If I learnt any thing by being part of "the elite core of Scientologys' Sea Org", it has to be What not to do in life.
If I had lived my life on the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, by now I would be a spy inside the government of a country, or a smuggler of money or even, a nasty, vicious bully. If children are to learn by example, then it is fortunate that I did not want to stay in the "ecclesiastical" part of Scientology, or any other part for that matter.
Growing up in Scientology is basically growing up with complete ignorance of the world we live in.
The Life boat drill.
We had to do a life boat drill in case of emergency, the life boats had to be lowered down into the sea. Its a good job it was only a drill as one lifeboat wouldn't move.Some crew members were getting hot and bothered trying to lower the boat over the side.There was some kind of winch system that lowered the boat, it did not work Never dawned on me at the time,but on reflection,scary stuff,in an emergency at sea and the lifeboat can't be lowered.
One boat was finally lowered and we had to climb down a rope ladder into the boat. Many crew including children had gone down,with my fear of heights and it being about 30/40ft down, I panicked.In fact I got quite hysterical,so Molly( not her real name)was very patient and kind trying to coax me down the swinging rope ladder.All the while Molly was looking around worried and explaining' I had to calm down or could get into trouble'. Finally I sobbed my way down the ladder,to a big applause from the rest of the crew.Thankfully I never had to repeat the exercise.
The parade and uniform saga.Renaming the flotilla.
In Corfu we were having the official renaming of the ships.The messengers were measured up for uniforms.We were to have a big parade on the dock,with Greek dignitaries coming.We all had to look smart.Our uniforms came,but my skirt was missing.Molly kindly lent me one of hers.It was very long and she said i could sew the hem up,but i was not to cut the bottom off.I had never sewn before and after a couple of attempts and having this thick tuft of material at the bottom of the skirt,I unpicked my sewing and cut the bottom of the skirt off. Unfortunately I cut off too much.Stupid really but I didn't think Molly would notice,she kinda told me off, but was smiling.I did feel really bad though.On the day of the parade,I spent the whole time trying to pull my skirt down,it was a micro mini.So much for looking smart.
In the lead up to the big day of the renaming ceremony, we had to practise drilling on the dock.Hubbard wanted it perfect, so on a few occasions we had to all line up in sections of rank. On other occasions in my job as messenger I was toing and frowing between Hubbard and crew to check all preparations were being made.I don't recall exactly but some crew were making some sort of wooden contraption that had to be finished on time, this involved a lot of running backwards and forwards between the crew and LRH.
Again, I can't remember whether it was a rehearsal or the real thing, to me it wasn't of much consequence. Mary Sue Hubbard had to christen the Apollo with a bottle of champagne, but every time MSH threw the champagne it failed to hit the ship.In the end another male Officer stepped in to help, with a bemused look on his face. The one thing I do remember is MSH seemed embarrassed and it occurred to me she was human after all, something I had failed to see before.
The upper decks were gleaming, a big buffet had been prepared. Pomp and ceremony were lavishly employed for the renaming of the 'Royal Scotman' to Apollo,we stood on parade awaiting the arrival of the Greek dignitaries. The Greek national anthem was played, salutes given by the loyal officers as the dignitaries were taken aboard "the sanest place on earth" the renamed good ship 'Apollo'.Whilst seated on the deck,a speech given by LRH, lavishly praising the Greek government and the inhabitants of Corfu, this was one of the biggest shows on earth to gain approval for Scientology to set up home in Corfu.
And meanwhile, the crew lived in squalor and the overboardings continued.
Apart from Tunisia, Corfu and Denmark, I remember very little of any where else we were,one day blended pretty much into another, except for major incidents that left me wondering what the hell was going on.
One time Janis and I were walking across the deck, quite a lot of people were about on deck, a few officers were together arguing , as we got nearer, I could see a little girl, about 4/5 years of age, just her shoulders and head sticking out of a hole in the deck. A metal grill was to one side and this little girl was filthy, her face red with crying so much and covered in snot. At first I thought she must have fallen in, but what was weird was no body was getting her out. The surrounding officers were arguing about what to do. We even asked what the matter was and were told to move along, which we did, I can't speak for Janis, but when high ranking officers told you to move, you did.
Another time, three men were in a lower condition, they were locked in what appeared to be old cattle stalls or some such thing. There were mettle grills up to the ceiling, so you could see inside. I'd never been in this area before, .It was a bit like a prison, I was told they were in there because they had been found in the possession of drugs. I was extremely confused, especially as I knew one of the men quite well and really liked him. He could see I was very confused and afraid, and told me it was alright, he knew I was not allowed to speak with him and not to worry it was ok.He told me everything would be alright.I never saw him again.I'm certain this man was Bill Dietch, unless of course he had an identical twin. The problem was, everything was not alright.
Sometime after the the renaming of the Apollo, we had a russian submarine dock right next to us.Janis, Claire and myself went on board to have a look round.Molly had told us to be on our best behaviour as we were representing the "Apollo".We were quite excited at the prospect and donned our full Sea Org uniforms.I don't know what I expected but it was pretty boring, we were only allowed to see a small part of the interior, our guide, a russian officer was so deadpan the whole time, there was little,if any conversation as he did not know any English.We girls kept giggling as it was a wasted exercise in PR.
Quite often my duties consisted of sitting outside LRHs office waiting for a message to relay or to go and get someone. When LRH was busy recording or writing, long periods were spent just sitting there in the semi gloom.It was a hell of a job to stay awake. On a rare occasion someone would come along, but most often my orders were no one was to disturb him. I couldn't actually hear what he was saying when he was recording, it was just a mumble with the occasional loud word. Marysue often came out of her office which was situated to the left of LRHs, more often than not she would just listen and then go back into her office without saying a word.Sometimes she would ask me what he was doing and sometimes she went in to talk with him.She always seemed so cold towards me and I often wondered what I had done to upset her,
Both LRH and MSH offices were off a small room, like a large hallway or reception area, this is where I would sit opposite LRHs office door.On more than one occasion Otto Roos came and insisted on seeing LRH.The first time this happened I remember really clearly. My orders were LRH was NOT to be disturbed under any circumstances. This very tall Officer appears towering over me and tells me it is very urgent that he speaks to LRH. I told him he couldn't, those were my orders.He asked me when he thought he would be able to and I said "I didn't know"."Okay" he said and went off. Two minutes later he reappeared and said it really was very important, again I told him "No". There I was this little girl of 11 years old, about 4ft 8" tall and I'm telling this really tall looming precense in full naval regalia "No".I was obviously not very convincing as Otto said he would take full responcibility, so I would not get into trouble, but he had to see LRH straight away, and proceeded to walk right past me and knock on LRHs door.I instantly thought we're both in for it now.Otto gave me a sort of half smile as he went in and I cringed waiting for LRH to start shouting, which he did.I couldn't hear everything that was said, but a very heated arguement ensued.
