telethon and not raising this money from raffles., etc., would mean increasing fees dramatically. Union meeting: Only fit for a laugh Sir, AS many of your readers will already know, I decided not to proceed further with my case against Bob Jones, and I should be grateful if you would allow me to take up some of your columns to explain my decision. I obtained a summons against Mr Jones alleging common assault after his attack on me at the Union General Meeting of Thursday 4th November, 1982, and the first hearing was on Monday 13th December when an adjournment was ordered. After much thought, I made the decision not to proceed as a gesture of goodwill for the new year. In so doing. I would appeal for tolerance in 1983 so that all members of L.S.E. and of the Union may enjoy a more peaceful and pleasant year. Frankly, Union General Meetings are not worthy of the passions they arouse in many people. Certainly. they are entertaining, and I enjoy speaking. But one must always remember that they acliieve nothing and mean nothing except an hour's entertainment per week for a couple of hundred people. The world is not going to change just because L.S.E. Students' Union condemns it: Mrs Thatcher will not become a unilateralist because L.S.E. Students' Uniion has policy in favour of C.N.D.; Timothy Raison will not change his views on immigration simply because a bunch of hooligans try to eject him from these hallowed precincts; the Falkland Islands will not be handed over to Buenos Aires because L.S.E. Students' Union says they should be. In short, the Union's position on these matters is a total irrelevance. But contemplation of world issues about which we can do nothing is worse than irrelevant. It is blinding. It distracts attention from the real problems which exist in Houghton Street. The Union COMPILED BY RO€EJ{ SCHER Announcements ! STUDENTS UNION HARDSHIP FUND APPLICATIONS are now being received for this term's allocation from the SU Hardship Fund. Please obtain your copy from the Welfare Office and i-eturn it completed by Friday, January 28th. Interview times will be sent to you in care of your PIGEON HOLE so please check there regularly. Fund is open to all self-financing students who can explain their situation and how a ^relatively j small amount (£50-£100) might make a significant difference to their survival. ^ NURSERY NEEDS HELPERS THE Chandos Day Nursery could use a student interested in doing volunteer work with some of the older children who are pre-choool. Several 4-5 year olds have benefited tremendously from a previous person who taught the children for about an hour (usually after 4.30 tea) daily, but any helper interested, even just a few times a week, should see Elana Ehrlich in the Welfare Office for more infoiTnation. STERLING CLUB PUBLIC LECTURE Wednesday, February 9th; David Andrews, Chairman and Executive Director of British Leyland (Land Rovers) will speak op "The TJK as a Manufacturing Base". 1.00 pm. Room A85; BEAVER CLASSIFIED RED Midget, good condition, many new parts, £875.—Phone "794 5890. THE Three Tuns Bar raised its prices by one pence on bitters, Guinness, and spirits because costs are rising due to student carelessness. Three Tuns loses £3,(M)0 a year on glasses stolen and smashed. "In one night," says barman Paul Whittaker, "a case of glasses at least disappears." They will replace the stolen glasses with plastic pint and half-pint cups. ¦ir ? ? The Welfare Office announced the formation of .a support gi'oup beginning Thursday 27th of January. This gi'oup will look at issues concerning integration and adust-ment at the LSE. Any interested students should see Elana Ehrlich, welfare officer, or Rosemary Malbon, school sister. •h i: ? The Welfare Office also announces that it will be closed on Wednesday afternoons this term. ir ? ? The Accommodation Office had an unusually busy first week this term with 45 students marchin.g in on the 10th of January alone in search of accommodation. i; -U -U Students should stop by this office for information on what to do in London when one is not studying. A new schedule for London's night - buses is available at this office now as well. should be doing its utmost to provide services which are relevant to its members; welfare, bar, shops, entertainments, newspaper, sports clubs, societies: spending its money on things which matter to the majority of its students. And rather than caring about the latest revolution in Outer Mongolia, * some thought might be directed more usefully at showing some consideration for the hard-working members of Union staff, people whose efforts are usually treate4 with scant respect. So let 1983 be a year of introspection, of examining of what the Union is and should be doing. Let there be concern about providing the best services possible within the budgetry constraints, and let the Union General Meeting be seen for what it is, an hour per week fit for laughter but for nothing else. Yours faithfully, KEIR HOPLEV Senior Ti-easurer 1981-82 Monday, the 7th of February to Saturday the 12th, will be the Committee on Nuclear Dis-armenfs (CND) ''Week of Action" in London. Acting on the initiative of the LSE's CND chapter, other London colleges will be organising CND activities during this week to complement the following schedule of events at the LSE: Monday 7th: speaker Judith Hart (lunchtime), film 'War-game' (evening). Tuesday:' .speaker Tony Benn (lunchtime). films '"The Bomb' and 'Silent War' (evening). Wednesday: speaker Duncan Reese from CND (lunchtime), picket of American and Soviet embassies and a protest at George Bush's visit to London (beginning at 2.30 pm). Friday; Disco party 'Bop Against the Bomb.' Saturday: National CND rally with students from all over the country. There will be a human chain constructed from the Ministry of Defence to The Department of Education and Science. ? ? ? LSE is modernising its printing system. The school was planning to discard the old archaic press, but thanks to the initiative of Rick Young, our senior treasurer, the school will hand over these printing facilities to the LSE Student Union. ? ? ? Like the teaching library, the main library in the British Library of Political and Economic Science has been