We’ve mentioned that one of our readers specializes in tracking down obscure press clippings for us, and over the years he’s really done a good job of it.
This week, he let us know that he had gotten access to a publication he hadn’t seen before, and sent us over some pretty interesting clips. It’s a London newspaper that was covering Scientology in the late 1960s when it was especially controversial in England.
If you remember, Parliament was alarmed by the large number of Scientologists that were coming from overseas to study at Saint Hill, and there were even bans put in place, which Chris Owen has researched for us in the past.
We’ve selected a few clips from that period that we thought you’d find interesting. The first two stories refer to the famous Granada World in Action documentary about “The Shrinking World of L. Ron Hubbard” “A Faith for Sale” in 1967. What we weren’t aware of until we read these clips, however, is that Scientology was able to delay the airing of that special with a legal injunction. Fascinating!
July 11, 1967: Injunction halts airing of Granada program
The controversial cult of Scientology, which was debated in Parliament earlier this year, is now the subject of a legal battle with a television company. Last night Granada’s World in Action was due to transmit a programme on the cult. “But because of legal difficulties we have had to postpone our plans,” said Mr. David Plowright, producer of World in Action.
Today a spokesman for the Hubbard College of Scientology, which has its headquarters in an 18th-century manor at East Grinstead, Sussex, confirmed that they had applied for an injunction to prevent the showing of the programme.
“The injunction was granted yesterday,” said Mr. Reginald Sharpe, the organisation’s PRO. “I cannot comment on why we applied for it and I don’t yet know when the case will be heard.”
World in Action’s examination of Scientology is understood to include interviews with past and present members of the cult, and a profile of its founder and head, Mr. Lafayette Ron Hubbard, a 55-year-old American from Nebraska.
Among other things, attention, apparently, was given to those people who had opted out after taking a course in Scientology. Mr. Sharpe confirmed that World in Action had sent a team to their headquarters while making the programme. “After we saw the completed film we applied for an injunction,” he said.
Aug 15, 1967: Reaction to the Granada show
I understand that while Granada’s World in Action programme last night on the cult of Scientology revealed a good deal of information about the organisation’s somewhat mysterious nature, certain aspects of their behaviour were not dealt with.
One of these was the Scientologists practice of issuing what are known as Ethics Orders. These were described to me by Mr. Reg Sharp, who is at present in charge of the Scientology Headquarters at Saint Hill Manor, near East Grinstead, as “something we use within the organisation to keep people on the straight and narrow.”
When I asked Mr. Sharp what the orders consisted of, he replied, quite simply, “Directions.”
The cult also has a practice of labelling certain individuals as “suppressive.” Mr. Sharp said this word “just means that they are anti.”
There had been some suggestion that three of the Granada team who were involved in the making of last night’s programme had been made the subject of orders calling them suppressives, but when I asked Mr. Sharp if this were true, he said: “No, I don’t think so…it’s most unlikely…in fact, I can deny it.”
The cult of Scientology is the brainchild of an American millionaire by the name of Lafayette Ron Hubbard. It was criticised earlier this year by the Minister of Health, Mr. Kenneth Robinson, but up to now he has refused all requests for a public inquiry into its activities.
“We feel that some form of inquiry is necessary,” said Mr. David Plowright, the producer of last night’s programme. “That is why we made this film.”
Mr. Hubbard himself has not been seen in this country since January this year, and Mr. Plowright told me he thought it was unlikely that he would return.
Jul 30, 1968: Scientology jargon
Scientology, now the cause of growing concern, has a language all of its own. So much so that the organisation produces a special Scientology Dictionary.
In an introduction to it, Mr. Lafayette Ron Hubbard, founder of the movement, says: “If I were to describe the parts of the body as ‘thingamabobs’ and ‘whatsernames,’ we would all be in a confusion, so the accurate naming of something is very important in any field.”
And he adds: “The only reason a person gives up a study or becomes confused or unable to learn is because he or she has gone past a word that was not understood.”
All of which seems a little odd when you take a look at the dictionary itself. For it includes the following:
A=A=A: Anything equals anything equals anything.
BANKY: A term which means that a person is being influenced by his bank and displays bad temper, irritability, lack of co-operation and the signs of dramatisation. He is being irrational.