I didn't get into too much trouble but it was reiterated that when LRH said he did not want to be disturbed, he meant it.
Sometimes I would find myself sitting on the opposite side of the top deck, outside of the cabin areas.As far as I was aware auditing was taking place.I often used to think what was that all about?It struck me as a very strange thing to do.Ever since I'd first seen an e-meter at St. Hill, I had thought it really weird.Whether through things I had overheard adults talking about the e-meter or watching people on the e-meter or questions asked on the e-meter I was convinced that this machine knew everything you were thinking.It wasn't that I had anything to hide, it was just that I didn't want any machine knowing what was going on in my head, the very thought was so creepy.This brown wooden box (thats what they were back then)that had a dial with a needle in it that moved and a person was attached to a couple of cans was to me the weirdest thing I could imagine.So I would sit there for hours in the dark, just small lamps lit up on the decks wondering what on earth was going on in the cabin and I could never come up with an answer.
One night after I had been sitting there for hours on end, nodding off and jumping up alert, pacing the deck trying to keep awake, afraid I would be in trouble if I got caught sleeping on the job, finally LRH came out, in one of his better moods, he apologised, he had forgotten I was still there and sent me to bed.I was out like a light when I got to my bunk.
I never got caught nodding off, but I have no doubt in my mind that if I had I would have been in big trouble.
There were a couple of big events on board the Apollo, not sure exactly what we were celebrating, the decks were crowded with people. At one of these events LRH was up on a podium giving a speech, as usual he kept everyone waiting for what seemed like an eternity. There was raptuous applause when he finally made an appearance. I don't remember the exact speech but it was about Scientologys expansion and how we were winning. Global obliteration of psychiatry was also on the agenda and it was the word 'obliteration' that worried me the most. Another time, or it is possible it was the same time, there was a party going on, everyone seemed to be happy and having a good time, then something really weird happened, there was this woman on the deck, about 15/20ft away from where I was standing.She wasn't happy or smiling, in fact she looked befuddled, confused. She was filthy, barefoot and wearing a thin summer dress, her hair hung in streaks around her head, someone near by me whispered "this is disgusting". The revelry that had been going on died down, I just stood there staring, I did not know what to think. Before I knew it she was gone and everyone was told to get on with the party, which they did, but I'm pretty sure some people were shocked by what they had wittnessed.
Christmas came and went as a non entity, I can't remember whether New Year was celebrated or if that was the year before. Celebrations seemed to be non existant unless it was specifically for a Scientology event.
The day my Dad came and said he was going away on a mission, I was devastated. As it was I saw very little of him, but at least knowing he was about made a small difference to me.I stood there on the deck, tears streaming down my face as he promised he would be gone no longer than three weeks at most.I thought be a big girl, three weeks isn't very long.He couldn't even tell me where he was going, everything was top secret. Such was the world of L. Ron Hubbard.
A couple of weeks before he went away, we had gone out for the day, roaming the streets of Corfu. Dad took me to see Finians Rainbow, a truly magical film and for a short time at least put aside all my worries about the life we were living aboard the Apollo, On the way back to the dock, we munched on chips and chatted, I told him of some of my fears,mainly about the overboardings,it scared me, he made me promise to never talk about these fears to anyone else.I promised and told him I already knew to keep these things to myself. I didn't know it then, but apart from a few brief minutes on the decks of the Apollo when my Dad said he was going away, I would not see my Dad again for years.
In Scientology there are a list of 'conditions' assigned for either being upstat,at the top of the list or the lower conditions for mistakes made or bad behavior.These being:Liability, Doubt, Enemy or Treason, Non existance.
The Liability formula: a person has to do physical degrading work,followed by a writeup of the actions completed for each step of the formula.Then you have to ask permission to rejoin the group,by gaining signitures of said group.There are 'Yes' and 'No' columns.If the majority of the signitures are in the 'No' column the person has to redo the entire formula until the majority of the group have signed the 'Yes' column.
Janis and I had been out for the day, on Libs. We had had a great time, through the course of the day we had met up with some Greek boys we had a lot of fun talking to them as they knew no English and we knew no Greek.One of the boys we liked especially, he was called Casper. They walked us back to the entrance to the dockside. by then it was dark and we were about half an hour late, once on board we were seperated and handled by Ethics.It was thought we were a security risk "what had we divulged to the Greek boys," I kept thinking "this guy is nuts", considering how little of anything that I knew anyway.With the language barrier it would have been impossible to have divulged 'Secrets'. Apart from which, I was 11 years old and Janis was 12 years old. A major threat to security?
In the cargo hold it was dark,smelly and dirty.Being children and initially not realising what we were in for,we tried to make it fun at first.It was not fun,and we were reminded of the fact.We cleaned and scrubbed and chipped.I don't recall how long we were down there but I know it was at least one night,because we slept side by side,sitting up.We were not given any thing to sleep on , nor any blankets, we had just the clothes we stood up in. I'm sure it was longer, I know we were freezing,tired,hungry and filthy by the time we were allowed out.I know it must of been longer, because of the shape I was in, when I went up on deck eventually to get my signitures to rejoin the group, my eyes hurt badly, yet it was a dull, dank day.Whilst in the hold, the only ray of 'Sunshine', was at the top of the ladder.An officer, Hana Eltringham sitting at a desk,with a lovely smile.That smile kept me going.
Whatever bit of the hold we were kept in was where the ship goes in at the bottom, curved, there were iron girders coming off the sides, we had to stand on these to scrape and chip.We had one lamp to see by and that wasn't very bright. When I first came out of the hold and had to do the write up, I was waiting to see Hana to see what I had to do, she was talking to an officer i had never seen before. He was standing there in his full Sea Org uniform,and the look on his face when he saw me, was of total disgust. I know I was dirty, tired and smelly but it wasn't my fault, or was it?
Feeling so miserable and finding we then had a write up to do was auful and I didn't know what to write, it took ages.I kept getting it wrong, it took me several attemps, it wasn't until I realised I had to lie that I finally got it right. Make it go right, right! Even though I did not consider myself to be, I had to admit to being a security risk. This was hard, because if I didn't do it I would have been back in the hold, only this time by myself, I could not bare going down there again, especially alone. By far the hardest part was aquiring the signitures.It was so degrading and when someone wouldn't sign it,it was really hard.I was told "I wasn't worthy" by Alan Vos. As if it wasn't hard enough, this knocked me hard, so much so it was difficult to approach any one else.Yet I had to do it, to get out of Liability. I remember wandering around the deck, looking for anyone to sign my paper and unusually there were few people around, it was a dull day and I was so miserable,totally numb.