computeri.sed this term. The "offprinf selection is now on the GEAC system and sources close to the library staff say that by ne.it term the whole library will be computerised. ¦t: i; -b Dzidzia Tenayra and Rooie Wliitehouse wrote letters to a host of prominent persons asking for funds in the name of the Polish Students' Appeal Fund. No reply was received from Ken Livingstone, Tony Benn, Shirley Williams, David Owen, the Archbishop of Can* terbury, or Margaret Thatcher. David Steele replied politely but not financially, Lady Howe sent five pounds, and Norman La Mont replied with a pound. ? It has been decided that the money raised during Rag Week will go to Imperial Cancer Research. The El Salvador Students' Appeal, and the Polish Students' Appeal Fund. This week of festivities (20-27 February) will include such boisterous revelry as the Florriss' cheese rolling competition, the? lift party, bingo, the Polish Students' Appeal Fund dance^, and, of course, the Rag Ball Dont miss it. ? ? ? INTERNATIONAL NEWS IN • BRIEF: Just as the government-sponsored enquiry into the Falk-lands War has freed Mrs Thatcher from responsibility for any incompetent action in the conflict, intelligence reports from America show unusual Argentine military manoeuvres and troop movements along, the southern Argentine coast.^ Mrs Thatcher responded to. these reports by convening a 'war cabinet'. n.s: CHRIS COLUiTT, PENNY MARSHALL MATTOEW PRICE TIM JUDAH DAVID BIDDEL GEORGE DICKIE. DAVE BULL. Pliotogi-aphei's: Beaver Team: Thiink-s: GUY WARRINGTON DAVE BIDDEI... STEWART ALLAWAY NICOLA AKROYD. RICHARD BACON. POLLY DAVIDSON. PAT HAYES, GRAHAM KERR. JOEL LEVY, JIM McCULLUM. DINA RABINOVITCH. SARAH WRIGHT. GABI ZOGHBI SIMON TAYLOR. MIKE HUTCHINSON. ROSEMARY WHITEHOUSE. DZIDZIA TENDYRA, JEOFF BRONCHICK. RODGER SCHER PANTO THEFT -£200 missing} f THE LSE Panto took the Old Theatre by storm on the tst and 2nd of December. With star names, a funny script and lavish production, it succeeded in filling the Old Theatre on its second night, having played to a three-quarters full house on the first. With a total audience of at least 800, the profits to the South African Scholarship Fund seemed bountiful. And yet: w/ith each member of the audience paying 50p the total receipts should have been in the region of £400. The true figure was £243.43, and with costs of the production at £206.96, the total profit which has been given to the BASF amounts to a mere £2757. Accordingly, around £200 is missing. There are two basic possibilities to explain this. One is various small untraceable losses — for example, expenses taken directly from ticket sales money, people coming in without paying after the production had started, or tickets being used without being paid for. However, any losses in such areas could not realistically amount to over £200. For this scale of loss, we estimate that at least 350 people would have had to have sneaked in without paying. In my opinion, the loss must come from criminal action. Either the money from ticket receipts was left somewhere and "lifted" — the losses must have come from sales on the night as advance ticket sales were well documented — or the receipts were siphoned off in the process of transfer from ticket office to the coffers of the Students' Union. Either way, the implication is extremely disturbing — we have a criminal in our midst. CHRIS BEST UNDER ATTACK -WE arc asking a curious thing of girls in telling them to become scientists, "makers of the world", technologists, when simultaneously, they learn to be afraid to walk down a street ; alone at night . . ."' Just after Christmas. 1 was ; mugged while returning ' home ; to Manchester to sec my par-: ents. The setting is almost a cliche—early evening, well-lit street, people about, yet I was a sitting target for the two . youths who attacked me. The police, for whom I've never had much time, were surprisingly kind and efficient, though I daresay they suspected me of ¦ carrying a copy of 'Marxisjn Today' in that stolen handbag. There was no great physical ¦ dama.ge—a few cuts and bruises ; ... no big deal, no indication i of the mental anguish and .do- Bloody Sunday THE 30th Januai-y this year sees the 11th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Despite the appallingly low standard of debate in our UGM, some students will be aware of the facts, and of the significance it holds in the memory of the Nationalist community of the Six Counties. On that day in 1972, 27,000 people marched in Derry for the end of internment of Nationalist pri.soners. After minor skinnshes, the 1st Baftalion, Parachute Regiment opened fire with live rounds, killing 13 civilians and wounding many more. Later, another man died in ftospital. The Widgery Report, commissioned by the government to inquire into the incident, admitted that no shots were fired at the Paras that day. No civilians were armed, no soldiers were injured. But because they '"believed they were beuig fired upon" not only were the Paras declared innocent, but their commaiiding officer received an OBE. The presence of large numbers of Army top brass in Den>- that day, and indeed the deployment of the Paras themselves (hated bitterly by the Nationalist community), led many people to believe that a deliberate punishment had been exercised upon Derry Catholics for daring to march for'civil rights. For a great many people in Britain, it led them to su.spect the "peace-keeping" role of British troops in Ireland. For the Irivh people, it re-anirmed what they had known for decades. A meeting will be held in the LSP^ one lunchtime during the week Januai>- 24th-28th, on the subject of British rule in Ireland, with a speaker from the Irish Republican Socialist Party. Also, a demonstration has been called for Sunday, January 30th in Leeds to commemorate the victims of Bloody Sunday. Students interested in either event are asked to watch for notices around the LSE or ring me on 515 7224. PETE ALSOP pression which follows such an assault. For a start, don't expect sympathy from the powers-that-be. those spiritless voices over the phone that say ""no" to new cheque-cards and British Railcards. For all their infuriatin.g politeness, they might as well accuse you of 