COFFEE SHOP AUDITING: An activity casually done in odd moments by someone who is trying to show somebody else that he knows something about Scientology by running a process on him that will cause an effect upon him which he doesn’t intend to flatten. This is not an ethical practice, as it is a misuse of Scientology.
DUB-IN: Any unknowingly created mental facsimile that appears to have been a record of the physical universe, but which is, in fact, only an altered copy of the time track.
8C: A slang term meaning good and effective control of an individual or group.
GRIEF CHARGE: An outburst of tears, that may continue for a considerable time, in a session, after which the preclear feels greatly relieved. This is occasioned by the discharge of grief or painful emotion from a secondary.
HAT: Slang for the title and work of a post in a Scientology Organisation; taken from the fact that in many professions, such as railroading, the type of hat worn is the badge of the job.
ITSA: A coined word, taken from the phrase, “It is a…” meaning a statement which positively identifies something.
R6EW: Routine 6 End Words: The process used in solo-auditing to release oneself from lock end words and thus become a Grade VI — Whole Track — Release.
And there are scores more.
Aug 16, 1968: ‘Home Office net tightens on Scientologists’
As Immigration Officers on Home Office orders at Heathrow Airport tightened up their checks on Scientologists bound for the International Scientology Conference at Croydon tomorrow, an American was refused entry to Britain today.
“He was refused on the grounds that he was coming to study Scientology,” a Home Office spokesman said.
Mr. David Gaiman, spokesman for the movement, forecast that most of the non-British members would “probably arrive today.”
The majority of the 800 who booked in advance for the conference, are expected from America and South Africa, with some from Europe.
Airline officials at the airport said today that there had been no sign of any “bulk movement” of Scientologists, and although Immigration Officers think that some have got into Britain as holidaymakers they believe that most of the delegates have decided to stay away.
From the Scientology headquarters in East Grinstead, Mr. Gaiman said he expected “something between 1700 and 2000 people” would attend the conference at the Fairfield Concert Hall.
“I think many of the advance bookings will arrive today,” he said. “It will be awfully difficult for the Immigration Officers to decide who the Scientologists are. They’re not coming in disguised as tourists or anything. Scientologists look very much like other people, you know.”
Mr. Gaiman would not comment on suggestions that Mr. Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, might already be back in Britain. The Home Office has said Mr. Hubbard would not be allowed to land in the country.
“What I want to know is, hypothetically, if Hubbard is in the country, would he be allowed to stay, at least until Monday, when the conference ends,” Mr. Gaiman said.
A Home Office spokesman later confirmed that Mr. Hubbard would be refused entry if he tried to enter, but could not say what action would be taken if it were found he were already here.
The Scientologists have now thrown the doors of their conference open to the public. Entry will cost 10s. a day.
Aug 17, 1968: ‘My days in cell – by girl cult member’
An 18-year-old New Zealander claimed at the opening of the Scientology World Congress today she had been held in Holloway for nine days after arriving in Britain.
Sandy Stevens, of Hayden Avenue, Epsom, Auckland, said she had spent four days in solitary confinement and the others in a cell with six girls, two of whom were accused of attempted murder.
She said she arrived at Heathrow Airport with fellow Scientologists Bruce Gibson on June 22 — before the Health Minister’s statement on Scientology.
But, she told the congress at Croydon, she was refused admission and was taken to Holloway Prison. Her friend Bruce was taken to Brixton.
A Home Office spokesman today, however, denied that Miss Stevens was refused admission to Britain because she was a Scientologist.
“She was refused admission because she had no employment voucher,” he said.
He confirmed that she “and ‘another chap'” arrived on June 22. “The man was put in Brixton Prison and the woman in Holloway — which is quite normal while people are under refusal of admission,” he said.
“Representations were made, and subsequently they were admitted for six months on condition they did not take employment.”
The conference, which is taking place in Croydon’s Fairfield Concert Hall, is expected to draw about 2000 members of its three days. Hundreds attended today from all over the world and members of the public were being admitted for 10s. a day.
There is speculation that Ron Hubbard, the movement’s founder, would be a surprise visitor to the conference, but the movement’s official spokesman, Mr. David Gaiman, said: “He is not in the country, to my knowledge.
“I honestly don’t know where he is. We’re hoping he will send us a telegram wishing us good luck.”