From that point on, I trusted no one on that ship and knew I had to get the hell off. I was at my lowest ebb and didn't want any part of scientology any more or any of the people in it. Where the hell was my Dad?
There are only two occasions I remember being in L. Ron Hubbards' cabin.
One was when he wouldn't wake up, he was ill, or so he said. His cabin was larger than any I had seen before, a medium sized bedroom.One thing that struck me was the fact that he had a single bunk, but it was single sized and he seemed too big for it. Both Janis and I were in there and it was decided that one of us had to go and get help. Janis went and I was left waiting in the cabin.While I waited, he was sleeping. Looking around the room, there was a couple of empty bottles of alcohol by the bed on a cabinet, across the room on the floor was a suitcase, open and contained more money in it than I had ever seen in my entire life. I don't remember who Janis camer back with but we were dismissed and told not to tell anyone about this incident.The lady in question had short darkish hair,
The other time was when I found myself on a day time shift, something I was not used to. I had to go to LRHs cabin and help him get ready for the day.He already had someone in attendance, Ken Urqhart, who was a sort of butler/valet. It was his job or hat to show me what I had to do. LRH had already had a wash of sorts at the small sink and was now sitting in a chair, where I was expected to wash his feet. I was uncomfortable about it as I had never done anything like this before. It was Ken who told me not to worry, I would get used to it.After washing and drying LRHs feet, who was sitting in the chair with just a pair of underpants on, I then had to dress him in a certain order. On this particular day he had a meeting of some sort and was wearing his full naval dress uniform. Ken showed and helped me to dress LRH on that day.In March of 69 Scientology and Hubbards flotilla were ordered out of Corfu by the Greek government.
I don't remember exactly when this happened but it did happen. The whole of the crew had to muster on the deck.My friend and fellow messenger had come and got me as I was below decks, She said something about Hubbard meteing out some strange punishment to a man, involving pushing a peanut round the deck with his nose. Being kids we were laughing and joking about this as we felt even LRH would not do something like this. We were wrong. When we emerged on the deck, the whole crew were assembled, being small we had to push our way through to the front of the line up.We were still laughing as it seemed so absurd.To my horror, as we got to the front, a man stood up off the deck and his face was covered in blood. I didn't want to look.After this debacle was over, LRH called me up to the front and started shouting at me, then I was ordered up to the crows nest as punishment for laughing.
I was not laughing at the man, I was laughing at the absurdity of it all.When I had seen it was true, I was horrified that LRH would subject anyone to such a degrading experience, and all the while we were told how we were the most ethical place on earth.Climbing the crows nest was terrifying. I was scared of heights and this was so high up,when I reached the top, there was just a tiny little platform, I thought I was going to pass out.Someone shouted up to sit down, so i did. because I was so small, this left me even more vulnerable as all that stood between me and certain death was a small foot rail.Someone shouted up again to keep my eyes on the horizon, which I did.I don't remember when I passed out, someone obviously had to come up and get me, I was frozen to the spot in fear.I remember waking up on the deck with people looking down at me.I silently prayed to an unknown God, Please somebody get me off of this ship.
I don't remember where we sailed to when we first left Corfu, but by May of 69 I was deeply depressed, scared of putting a foot wrong, worried about my Dad,and terribly concerned that these people far from being the good, most ethical people on the planet, were in fact crooks and committing grossly unethical behaviour.A boy I knew delivered the mail to me for LRH,(it was part of my job(hat in Scientology language) to sort through his mail and put it on LRHs desk.On this day he said(the boy) you had better read the paper, which was on the top of the pile. He said its about your family.He guarded the door while I quickly read it, as I would have been in grave trouble if I had been caught reading entheta about Scientology.
Reading this paper "The News of the World"dated Sunday May 4th 1969, it was titled "Bid to Muzzle us Fails"( I have enclosed a copy).It stated that my Father, Michael Stainforth was wanted as a wittness in a court case.It said that the Scientologists had said he was on a ship somewhere and could not be contacted at this time.I knew this to be a lie, it was now May and my Dad had not been on board since the beginning of January.Whats more I still had no idea where he was.
By now I was 12 years old, my birthday came and went unnoticed by anyone.I was in a constant state of confusion and deeply depressed, apart from my role as a Commadores Messenger, I tried hard to avoid people, I was terrified of doing something wrong and being punished again. Even the relationship I had with my best friend, Janis was awkward.I didn't trust anyone, only myself.Whats worse is I didn't really trust myself, not to mess up and be punished.Try as I might to avoid the MAA(Master at Arms) and the Ethics Officers wrath, apparently I wasn't pulling my weight. One day whilst delivering LRHs mail, I found amongst it, an Ethics chit requesting permission from LRH to have 'me' thrown overboard.In my depressed state I had obviously not done as good a job of hiding my emotions as I had thought.Showing emotion was regarded as "out ethics". I was terrified of being thrown over the side of the Apollo(as it was now named), I had stood and watched so many people go through this, I was frightened of water, I couldn't swim and I was scared of heights.It was a hell of a long way down into the ocean.By now I knew I had just a few days to go before I was leaving the Apollo to go and join my Dad wherever he was based. I took the Ethics chit, ripped into tiny pieces and flushed it down the toilet. I was by this time so afraid it wouldn't flush away. After several attemps it was all gone.
I spent the next few days terrified of being found out.The punishment would have been extremely harsh. I have no doubt that I would have been over boarded and then either put in the hold, or even worse the chain locker.
Somewhere between reading the News of the World and the Ethics chit, I was on deck with Mary Sue Hubbard and another female officer.They were having a conversation about someone who was causing Scientology a lot of trouble. MSH was angry and said that "by any means necessary this person had to be shut up", I didn't know who she was talking about and was worried it was to do with my Father and or my Grandmother, because of what I had read in the paper.
I spent the last few days on board the Apollo trying very hard not to bump into the MAA. It was not easy, but I manged to right up until I was leaving. He was watching me across the deck,as I was walking towards the gang plank. It was all I could do to keep my nerve and get across the deck, down the gang plank and into the waiting taxi.It was such a relief to get off the Apollo, but I wasn't safe yet.I finally left the Apollo at the very end of May/early June 1969.