'contributory negligence' — after all, what sensible girl takes to the streets after dark? So what about women who sit in lecture theatres till (J.O, who have to get to and from work, who refuse to go into hibernation because the days are getting shorter? It reminds me of being an un-dergrad in Leeds, when women were told to stay oil' the streets becauj-e the Ripper was about. I -certainly wouldn't demand a ciirfew on men because some of them have a nasty tendency to attack women, yet I'm expected to be a 'good girl' and stay indoors — otherwise, I'm putting temptation in their paths, and therefore, get what I deserve. This is not to say that men themselves are never the victims of muggings or assaults— women don't have a monopoly on that sort of sull'erin.g. The crucial difference is that men are encouraged to learn confrontation tactics from the earliest age. whereas women are conditioned to avoid and fear. When a man is attacked, he gets s.\Tnpathy, whereas a woman is given a guilty conscience. ¦ Women are trapped between society's conflicting expectations of the independent go-getter, and the frightened little girl. If the equation is to be balanced, if women are to he made vulnerable. then society must change its attitude to their presence on the streets, and ofTer adequate protection. DZtDZIA TENDYRA Rise of the short time strategy THE first meeting of the Academic Council on January J9th was the first apolitical attempt at co-ordinating the various stair student committees, which exi^ t in every department, by the students' union. The main driving force behind the council is John Donkersley. Academic Affairs Oflicer who sees it as one of the best hopes we have for obtaining. September resits for all those in first year on first year ESc Econ courses. The two major hurdles, apathy and the possibility of it becoming a talking shop were overcome with a fairly lively debate, eventually producing as near a consensus on a programme for lobbying academics as could be hoped. The major decision made was that the council would opt for a short campaign of lobbying; of academics on 1) General Purposes Committee on 2nd February (on which we have repre.sentation): 2) Committee on Undergraduate Studies 14th February (on which we have reps but is of lesser importance); 3) and finally Academic Board 8th February (where it will be discussed) and the final decision made if it is recommended by the General Purposes Committee. Tt should be noted that there will be no student reps at this important stage I The Academic Council is open to all students, and is fairly well publicised and there is not the intimidating atmo.sphere of the Union General meetings if you want to speak. I would urge students to attend these meetings as any campai.gn for September re.sits must involve as man.v. from as varyin.g departments as possible. JIM McCULLUM Karate chop KARATE cla.sses are lield every Monday and Wednesday at tlie LSE in the lower gym, 6.00 to 8.00, for both beginnoi;s and advanced students. T\Va'. blaclc belt instructors teach here, a 5th dan and a 2nd dan. Karate classes have been nuining at the LSE for about six years. All styles are welcome, although the Japanese Shotokan system is taught. This style is imiversal, being authentic in every way. Come along and try karate — remember a healthy body means a healthy mind. LIZ LECTURES Tues, 2.")th .Jan Inaugural public lecture by Professor D. Cameron Watt (Stevenson Professor of International History); "What about, the People? Abstraction and reality in History and the Social Sciences." Old Theatre 5 pm. Wed. 26th Jan LSE Suntoi-y Toyota (publicI lecture by Professor Roger Blanpain (Lew School University of Leuven, Belgium): "Multi-National Enterprises International Labour Relations." Old Theatre H pm. Every Pi'iday—Series of Marxian lectures given by Aartmengnhad r>o.sai C018 11 -12 am. PAGE 4 AVER OM FOK DAH REN DORF ? WHAT NEXT The Philosopher King By DINA RABINOVITCH BY last Monday Professor Ralf Dahrendorf seemed in the best of moods, though Sunday's "Observer" had reported his "evident tenseness". Suddenly the LSE's Director has taken on star proportions, and his mood is national news; soon we will find out what he eats for breakfast. Three things happened simultaneously to create the wave of publicity — his TV series, "Dahrendorf on Britain", given peak viewing time five nights in a I'ow : publication of his decision not to stand for reappointment at LSE when his ten-year contract runs out in 1984, and current accentuation of his political role in Germany, his home country. The coincidence of all three events was. according to Professor Dahrendorf, ''totally unintended". And not welcome either. "I had always wanted to have the film come out in no connection with anything else. It is not an accident I have chosen or would have chosen. It confuses things to have my film come out about Britain, and read next day that I am leaving: it confuses things to get the news that I am leaving, and simultaneously see rne active in German politics — since these things are not strictly related." And in fact, he has no need to orchestrate publicity for that is something his spectacular career has always attracted. From tlie rebellious young opponent of Nazi Germany, placed in solitary confinement in a concentration camp; through the Ph.D. by the age of twenty-two ; through the graduate student in love with England who' arrived at LSE and promptly fell in love again "In essence ! am not a politician". (and met both first and second wife at LSE) ; through the award of university chairs successively at Hamburg, Tubingen and Constance and publication of ''Class and Class Conflict", and "Plomo Sociologus"'. Through political involvement in the Free Democrat Party which led to the vice-chairmanship of the party in the Bundestag and the position of Parliamentary Secretary of State at the Foi-eign Office in Willy Brandt's government, through to appointment as one of the two GeiTnan EEC commissioners in Brussels, till the 1974 offer of the Directorship of the LSE, at which point, according to an article by ex-Beaver editor Simon Garfield, "Professor Ralf Dahrendorf received the sort of coverage normally reserved for new Prime