Mr. Gaiman was unable to say how many delegates to the conference had arrived in Britain since the Home Office ban on Scientologists. Some might have come in the last couple of days, but telegrams had been sent to foreign members advising them not to come because of the ban.
Outside the concert hall, Scientologists were gathered to talk about the day’s events. Some carried gaily coloured balloons displaying the words Scientology London — and looked over the wide selection of literature displayed on the tables where they signed in.
Aug 19, 1968: ‘Cult challenges minister — produce evidence’
Mr. David Gaiman, a spokesman for the Scientology movement, today called on Mr. Kenneth Robinson, the Minister of Health, to produce evidence of allegations he made in the Commons about the cult.
“Mr. Robinson should put up or shut up, and withdraw the ban,” he said.
Mr. Gaiman, who was speaking on the third day of the Scientology convention at Croydon added:
“Until Mr. Robinson made his statement I had the naïve consideration that I was living in a free country. this misconception has been amply corrected.
“I find that, with apparent Ministerial blessing, there is educational discrimination against adults and very young children; discrimination in the social services, and medical treatment, and commercial discrimination in the insurance companies’ refusal to insure the movement or its members.
“And this with the blessing of the Minister, who has gathered a large body of evidence against us to show that I and thousands of decent British people are social menaces.
“I am a little bored with this Ministerial charge. Mr. Robinson has discredited himself and the Government he represents. Let him now produce the evidence.”
Delegates heard their founder, Mr. Ron Hubbard, say in a tape-recorded message: “We are the largest mental health organisation in the world and probably the last free people on earth.
“We have offices in all parts of the world, and own a tremendous amount of property. But considerable wealth is not important. The movement is going from strength to strength, and in South Africa alone we are recruiting 32 people a day.”
[Also in August, 1968: The BBC interviewed David Gaiman’s 7-year-old Scientologist son, Neil Gaiman.]
Feb 28, 1969: Invitations to MPs
The Scientologists in this country are nothing if not persistent in their efforts to canvass support from their detractors. A circularised invitation was received by every MP this morning bidding them to tea at St. Stephen’s restaurant, opposite the House of Commons, on Monday afternoon. The inducement? A talk by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, is promised on the invitation card.
“The talk will last about an hour and I think will be interesting to Members of Parliament. It will outline our plans for 1969, what we achieved last year and where we stand vis-à-vis the Government,” said Mr. David Gaiman, Press officer for the movement.
He has made provision for about 150 MPs coming to the party. Certain Members of Parliament, however, should be extremely interested, since a ban imposed on Hubbard’s entry into England last July still stands.
“There is still a ban on his entry but if he wishes to apply to give evidence to the Government enquiry on Scientology, his application will be considered,” is the official Home Office view.
Does this mean Mr. Hubbard has crept into the country illegally and that he is braving arrest so as to put his case before the MPs?
Not so. Mr. Hubbard is still tucked away in Corfu and will not be there on Monday. The talk is merely taped and will be played back.
“But he will be there in spirit,” observed Mr. Gaiman with reverence.
Mar 18, 1969: ‘Scientology chief asked to leave’
The founder of Scientology, Mr. Lafayette Ron Hubbard, and a group of Scientologists aboard a ship berthed off Corfu have been declared persona non grata and asked to leave, an official announcement said today.
The announcement, by the Prefect of the island, gave the Scientologists until tonight to leave in their ship, the Apollo, which has been berthed off the island for the past seven months.
About 200 Scientologists, mostly United States citizens, but also including some Britons, Australians and New Zealanders, have been living aboard the 4000-ton black-painted ship.
They have been spending the equivalent of some 1000 a day, and there have been unconfirmed reports that Mr. Hubbard wants to buy property on the island.
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Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history
Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea
Overheard in the Freezone: Indie Hubbardism, one thought at a time
Past is Prologue: From this week in history at alt.religion.scientology
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What an excellent bunch of articles. I do wonder if the dictionary was the "tech dictionary" which includes gems about "marcab confederacy" and other very well defined strictly religious and/or scientific terms. /s
I doff my hat to Minister Kenneth Robinson and the Grenada team for their perseverance. The Clampire needed a kick in the teeth and I love how Lroon was 'attending' via a tape recorder. Nothing facilitates communication like listening to tape recorder. 'This tape will self destruct in 2 minutes'....Unlike $cientology which never seems to self destruct. It just destructs its members....