I didn't find out where I was going until we were in the taxi. We, I was accompanied by two men and two young children(whom I was expected to look after on our travels).We left Lisbon,Portugal and travelled by train and ferry to Sweden and then on to Denmark.At a large Swedish train station, we split up. One of the men(I do not remember their names) took the two young children and the other man accompnied me to Copenhagen.We went to a place just outside of Copenhagen, called Abellund. It was a large farm house set in the countryside.The minute I arrived I was whisked away for a drive by Commander Jill van Staden ( a South African who was second in command at Abellund, her title being Supercargo). She told me my Father was no longer there, he had been put in a condition of "Treason", and "you know what that means" she said.I did know what that meant, it meant that I could no longer ever have anything to do with my own Dad. I was devastated. It also meant that I was now still stuck in a foreign country, with no family, no way of contacting any one and I was still in the Sea Org, with these crazy Scientologists.I had gotten off the ship, but was no better off.
This is from the News of the World 4/5/1969.
Bid to Muzzle us Fails
An attempt by a section of the Scientologists to muzzle the News of the World has failed.Last week, more than three years after issuing a writ against us for alleged libel concerning its"Mind Cult," the Hubbard Association of Scientologists dropped the action.
They are to pay a considerable sum to cover the legal costs we incurred in preparing to defend the action.
The Scientologists (can't make out the next line,very old newspaper)their action was heard before Master Bickford Smith in chambers.He approved the application on condition:
1 --That no further action is brought by them on the same ground.
2--That they pay all costs.
Only the previous week the plaintiffs had gone to the Court of Appeal to say that a witness was unavailable and to ask for the libel case, which was then imminent, to be post- phoned.
The court granted a delay of not more than a week- and warned that further such applications by the Mind Cult would not be received sympathetically.
Robert Warren writes:
The dispute was over an article which appeared in the paper in January 1966.It was the first to mention the way in which Scientology, then a little known but rapidly growing fringe group, tended to break up family life.
Following that story and subsequent public outcry, the cult has now stopped the process of "disconnection"- the way in which followers were told to write to the friends and families saying they would have nothing more to do with them unless they took up Scientology.
I wrote the article after speaking to such a family.And a very distressing story it was.
Mrs. Anne Stainforth had received a letter from ------,her 18year old daughter who had become a Scientologist and gone to work as a clerk at St. Hill Manor, near East. Grinstead, Sussex.( I have omitted my Aunts name)
The letter said "This is to inform you that unless you get some training and processing I will disconnect from you as I feel that you are invalidative of me and Scientology."
"I am willing to help you in any way if you want, but until then i am not going to communicate with you or except any communications from you."
"I am doing this of my own free will and for my own betterment. Love ------"
Mrs. Stainforth was shocked. So was her elder daughter -------, who also received a similar letter.They did not feel that ------- was likely to write that sort of letter of her own free will. They suspected that she had been urged to write them by somebody at Saint Hill Manor. So they brought them to us.
I went to St. Hill Manor. And there I saw copies of similar letters pinned on an office notice board. The originals had been sent to relatives and friends of Scientologists all over the world.Since then I have discovered many cases of families split by "disconnection".
But the Scientologists and Lafayette Ron Hubbard, their rich American founder, refused to discuss it with me. So did ------ and her brother,-------- who had also become Scientologists.
Complaint
We headlined our story: "Lets hear from you Mr. Hubbard."
Indirectly, we did.
His solicitors wrote to complain about the article. They gave us seven days to apologise for what we had said and pay damages and costs.We refused.
Eight months later we received a writ from the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International. Within weeks we were ready to defend this action in the High Court. But it was to be three years before the case was withdrawn.
Twice we applied for the action to be struck off for want of prosecution. Each time the Hubbard Association said they intended to proceed.
Finally, it was intended to be heard last month. At the last moment the plaintiffs said they could not get hold of their witnesses and asked for an adjournment.
Mr. Justice Paull called their application ridiculous.
The Scientologists said their main witness,Michael Stainforth was in a ship and they did not know where it was.The Judge suggested they use wireless to find him and refused their application.
The Scientologists took their plea to the Court of Appeal, where three Lord Justices granted a deferment of up to a week and warned that "any further application will certainly ."not be received with any sympathy. They said the Scientologists had been "dragging their feet."
The next day the Hubbard Association's legal representatives contacted ours and said they wanted to withdraw the action.
This they did last week before a Master in chambers.
When ------ Stainforth wrote her letters, Scientology was little known in Britain. It had been the subject of a Government inquiry in Victoria, Australia and then banned in that state.
Their were vehement criticisms of the cult in the Australian report, a document which should be read by anyone attracted to Scientology. At the time the report was published, Hubbard was still calling himself "Doctor" and claiming to be a disillusioned nuclear physicist, an explorer, a botanist, an inventor-- and one one of those very rare people who have visited Venus.
Renounced
Since then he has left this country-he did so soon after our article appeared- and has been told by the Home Office not to return.
Hubbard has also been banned from Australia,Rhodesia and Greece.
He has renounced his title of "Doctor"--though no one knows where he got it from in the first place--and taken his movement to sea in a fleet of ships. The largest, Apollo was last reported heading for Northern Europe after being ordered out of Corfu by the Greek Government.
Hubbard's movement has been described in the House of Commons as "socially harmful." its methods "A serious danger to to the health of those who submit to them."
And Hubbard's response has been an almost hysterical attack on orthodox medicine and psychiatry. At the same time he issues statements saying he no longer has any control over the cult.Now Scientologys income in Britain has dropped.Much of it depended on foreign money, particularly from America.
Last summer the Home Office stopped people coming into the country to study Scientology and this weakened the British organisation.
But Lafayette Ron Hubbard is not beaten yet. He has an enormous International organisation.Every detail is regulated by written orders.The members are intensely loyal and discipline is strict.Defaulters are punished, sometimes severely. Their loyalty is rewarded.
Hubbard has come a long way from the days before he published his original hotch - potch of a thesis-- Dianetics, the Modern Science of Mental Health.I have traced his brain child back to its source--in Pasadena, California.
Those were the days, shortly after the war, when Hubbard, poor and just out from a psychiatric ward in a US Navy hospital, lived in a van in the garden of a house in Orange Grove Avenue.
There he wrote and re- wrote Dianetics. His previous writing had been Science fiction, but Dianetics was published as a serious work.
Attack
And in craze-prone America of the early 1950s, his theories became popular.It was on this unsteady base that he built his international Scientology empire.And its success, as Mr. Kenneth Robinson, the former Minister of Health, said in the Commons last year, was based on the policy of directing itself "deliberately towards the weak, the unbalanced, the immature, the rootless and mentally and emotionally unstable."
Another attack was made by Mr.Peter Horden, the conservative MP for Horsham,who said "The public has been hampered in its Knowledge of Scientology by the fact that as far as I can establish, on every occasion that the organisation has been named by a newspaper, the newspaper has been served with a writ for libel."