Ministers." The- question the papers are asking now is, where to next ? Professor Dahrendorf is not really telling: "I know you want to know, many people want to know, in a sense I want to know" and he chuckles. "My most probable scenario is that I will go back to the University of Konstanz, take up my Chair there, be active as an author and as a journalist and I'll be involved in one way or another in politics." Well, sounds simple enough, if busy. But then, that's not quite- the whole story. For this is the man about, whom the Observer asks: "the question is whether he can indeed hone a new social philosophy for the Western democracies", a phrase I find so hilariously over-blown (why not the world, the universe ?) that in ignorance and probably somewhat rudely I confront him with it. He is open, straightfaced : "Those are her (the journalist's) words . . that is something I would like to do, yes." He sounds surprised at the tone of my voice. "I'm not making any particular claims for what I am intending to do, but that's what I'm doing, yes." I look pretty stupid. But he is, you know, kind and he helps out. "You will sec a few books of mine which not even my colleagues at L.S.E. will call superficial". "I'm quite aware of the fact that all the time you're trying to get at something which you feel you haven't got at and I sympathise with you (but he's stifling that grin again) because it isn't an entirely clear position and it isn't one which one can easily clarify by making one remark. You see, as I said to you earlier, I've always wanted to live several lives — I've done that and I'll continue to do it. But of course there is somewhere, ¦ I hope, some sort cf thread and if you wanted to give the thread a name it would I suppose be . . . ummm . . . thinking about liberty, it would be the, uh ? intellectual or philosophical side of liberalism. Now sometimes, since part of the several lives is walking boundaries — that is, crossing boundaries all the time, sometimes that takes me into practical politics. In essence (he stresses this), I'm not a practical politician. Fundamentally, what I want to do is influence people through the power of the word, and where I do this, and how I do it and whether it -involves a period in practical politics again is not something which I can clearly answer. But what I can clearly answer is that you will see a few books of mine which, not even my colleagues at LSE will call superficial, and which are about liberty." Superficial ? Ah yes, that's the TV series and companion book rearing their ugly heads again. Not that Professor Dahrendorf would accept that the book has an ugly head : "In my mind only the book exists. I wanted to write a "thank-you England" piece. . . . It's not an academic book — it's got absolutely nothing to do with academic enquiry. It is not intended to be an academic book — it's pure journalism. It's something I did because I wanted to — it's supposed to be readable." He is clearly content with the book. Not so the film, though (which he says he didn't watch). I thought I'd be tactful and just ask what he thought of the reviews. "I read a few reviews; I'm not sure I read all of them — I saw quite a mixture of views and that didn't surprise me at all, because I myself would have written a very mixed review of what I know of the series." He is clearly not happy about the film and says he was talked into it against his will, having refused several times. "Television is a medium which is vulgar, trivial and dishonest. I don't want to creep out of the responsibility for the series as it is; I'm just saying that television is a medium which I don't find particularly attractive for putting ideas over." I believe the impression he gives out that it didn't come too close to him, because though he closes up about it and says not "Television is a medium which is vulgar, trivial and dishonest!" to press him on the subject, there is not the danger in the air present when he's asked about personal matters such as his family. Though he answers, but it is better not to ask too much. So I didn't double-check the Observer assertion that his Jewish wife has reservations about living in Germany, but I did ask him whether he was happy to bring up children in Germany. "Two of my children are brought up, and the twelve-year-old will be brought up in England ... so that answers your question." But he has definitely chosen Germany. A turning-point in his decision to leave LSE was the realisation that staying any longer would be a decision to emigrate and he didn't want to do that. But his reasons for the choice are Jess to do with happiness than with "responsibility and duty, or whatever the Prussian terms are." He cares about liberty in Germany ; it is where he feels responsibility. BREAK-FAST TV^ T«Ei£NTS. MLf OAHRCMrxTRF iKfo m in Li \Y] J i ir !\^ N A SEKieS OF 5 PA^TS PAGE 5 DAHRENDORF WHAT NEXT FO* US? AS you may have seen in the 'Beaver' colour supplement (otherwise known as the LSE circular), the Selection Committee for the Directorship of the LSE has started sitting. The Committee's' proceedings are carried out in the utmost secrecy, so much so that one almost expects to see a puff of white smoke, when the choice has been made. Despite the secrecy our 'College of Cardinals' would like to hear of any suggestions and ideas that students may have and a letter to this effect has been sent to all students. This sacred body consists of five academic and four lay governors. Of the lay governors Sir Frederick Dainton was Chancellor of Sheffield University and an eminent chemist. Sir Richard Way is a former Principal of 'Strand Poly' (King's College). Sir John Burgh is Director of The British Council and is an ex-LSE Union President (will this be Donaldson's fate as well ?). Finally there is the economist Lord Roll, . former Chancellor of Southampton University. The academics include Reader in Sociology, Colin Crouch (converted radical and former Union President) who, as a student, was involved in an unofficial deselection committee of the previous Director, Walter Adams. Desai (unconverted radical), leading authority on Marxian economics and recently author of 'Testing Monetarism'. Mr Dawson is Dean of the Graduate