The News of the World agrees with these statements.
If I had lived my life on the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, by now I would be a spy inside the government of a country, or a smuggler of money or even, a nasty, vicious bully. If children are to learn by example, then it is fortunate that I did not want to stay in the "ecclesiastical" part of Scientology, or any other part for that matter.
Growing up in Scientology is basically growing up with complete ignorance of the world we live in.
The Life boat drill.
We had to do a life boat drill in case of emergency, the life boats had to be lowered down into the sea. Its a good job it was only a drill as one lifeboat wouldn't move.Some crew members were getting hot and bothered trying to lower the boat over the side.There was some kind of winch system that lowered the boat, it did not work Never dawned on me at the time,but on reflection,scary stuff,in an emergency at sea and the lifeboat can't be lowered.
One boat was finally lowered and we had to climb down a rope ladder into the boat. Many crew including children had gone down,with my fear of heights and it being about 30/40ft down, I panicked.In fact I got quite hysterical,so Molly( not her real name)was very patient and kind trying to coax me down the swinging rope ladder.All the while Molly was looking around worried and explaining' I had to calm down or could get into trouble'. Finally I sobbed my way down the ladder,to a big applause from the rest of the crew.Thankfully I never had to repeat the exercise.
The parade and uniform saga.Renaming the flotilla.
In Corfu we were having the official renaming of the ships.The messengers were measured up for uniforms.We were to have a big parade on the dock,with Greek dignitaries coming.We all had to look smart.Our uniforms came,but my skirt was missing.Molly kindly lent me one of hers.It was very long and she said i could sew the hem up,but i was not to cut the bottom off.I had never sewn before and after a couple of attempts and having this thick tuft of material at the bottom of the skirt,I unpicked my sewing and cut the bottom of the skirt off. Unfortunately I cut off too much.Stupid really but I didn't think Molly would notice,she kinda told me off, but was smiling.I did feel really bad though.On the day of the parade,I spent the whole time trying to pull my skirt down,it was a micro mini.So much for looking smart.
In the lead up to the big day of the renaming ceremony, we had to practise drilling on the dock.Hubbard wanted it perfect, so on a few occasions we had to all line up in sections of rank. On other occasions in my job as messenger I was toing and frowing between Hubbard and crew to check all preparations were being made.I don't recall exactly but some crew were making some sort of wooden contraption that had to be finished on time, this involved a lot of running backwards and forwards between the crew and LRH.
Again, I can't remember whether it was a rehearsal or the real thing, to me it wasn't of much consequence. Mary Sue Hubbard had to christen the Apollo with a bottle of champagne, but every time MSH threw the champagne it failed to hit the ship.In the end another male Officer stepped in to help, with a bemused look on his face. The one thing I do remember is MSH seemed embarrassed and it occurred to me she was human after all, something I had failed to see before.
The upper decks were gleaming, a big buffet had been prepared. Pomp and ceremony were lavishly employed for the renaming of the 'Royal Scotman' to Apollo,we stood on parade awaiting the arrival of the Greek dignitaries. The Greek national anthem was played, salutes given by the loyal officers as the dignitaries were taken aboard "the sanest place on earth" the renamed good ship 'Apollo'.Whilst seated on the deck,a speech given by LRH, lavishly praising the Greek government and the inhabitants of Corfu, this was one of the biggest shows on earth to gain approval for Scientology to set up home in Corfu.
And meanwhile, the crew lived in squalor and the overboardings continued.
Apart from Tunisia, Corfu and Denmark, I remember very little of any where else we were,one day blended pretty much into another, except for major incidents that left me wondering what the hell was going on.
One time Janis and I were walking across the deck, quite a lot of people were about on deck, a few officers were together arguing , as we got nearer, I could see a little girl, about 4/5 years of age, just her shoulders and head sticking out of a hole in the deck. A metal grill was to one side and this little girl was filthy, her face red with crying so much and covered in snot. At first I thought she must have fallen in, but what was weird was no body was getting her out. The surrounding officers were arguing about what to do. We even asked what the matter was and were told to move along, which we did, I can't speak for Janis, but when high ranking officers told you to move, you did.
Another time, three men were in a lower condition, they were locked in what appeared to be old cattle stalls or some such thing. There were mettle grills up to the ceiling, so you could see inside. I'd never been in this area before, .It was a bit like a prison, I was told they were in there because they had been found in the possession of drugs. I was extremely confused, especially as I knew one of the men quite well and really liked him. He could see I was very confused and afraid, and told me it was alright, he knew I was not allowed to speak with him and not to worry it was ok.He told me everything would be alright.I never saw him again.I'm certain this man was Bill Dietch, unless of course he had an identical twin. The problem was, everything was not alright.
Sometime after the the renaming of the Apollo, we had a russian submarine dock right next to us.Janis, Claire and myself went on board to have a look round.Molly had told us to be on our best behaviour as we were representing the "Apollo".We were quite excited at the prospect and donned our full Sea Org uniforms.I don't know what I expected but it was pretty boring, we were only allowed to see a small part of the interior, our guide, a russian officer was so deadpan the whole time, there was little,if any conversation as he did not know any English.We girls kept giggling as it was a wasted exercise in PR.
Quite often my duties consisted of sitting outside LRHs office waiting for a message to relay or to go and get someone. When LRH was busy recording or writing, long periods were spent just sitting there in the semi gloom.It was a hell of a job to stay awake. On a rare occasion someone would come along, but most often my orders were no one was to disturb him. I couldn't actually hear what he was saying when he was recording, it was just a mumble with the occasional loud word. Marysue often came out of her office which was situated to the left of LRHs, more often than not she would just listen and then go back into her office without saying a word.Sometimes she would ask me what he was doing and sometimes she went in to talk with him.She always seemed so cold towards me and I often wondered what I had done to upset her,
Both LRH and MSH offices were off a small room, like a large hallway or reception area, this is where I would sit opposite LRHs office door.On more than one occasion Otto Roos came and insisted on seeing LRH.The first time this happened I remember really clearly. My orders were LRH was NOT to be disturbed under any circumstances. This very tall Officer appears towering over me and tells me it is very urgent that he speaks to LRH. I told him he couldn't, those were my orders.He asked me when he thought he would be able to and I said "I didn't know"."Okay" he said and went off. Two minutes later he reappeared and said it really was very important, again I told him "No". There I was this little girl of 11 years old, about 4ft 8" tall and I'm telling this really tall looming precense in full naval regalia "No".I was obviously not very convincing as Otto said he would take full responcibility, so I would not get into trouble, but he had to see LRH straight away, and proceeded to walk right past me and knock on LRHs door.I instantly thought we're both in for it now.Otto gave me a sort of half smile as he went in and I cringed waiting for LRH to start shouting, which he did.I couldn't hear everything that was said, but a very heated arguement ensued.
I didn't get into too much trouble but it was reiterated that when LRH said he did not want to be disturbed, he meant it.
Sometimes I would find myself sitting on the opposite side of the top deck, outside of the cabin areas.As far as I was aware auditing was taking place.I often used to think what was that all about?It struck me as a very strange thing to do.Ever since I'd first seen an e-meter at St. Hill, I had thought it really weird.Whether through things I had overheard adults talking about the e-meter or watching people on the e-meter or questions asked on the e-meter I was convinced that this machine knew everything you were thinking.It wasn't that I had anything to hide, it was just that I didn't want any machine knowing what was going on in my head, the very thought was so creepy.This brown wooden box (thats what they were back then)that had a dial with a needle in it that moved and a person was attached to a couple of cans was to me the weirdest thing I could imagine.So I would sit there for hours in the dark, just small lamps lit up on the decks wondering what on earth was going on in the cabin and I could never come up with an answer.
One night after I had been sitting there for hours on end, nodding off and jumping up alert, pacing the deck trying to keep awake, afraid I would be in trouble if I got caught sleeping on the job, finally LRH came out, in one of his better moods, he apologised, he had forgotten I was still there and sent me to bed.I was out like a light when I got to my bunk.
I never got caught nodding off, but I have no doubt in my mind that if I had I would have been in big trouble.
There were a couple of big events on board the Apollo, not sure exactly what we were celebrating, the decks were crowded with people. At one of these events LRH was up on a podium giving a speech, as usual he kept everyone waiting for what seemed like an eternity. There was raptuous applause when he finally made an appearance. I don't remember the exact speech but it was about Scientologys expansion and how we were winning. Global obliteration of psychiatry was also on the agenda and it was the word 'obliteration' that worried me the most. Another time, or it is possible it was the same time, there was a party going on, everyone seemed to be happy and having a good time, then something really weird happened, there was this woman on the deck, about 15/20ft away from where I was standing.She wasn't happy or smiling, in fact she looked befuddled, confused. She was filthy, barefoot and wearing a thin summer dress, her hair hung in streaks around her head, someone near by me whispered "this is disgusting". The revelry that had been going on died down, I just stood there staring, I did not know what to think. Before I knew it she was gone and everyone was told to get on with the party, which they did, but I'm pretty sure some people were shocked by what they had wittnessed.
Christmas came and went as a non entity, I can't remember whether New Year was celebrated or if that was the year before. Celebrations seemed to be non existant unless it was specifically for a Scientology event.
The day my Dad came and said he was going away on a mission, I was devastated. As it was I saw very little of him, but at least knowing he was about made a small difference to me.I stood there on the deck, tears streaming down my face as he promised he would be gone no longer than three weeks at most.I thought be a big girl, three weeks isn't very long.He couldn't even tell me where he was going, everything was top secret. Such was the world of L. Ron Hubbard.
A couple of weeks before he went away, we had gone out for the day, roaming the streets of Corfu. Dad took me to see Finians Rainbow, a truly magical film and for a short time at least put aside all my worries about the life we were living aboard the Apollo, On the way back to the dock, we munched on chips and chatted, I told him of some of my fears,mainly about the overboardings,it scared me, he made me promise to never talk about these fears to anyone else.I promised and told him I already knew to keep these things to myself. I didn't know it then, but apart from a few brief minutes on the decks of the Apollo when my Dad said he was going away, I would not see my Dad again for years.
In Scientology there are a list of 'conditions' assigned for either being upstat,at the top of the list or the lower conditions for mistakes made or bad behavior.These being:Liability, Doubt, Enemy or Treason, Non existance.
The Liability formula: a person has to do physical degrading work,followed by a writeup of the actions completed for each step of the formula.Then you have to ask permission to rejoin the group,by gaining signitures of said group.There are 'Yes' and 'No' columns.If the majority of the signitures are in the 'No' column the person has to redo the entire formula until the majority of the group have signed the 'Yes' column.
Janis and I had been out for the day, on Libs. We had had a great time, through the course of the day we had met up with some Greek boys we had a lot of fun talking to them as they knew no English and we knew no Greek.One of the boys we liked especially, he was called Casper. They walked us back to the entrance to the dockside. by then it was dark and we were about half an hour late, once on board we were seperated and handled by Ethics.It was thought we were a security risk "what had we divulged to the Greek boys," I kept thinking "this guy is nuts", considering how little of anything that I knew anyway.With the language barrier it would have been impossible to have divulged 'Secrets'. Apart from which, I was 11 years old and Janis was 12 years old. A major threat to security?
In the cargo hold it was dark,smelly and dirty.Being children and initially not realising what we were in for,we tried to make it fun at first.It was not fun,and we were reminded of the fact.We cleaned and scrubbed and chipped.I don't recall how long we were down there but I know it was at least one night,because we slept side by side,sitting up.We were not given any thing to sleep on , nor any blankets, we had just the clothes we stood up in. I'm sure it was longer, I know we were freezing,tired,hungry and filthy by the time we were allowed out.I know it must of been longer, because of the shape I was in, when I went up on deck eventually to get my signitures to rejoin the group, my eyes hurt badly, yet it was a dull, dank day.Whilst in the hold, the only ray of 'Sunshine', was at the top of the ladder.An officer, Hana Eltringham sitting at a desk,with a lovely smile.That smile kept me going.
Whatever bit of the hold we were kept in was where the ship goes in at the bottom, curved, there were iron girders coming off the sides, we had to stand on these to scrape and chip.We had one lamp to see by and that wasn't very bright. When I first came out of the hold and had to do the write up, I was waiting to see Hana to see what I had to do, she was talking to an officer i had never seen before. He was standing there in his full Sea Org uniform,and the look on his face when he saw me, was of total disgust. I know I was dirty, tired and smelly but it wasn't my fault, or was it?
Feeling so miserable and finding we then had a write up to do was auful and I didn't know what to write, it took ages.I kept getting it wrong, it took me several attemps, it wasn't until I realised I had to lie that I finally got it right. Make it go right, right! Even though I did not consider myself to be, I had to admit to being a security risk. This was hard, because if I didn't do it I would have been back in the hold, only this time by myself, I could not bare going down there again, especially alone. By far the hardest part was aquiring the signitures.It was so degrading and when someone wouldn't sign it,it was really hard.I was told "I wasn't worthy" by Alan Vos. As if it wasn't hard enough, this knocked me hard, so much so it was difficult to approach any one else.Yet I had to do it, to get out of Liability. I remember wandering around the deck, looking for anyone to sign my paper and unusually there were few people around, it was a dull day and I was so miserable,totally numb.