School and a junior lecturer in political science and public administration. The economist Professor Nickell calls himself a Keynesian because of the habit of those, who call themselves monetarists. Finally, theres Professor Cranston, expert and translator of the works of Jean-Jacques Rouseau. He'll know the "Natural man' for the job! So why does this motley collection believe it has the ability to choose a new supremo? Colin Crouch said it was an important decision and ought to be taken properly. Professor Nickell said "It sounded fun" and could be interesting, but seriously it was a very important decision. Peter Dawson said he was asked and could not think of a good enough reason to say no (apart from overwork). Meghnad Desai said it was an important decision, which he would like to have a say in, as the representative at Senate House. The others either made no comment or claimed they had been asked to stand by someone else. Obviously they refused to give any names as a press leak that someone is being considered is normally enough to ruin their chances, as happened to Lord Bullock in 19^. But certain preferences were indicated. Professor Cranston said he would only vote for a scholar and most of the academic governors, except Mr Dawson, were insistent that the new director should be of some stature in the academic community. Most felt that the new director should be someone of prestige, who would be able to fight for the LSE in Senate Committees. For Sir Frederick Dainton and Sir Richard Way this could mean someone with financial experience (maybe someone from the city). However, Mr Dawson pointed out that the financial side of affairs was seen to by the pro-director. So does this mean someone from the establishment? Megn-had Desai seems to favour someone 'in' rathei- than 'of the establishment, for he sees "what ordinary clay they are made of and can see through the establishment junk. Way recommended the choice of a man who knew the principles of goverment, like a retired politician. Desai thinks that LSE save socialism by appointing Michel Foot. But he did say that he did not regard the directorship as a retirement post—''We're not a charity you know." Among the academic gov- ernors a young man seems to be favoured, someone with energy, experience and virility. This would tie in with Sir. Richard Way's comment should be like Ralf Dahrendorf — "A man of the world." Not that this counts out a woman. Desai said that the committee was very conscious of taking women candidates into consideration, and Mr Dawson said he would be very happy to see a woman as director. As to the attitude to students. Professor Nickell said that the director "should be someone who students respect, who takes them seriously, and doesn't just see them as a source of finance." Most of the committee agreed that the student contribution was very important and if student opinion (and academic opinion for that matter) had been taken into account in 1966 the history of the LSE would be very different. ROSEMARY WHITEHOUSE AND MATTHEW PRICE DUSSELDORF ON 8RITAIM (Dusseldorf is sitting in a big green cosy chair, pretending to read from a large, leather- bound book). DUSSELDORF (looking up at the camera man) :* Could I just finish this chapter ? (reads on, then looks up again). Hello. (Taking his glasses off.) I am Rolf Dusseldorf, a well-known author and TV personality. I direct the London School of Economics in my spare time. (Film clip of smirking students, posing outside the Old Building. Cut back to Dusseldorf.) Look at all the many books around me. (The camera scans shelves of old, out-of-date books recently dusted.) Yes, I am a very great scholar and I work in a very scholarly educational establishrrient — a centre of fantasticness, as I like to call it. You have probably noticed by now that I am a German — a German who wishes to slag of! Britain. In doing so, I must tread very carefully. But have no fears for me. I am an experienced politician and I know very well how to rub you up the right way with a load of old flannel. (Dusseldorf rises and strolls across his plush study to a painting of the British countryside by Constable.) This is one of the many paintings in our collection which we are flogging to keep LSE afloat as part of the "Save Our Cushy Jobs Fund 1983". It represents the beautiful, typically British landscape of bygone days. But is Britain really like this today ? No. It is a nation of grubby, unskilled commoners living in dirty, squalid terraced houses who are being made redundant from obsolescent decrepit factories. (Film clip of old slums with broken windows and of a factory being demolished, accompanied by sad and eerie music. Cut to Dussel-dorf down a mine, examining a piece of coal.) But let us first remember when Britain was a strong industrial nation — Britain in its heyday. (Cut to five gumbies— a Northerner, a Southerner, a Scotsman, a Welshman and an Irishman—sitting in someone's living-room.) OLD MAN FROM BARNS-LEY (reading from autocue) : Aye, I remember the old days— great, they were. We used to save up for a holiday in Blackpool — 1 'n' 6 on the .train, it were. Grand, Barnsley were in them days, with fsmoke billowing in t'sky and a Jovely greasy, dusty smell in fair. (Cut to Dusseldorf standing in the middle of a windy field in his raincoat). DUSSELDORF ; But not only have the working classes become pathetic nowadays. Your upper and middle classes are a lot of gutless, namby-pamby, horsey types with no managerial ability. They have wasted their time being educated in the sort of Subjects we teach at the LSE and not in the technical skills needed in industry today. (Cut to Dusseldorf standing next to a computer.) Do not be downhearted. I can suggest three important changes which Britain could make; (1) Create economic forums, councils and committees to discuss, to waffle, to prattle, to produce reams and reams of worthless manuscript. (2) Change the electoral system so that my favourite party — the SDP-Liberal Alliance — can win. (3) Introduce a Bill of Human Rights, which no country has ever been able to enforce. These are three necessary proposals — proposals which, I I admit, would not revitalise the f economy, but proposals, nonetheless, which roll off the tongue quite nicely, (The camera zooms in for a close-up of Dusseldorf's grave face.) You, the British people, must face up to this vital fact. The Germans and Japanese are, industrially and socially, far in advance of you. You are a bunch of no-hopers, a drab, depressed, declining nation, a lame duck which needs to be put out of its misery. But let us not be gloomy ! You have rrtany characteristics that only the British have — a sloth, a laziness, and a foul-mouthed grouchiness, a pig - headed stubbornness of which you can be proud. My hope for Britain is for you to do the things you have always been best at; concentrate on fields in which you are traditionally world leaders — enoying yourselves, going to pubs, getting drunk, having parties in the street, (Film clip of drunken, pot-bellied cockneys doing the 'okey-cokey.) This is the \vay Britain can revitalise itself. You are a great and wonderful people. I love Brtain and I love the British people. There is hope for Britain. Yes — I am sure your future will be a prosperous one — and I mean your future, for I shall be pushing off back to Germany while the going's still good. (Dusseldorf sniggers as the credits roll.) PAGE a Gandhi for beginners DECADENCE IT is difficult to find critical reviews of Attenborough's "Gandhi." It was almost universally acclaimed as an epic, the realization of Attenborough's dream. It cost a colos-eal £20 million with a dis-'Xiriguished cast including John Gielgud, John Mills, Candice Bergen. Martin Sheen and the discovery of new talent in Ben Kings-ley (slightly more muscular than Ghandi despite losing several stones). I^spite the technical merits of the film and Attenborough's explicit apology at the beginning for the difficulties of the "great man" — "historial epic"' genre, this cannot absolve him of the charge of poor historiographical research which results in the uncritical telling of a myth only too pleasing to the Indian ruling class. It should perhaps be made clear from the outset what the film is not about. It is not a biography of Gandi or the history of Indian independence struggle. The film is a simplistic exposition of the "Gandhian philosophy' illustrated by episodes from the • Indian ¦ struggle and his brief stay in South Africa.. TJiis idea seems to be taken from Gandhi's aiutobio-graphy: "The story of my experiments with truth." Gandhi is said to have been deeply influenced by Tolstoy and Raja Ram Mohan Roy, a religious social reformer. Dipped with a touch of Christian thought Gandhi produced an ideological soup which had its antecedents in the early "Bhakti" or devotional Hinduisni (dating medieval times) and the later Arya Samajists rather than the more austerely hierarchical vedic tradition. His poor giasp of history and social change leads to pious outbursts against the sordid materialism of modem civilization. He sees the exploiters/landlords touched and overcome by a demon-tration of man's innate divinity that they would respond by re-* iiouncing their land and wealth and ¦R-ill welcome their millions of brethren to a new fraternity of Man where liberty and equality will rule the human race organised on a village commune basis (panchayatK His myopic philosophy is unable to come to terms with the historic emergence of capitalism. The Marxists saw in Gandhism a strange blend of primitive communism (village communc), feudal socialism (harking back to a past organically unified society much idealized) and Utopian socialism (mere persuasion is enough — persuasion of the rich being fundamental). The Indian left at tlie time, as E. M. S. Namboodiripad, points out, misimderstood Gandhi because they only emphasised the reactionary elements (which were certainly there) and failed to recognise the ability to mobilize some sections of the non urban intelligentsia, on the basis of their ideas. The film ignores Gandhi's role in the struggle between the left and right within the congi-ess. In the late 1930's when the left wing in the congress got Subhas Chandra Hose elected for the second term as president of congress against Gandhi's wish, he set about a movement of non-co-operation against Bose and successfully hounded him out of Congress. He was not only a shrewd but a ruthless political operator against the left. His chief weapon was to make it a question of confidence on any issue thus threatening a split in the movement, which the left considered beneficial only to the British. Overall the film is for beginners. The more infbnned should take it with a pinch of salt. GAURANG NAIK I am immensely grateful to Bren-den O'Leary for helpful comments. Tarikakan looks to the future in Guneys "Yd". YOL VILMAZ Guney's long awaited film Yol opened last week at the Lumiere. Ostensibly a film tracing the homeward paths of five paroled prisoners from the island prison of Imrali, Yol interpreted a broader sense is a film about the tragedy of Turkey. This tragedy is not primarily one of the politics of dictator.shlp, for that is but a symptom of a deeper nxilaise. This is that Turkey is a counti-y caught between Europe and the twentieth century on the one hand and traditionalism and Iran on the other-Or more specifically In the East. Thus as the five prisoners journey east iind arrive, they are faced with the real life from ¦which prison—in the west—has sus- pended them. And it is a brutal reality to which they come home — one of vengeance and feuds and oppression, both politically, (for example in Kurdistan), and socially —especially of women. Yol however is a sensitive film for all it portrays. Exiled Guney has caught his country perfectly. He shows Turkey as it really is, a land not only of brutality and tradition. but life and colour, love and beauty loo. Above all it clears us of the burden ol such lying and tear-jerking trash as Midnight Express.' Yol, although Guney's film, was made b\' proxy by Serif Goren who diie:UeQ it while Guney was in prison. At the Cannes film festival it shared the Grand Piix with Costa-Gavras' film Missing. It is currently showing at the Lumiere Cinerr.p. in St Martins Lane. T(M JUDAH MURILLO I IN contrast to last year's splen- ¦ did exhibition at the' Royal Academy of seventeenth cen- | tury Neopolitan