From that point on, I trusted no one on that ship and knew I had to get the hell off. I was at my lowest ebb and didn't want any part of scientology any more or any of the people in it. Where the hell was my Dad?
There are only two occasions I remember being in L. Ron Hubbards' cabin.
One was when he wouldn't wake up, he was ill, or so he said. His cabin was larger than any I had seen before, a medium sized bedroom.One thing that struck me was the fact that he had a single bunk, but it was single sized and he seemed too big for it. Both Janis and I were in there and it was decided that one of us had to go and get help. Janis went and I was left waiting in the cabin.While I waited, he was sleeping. Looking around the room, there was a couple of empty bottles of alcohol by the bed on a cabinet, across the room on the floor was a suitcase, open and contained more money in it than I had ever seen in my entire life. I don't remember who Janis camer back with but we were dismissed and told not to tell anyone about this incident.The lady in question had short darkish hair,
The other time was when I found myself on a day time shift, something I was not used to. I had to go to LRHs cabin and help him get ready for the day.He already had someone in attendance, Ken Urqhart, who was a sort of butler/valet. It was his job or hat to show me what I had to do. LRH had already had a wash of sorts at the small sink and was now sitting in a chair, where I was expected to wash his feet. I was uncomfortable about it as I had never done anything like this before. It was Ken who told me not to worry, I would get used to it.After washing and drying LRHs feet, who was sitting in the chair with just a pair of underpants on, I then had to dress him in a certain order. On this particular day he had a meeting of some sort and was wearing his full naval dress uniform. Ken showed and helped me to dress LRH on that day.In March of 69 Scientology and Hubbards flotilla were ordered out of Corfu by the Greek government.
I don't remember exactly when this happened but it did happen. The whole of the crew had to muster on the deck.My friend and fellow messenger had come and got me as I was below decks, She said something about Hubbard meteing out some strange punishment to a man, involving pushing a peanut round the deck with his nose. Being kids we were laughing and joking about this as we felt even LRH would not do something like this. We were wrong. When we emerged on the deck, the whole crew were assembled, being small we had to push our way through to the front of the line up.We were still laughing as it seemed so absurd.To my horror, as we got to the front, a man stood up off the deck and his face was covered in blood. I didn't want to look.After this debacle was over, LRH called me up to the front and started shouting at me, then I was ordered up to the crows nest as punishment for laughing.
I was not laughing at the man, I was laughing at the absurdity of it all.When I had seen it was true, I was horrified that LRH would subject anyone to such a degrading experience, and all the while we were told how we were the most ethical place on earth.Climbing the crows nest was terrifying. I was scared of heights and this was so high up,when I reached the top, there was just a tiny little platform, I thought I was going to pass out.Someone shouted up to sit down, so i did. because I was so small, this left me even more vulnerable as all that stood between me and certain death was a small foot rail.Someone shouted up again to keep my eyes on the horizon, which I did.I don't remember when I passed out, someone obviously had to come up and get me, I was frozen to the spot in fear.I remember waking up on the deck with people looking down at me.I silently prayed to an unknown God, Please somebody get me off of this ship.
I don't remember where we sailed to when we first left Corfu, but by May of 69 I was deeply depressed, scared of putting a foot wrong, worried about my Dad,and terribly concerned that these people far from being the good, most ethical people on the planet, were in fact crooks and committing grossly unethical behaviour.A boy I knew delivered the mail to me for LRH,(it was part of my job(hat in Scientology language) to sort through his mail and put it on LRHs desk.On this day he said(the boy) you had better read the paper, which was on the top of the pile. He said its about your family.He guarded the door while I quickly read it, as I would have been in grave trouble if I had been caught reading entheta about Scientology.
Reading this paper "The News of the World"dated Sunday May 4th 1969, it was titled "Bid to Muzzle us Fails"( I have enclosed a copy).It stated that my Father, Michael Stainforth was wanted as a wittness in a court case.It said that the Scientologists had said he was on a ship somewhere and could not be contacted at this time.I knew this to be a lie, it was now May and my Dad had not been on board since the beginning of January.Whats more I still had no idea where he was.
By now I was 12 years old, my birthday came and went unnoticed by anyone.I was in a constant state of confusion and deeply depressed, apart from my role as a Commadores Messenger, I tried hard to avoid people, I was terrified of doing something wrong and being punished again. Even the relationship I had with my best friend, Janis was awkward.I didn't trust anyone, only myself.Whats worse is I didn't really trust myself, not to mess up and be punished.Try as I might to avoid the MAA(Master at Arms) and the Ethics Officers wrath, apparently I wasn't pulling my weight. One day whilst delivering LRHs mail, I found amongst it, an Ethics chit requesting permission from LRH to have 'me' thrown overboard.In my depressed state I had obviously not done as good a job of hiding my emotions as I had thought.Showing emotion was regarded as "out ethics". I was terrified of being thrown over the side of the Apollo(as it was now named), I had stood and watched so many people go through this, I was frightened of water, I couldn't swim and I was scared of heights.It was a hell of a long way down into the ocean.By now I knew I had just a few days to go before I was leaving the Apollo to go and join my Dad wherever he was based. I took the Ethics chit, ripped into tiny pieces and flushed it down the toilet. I was by this time so afraid it wouldn't flush away. After several attemps it was all gone.
I spent the next few days terrified of being found out.The punishment would have been extremely harsh. I have no doubt that I would have been over boarded and then either put in the hold, or even worse the chain locker.
Somewhere between reading the News of the World and the Ethics chit, I was on deck with Mary Sue Hubbard and another female officer.They were having a conversation about someone who was causing Scientology a lot of trouble. MSH was angry and said that "by any means necessary this person had to be shut up", I didn't know who she was talking about and was worried it was to do with my Father and or my Grandmother, because of what I had read in the paper.
I spent the last few days on board the Apollo trying very hard not to bump into the MAA. It was not easy, but I manged to right up until I was leaving. He was watching me across the deck,as I was walking towards the gang plank. It was all I could do to keep my nerve and get across the deck, down the gang plank and into the waiting taxi.It was such a relief to get off the Apollo, but I wasn't safe yet.I finally left the Apollo at the very end of May/early June 1969.