art. the Murillo comes as a disappointment. Spain and Naples were, of crrai-se. closely linked in the a<;e ; o'f the Counter Reformation, 1 but evidently their artistic interpretations of what was ¦ needed for the Church Triumphant were rather dill'erent. Con-t!Msting with the vitality of the Neapolitan painters—Murillo in any ca>-e—settled for rather , (Continued on Page 7) 1 STEPHEN BerkofT's highly ac-! claimed play 'Decadence", im-i men.sely successful last year, i has turned to the arts theatre for a limited season. I The play, written, directed j and starring Stephen BerkofT, continues his assault on the English Ruling Classes—recognisable 'by virtue of strangulated vowel tones rather than by any real achievement.' The play also deals with the inability of those niled by these gout-ridden 'Hurray Henrys' to dispose of them; depress-ingly enough an unfounded inability according to Mr Berk-ofr. The play does not forward a coherent political plan for the interpretation of social equality, but is rather an expose of tho-:e reasons which, ridiculous as they are, allow social inequality to continue. It is also a piece of vibrant and amusing theatre. Rarely does an actor manipulate, stimulate and amuse an audience continually for ninety minutes. Mr Berkofl' does, es- Muddy river FROM Japan comes a seixsitive vignette of life in the fifties. Kohei Oguri's film Muddy River traces the friendship of two young boys who meet because Kiichi's mother's houseboat has moored opposite Nobuo's parents" restaurant. Marvellously filmed this rather loose'story chronicles the companionship of the two !x)ys and the unwelcome intmsions on their lives of their parents' respective problems. Nobuo's father exuties depression and guilt, feelings related to the v.-ar and his (irst wife, and Kiichi"s CLAY THE premier production of Peter Whelan's 'Clay' is now showing in the Pit at the Barbican. In a remote Derbyshire hill-cottage the lives of potter Bert, his wife Micky, their teenage son Jimmy and their senile grandmother are interrupted by the unexpected arrival of two old friends; Win and her husband Pat. Initially a mere domestic comedy unfolds as old friends act with reserve re-establishing relationships. As inhibitions diminish so does the level of the humotir: the conversation varies from 'Deep truths concerning the urinals on cross-channel ferries' to the family controversies caused by the accidental posting of an envelope of used contraceptives to the mother-in-law. Nonetheless the serious issues emerge; Win expresses the need for serious activity; apart from her pecially in the decadent spoof sex scenes. Not once does he leave the stage, and not once do the eyes of those watching him leave him. Linda Marlowe, competent in her roles is over-¦ shadowed completely by what one can only describe as the charisma of. a brilliant actor. The stage ?et is simple, as are the costumes, lighting, and the message — but all are effective. The play-^o relevant to English society today and especially to tho.se who feel sinjore criticism of ingrained Engli.^h fenobbery, prejudice and bigotry —is not as transient as its references to 'Maggie' and unemployment would suggest. Watching it. one has the impression that giving enjoyment is what Stephen BerkoflF is concerned with. His wit, sense of timing, ability to mime .ind power of delivery make the enjoyment that he gives one of a lasting nature. 'Decadence' is cuiTcntly showing at the Arts Theatre. Great Newport S tr e e t. Leicester Square Tube. PENNY MARSHALL mother when she reali.-^^es that Nobuo knows she is a prostitute weighs anchor an«t leaves. Thus the friendship is broken. All part of gi'owing up I suppo.^e . . . but though inter?: ting- in parts it makes for rather a dull movie. Nevertheless if a delicate and unpretentious film is what you are looking for this may well be for you. Muddy River is currently showing in a double bill with Erice's 'Spirit of the Beehive" at the Paris Pullman in Drayton Gardens. TfM JUDAH family duties she leels that her life has been quite meaningless and empty and with the prospect of divorce she stands to lose even lier family. Micky and Bert design pottery—a creative and absorbing activity which seems to satisfy this need. It is suggested that perhaps her underlying insecurity—the rteed for a more satisfying life—could be resolved by a four-sided marriage; the two couples living together as one family as they did while they were students sharing digs. Clay raises a number of interesting ideas, featuring a group of very ordinaiy people who are pcnhaps taking life a little too seriou.sly. Nonetheless, I agree with Win's complaint that domestic serfdom softens the brain"; this is made self-evident in the ' Coronation Street nature of the conversation. CHRIS PORTER PAGE HAIN-the Liberal who left WHILE a student at Queen Mary College, Peter Hain made a meteoric rise to fame as the Chairman of the Stop the Seventy Tour Campaign, and as the radical chairman of the Young Liberals. In 1977 he resigned from the Liberal Party and joined the Labour Party. Hain explains his resignation by refeiTing to his original reasons for joining the Liberal Party. "I joined in the late Sixties at the height of the opposition .to the Vietnam War and the Wilson Labour Gcf^rnment. Many people looked for political alternatives outside the Labour Party, and the Young Liberals was one of these. A lot of young socialists came over from the Labour Party and I got caught up in all that." But "as the 1970s wore on and economic recession closed in, it seemed to me more and more naive to imagine that you could build a radical socialist alternative through the Young Libei'als. I became increasingly disillusioned, so in. 1977 I joined the Labour Party. Kain now holds a leading position on the Labour Left and "reconciles his early career quite easily, Remember, I was a Young Liberal Chairman, but I was always very critical of Liberal Party policy." '"What we were trying to do was to build a socialist alternative, which we saw as more radical than the Labour Party. In retrospect I think that was naive in the extreme." "I did not need to expound Liberal policy and indeed did not do so, I was in constant conflict with the establishment of the party." Although he was asked twice to stand as Liberal parliamentary candidate, he chose to turn the offer down. » "I did not believe in the policies, nor was I ever that interested in getting into Parliament. I was more interested in and felt»more at home in direct-action campaigning." In February 1981 he was adopted as Parliamentary Labour candidate for Putney. "It seemed something worth doing, provided that it was done on my terms, which were that I would remain committed to my radical position." "I have never been into the idea of charging around the country to find a seat. It distorts your whole view of politics and becomes an obsession; While it gives far too much credence to parliamentary politics as opposed to extra-parliamentary politics." "I do believe very strongly that socialists should not just posture about issues at a totally abstract level, which far too many on the left do, but that they should actually engage in local community politics." Hain has been a consistent critic of the Left's political strategy.. "They forget that you cannot take Labour's base for granted." "What is important is that as a socialist representative you are seen to be concerned as much with damp in somebody's council house as you are with talking about some erudite question of class conflict." "If the Left do not do this, they could conceivably capture the internal structure of the party but be marooned from its base outside." "I think that suoaort for socialism at a mass level has been declining, partly because we have not worked enough in an extra-parliamentary sense. Yet people who reject parliamentary politics altogether are misunderstanding what British politics is all about." "The irony is that the Right believe that by purging Militant you can gain electoral credibility, while Party supportei's see the pei-petration of a dogfight. I don't actually think that Labour supporters care at all about Militant. This attack has increased Militant's importance. Prior to the attack they were a withering force, and deservedly so. I think their politics are positively medieval." On the Foot leadership he was slightly more candid; "I think it is the best leadership we can expect at this time. But I would like to see a more radical leadership, more in tune with the need t» turn the Labour Party outwards and to work with new political constituencies Jike the Women's Movement, that can supplement Labour's traditional class appeal." Hain supports the policy of positive discrimination in the party, as in the women's caucuses "as long as it doesn't become tokenism. There is also a danger that women in the party will fall into the? trap that the Left has fallen into, of believing that all you need to do is manoeuvre within the party structure, and that means a socialist advance." Hain's prediction is an autumn election. "We have a good chance of being the biggest party, but [ think a hung Parliament is likely. But it would be suicidal to go into a pact with the Alliance. The cost would be huge in terms of policy dilution. The Alliancie mu.=;t not be given any credibility at all." It is unlikely that a Labbur Government would sever diplomatic and economic rielations with South Africa. I asked Hain how he reconciled his position with such a policy. ' "It is a question of being a serious long-term socialist and fighting with a long-tenn perspective. Things could be done in the meantime, though. Trading missions could be stopped and anti-apartheid activists placed in the British Embassy in South Africa. Peter Hain is a keep exponent of the decentralist approach to socialism. "Socialism has been wrongly tarnished by centralism. You need a socialist nomic programme to break up that concentratec ' power and spread it back down and encourage neigh'oourhood participation. Socialism should not be about statism." MURILLO (Continued from Page 6) THE STATE OF THINGS limp heaven gazing Immaculate Conceptions and fat little ui'chins. Whereas this t>'pe of 'chocolate box' interpretation was popular at the time, and likewise in Britain a century ago. taste;i changed and Murillo was found lacking in comparison with his contemporaries; Goya and El Greco for . example. This joint Royal Academy,'Prado exhibition in an attemot to rehabilitate him. however, by concentrating solely on this one artist the non - connoisseur cum non-specialist while filling in a gap in his knowledge of art history may well come to the conclusions that, firstly, it is not yet time to rehabilitate Murillo and. secondly, that the exhibition would have been rather less monotonous than it is if some of his justly more famous contemporaries had been represented as well. TIM JUDAH THIS highly - acclaimed film which opened at the Camden Plaza last week has quite justifiably already received the International Critics prize at the 1982 Venice Film Festival and was winner of the Golden Lion. Best Picture Award. The film is about the making of a film whose producer, Goi*-don (Allen Gorwitz) leaves the shooting in Portugal in search of further finance in Los Angeles. However, he does not return in time to provide money for more film stock and forces ihe dir'^ctor Frederick (Patrick BaUchau) to follow him to LA. Frederick finds Gordon livuig one of the worst lives possible; driving around smog-ridden LA in a mobile home, eating 'plastic food' and being pursued by killers who want payment for loans they made to him. 'The State of Things' is made even more interesting by the actions of the director, Wim Wenders who, like Frederick, suffered production' difficulties, and was unable to finish his film 'Hammet' for the American producer Francis Ford Coppola. The film critics have seen 'The State of Things' as an attack on the financial affluence and creative squalor of American filmmaking, and its lack of interest in European cinema such as Hammet. and subsequently have dubbed 'The State of Things' — ¦Wenders Revenge'. When I asked the dii-ector whether the production difficulties arose through lack of stock, he smiled and said. "No, in Hollywood you don't run out of stock, you just run out of ideas." Set Tii*r Tmn6 on iv. 7ne cTHtie ww.w JOHN? SHchJa icK Aii fUtie Arvk tijiiiM S/fifii/ns AnD Wfae wue e