I didn't find out where I was going until we were in the taxi. We, I was accompanied by two men and two young children(whom I was expected to look after on our travels).We left Lisbon,Portugal and travelled by train and ferry to Sweden and then on to Denmark.At a large Swedish train station, we split up. One of the men(I do not remember their names) took the two young children and the other man accompnied me to Copenhagen.We went to a place just outside of Copenhagen, called Abellund. It was a large farm house set in the countryside.The minute I arrived I was whisked away for a drive by Commander Jill van Staden ( a South African who was second in command at Abellund, her title being Supercargo). She told me my Father was no longer there, he had been put in a condition of "Treason", and "you know what that means" she said.I did know what that meant, it meant that I could no longer ever have anything to do with my own Dad. I was devastated. It also meant that I was now still stuck in a foreign country, with no family, no way of contacting any one and I was still in the Sea Org, with these crazy Scientologists.I had gotten off the ship, but was no better off.
This is from the News of the World 4/5/1969.
Bid to Muzzle us Fails
An attempt by a section of the Scientologists to muzzle the News of the World has failed.Last week, more than three years after issuing a writ against us for alleged libel concerning its"Mind Cult," the Hubbard Association of Scientologists dropped the action.
They are to pay a considerable sum to cover the legal costs we incurred in preparing to defend the action.
The Scientologists (can't make out the next line,very old newspaper)their action was heard before Master Bickford Smith in chambers.He approved the application on condition:
1 --That no further action is brought by them on the same ground.
2--That they pay all costs.
Only the previous week the plaintiffs had gone to the Court of Appeal to say that a witness was unavailable and to ask for the libel case, which was then imminent, to be post- phoned.
The court granted a delay of not more than a week- and warned that further such applications by the Mind Cult would not be received sympathetically.
Robert Warren writes:
The dispute was over an article which appeared in the paper in January 1966.It was the first to mention the way in which Scientology, then a little known but rapidly growing fringe group, tended to break up family life.
Following that story and subsequent public outcry, the cult has now stopped the process of "disconnection"- the way in which followers were told to write to the friends and families saying they would have nothing more to do with them unless they took up Scientology.
I wrote the article after speaking to such a family.And a very distressing story it was.
Mrs. Anne Stainforth had received a letter from ------,her 18year old daughter who had become a Scientologist and gone to work as a clerk at St. Hill Manor, near East. Grinstead, Sussex.( I have omitted my Aunts name)
The letter said "This is to inform you that unless you get some training and processing I will disconnect from you as I feel that you are invalidative of me and Scientology."
"I am willing to help you in any way if you want, but until then i am not going to communicate with you or except any communications from you."
"I am doing this of my own free will and for my own betterment. Love ------"
Mrs. Stainforth was shocked. So was her elder daughter -------, who also received a similar letter.They did not feel that ------- was likely to write that sort of letter of her own free will. They suspected that she had been urged to write them by somebody at Saint Hill Manor. So they brought them to us.
I went to St. Hill Manor. And there I saw copies of similar letters pinned on an office notice board. The originals had been sent to relatives and friends of Scientologists all over the world.Since then I have discovered many cases of families split by "disconnection".
But the Scientologists and Lafayette Ron Hubbard, their rich American founder, refused to discuss it with me. So did ------ and her brother,-------- who had also become Scientologists.
Complaint
We headlined our story: "Lets hear from you Mr. Hubbard."
Indirectly, we did.
His solicitors wrote to complain about the article. They gave us seven days to apologise for what we had said and pay damages and costs.We refused.
Eight months later we received a writ from the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International. Within weeks we were ready to defend this action in the High Court. But it was to be three years before the case was withdrawn.
Twice we applied for the action to be struck off for want of prosecution. Each time the Hubbard Association said they intended to proceed.
Finally, it was intended to be heard last month. At the last moment the plaintiffs said they could not get hold of their witnesses and asked for an adjournment.
Mr. Justice Paull called their application ridiculous.
The Scientologists said their main witness,Michael Stainforth was in a ship and they did not know where it was.The Judge suggested they use wireless to find him and refused their application.
The Scientologists took their plea to the Court of Appeal, where three Lord Justices granted a deferment of up to a week and warned that "any further application will certainly ."not be received with any sympathy. They said the Scientologists had been "dragging their feet."
The next day the Hubbard Association's legal representatives contacted ours and said they wanted to withdraw the action.
This they did last week before a Master in chambers.
When ------ Stainforth wrote her letters, Scientology was little known in Britain. It had been the subject of a Government inquiry in Victoria, Australia and then banned in that state.
Their were vehement criticisms of the cult in the Australian report, a document which should be read by anyone attracted to Scientology. At the time the report was published, Hubbard was still calling himself "Doctor" and claiming to be a disillusioned nuclear physicist, an explorer, a botanist, an inventor-- and one one of those very rare people who have visited Venus.
Renounced
Since then he has left this country-he did so soon after our article appeared- and has been told by the Home Office not to return.
Hubbard has also been banned from Australia,Rhodesia and Greece.
He has renounced his title of "Doctor"--though no one knows where he got it from in the first place--and taken his movement to sea in a fleet of ships. The largest, Apollo was last reported heading for Northern Europe after being ordered out of Corfu by the Greek Government.
Hubbard's movement has been described in the House of Commons as "socially harmful." its methods "A serious danger to to the health of those who submit to them."
And Hubbard's response has been an almost hysterical attack on orthodox medicine and psychiatry. At the same time he issues statements saying he no longer has any control over the cult.Now Scientologys income in Britain has dropped.Much of it depended on foreign money, particularly from America.
Last summer the Home Office stopped people coming into the country to study Scientology and this weakened the British organisation.
But Lafayette Ron Hubbard is not beaten yet. He has an enormous International organisation.Every detail is regulated by written orders.The members are intensely loyal and discipline is strict.Defaulters are punished, sometimes severely. Their loyalty is rewarded.
Hubbard has come a long way from the days before he published his original hotch - potch of a thesis-- Dianetics, the Modern Science of Mental Health.I have traced his brain child back to its source--in Pasadena, California.
Those were the days, shortly after the war, when Hubbard, poor and just out from a psychiatric ward in a US Navy hospital, lived in a van in the garden of a house in Orange Grove Avenue.
There he wrote and re- wrote Dianetics. His previous writing had been Science fiction, but Dianetics was published as a serious work.
Attack
And in craze-prone America of the early 1950s, his theories became popular.It was on this unsteady base that he built his international Scientology empire.And its success, as Mr. Kenneth Robinson, the former Minister of Health, said in the Commons last year, was based on the policy of directing itself "deliberately towards the weak, the unbalanced, the immature, the rootless and mentally and emotionally unstable."
Another attack was made by Mr.Peter Horden, the conservative MP for Horsham,who said "The public has been hampered in its Knowledge of Scientology by the fact that as far as I can establish, on every occasion that the organisation has been named by a newspaper, the newspaper has been served with a writ for libel."
The News of the World agrees with these statements.
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