Scientology on this day 1968...

Scientology: Sex, hypnotism and security checks
Date: Sunday, 28 July 1968
Publisher: Sunday Mirror (UK)
Author: George Martin
Main source: link (459 KiB)

"SCIENTOLOGY is evil; its techniques evil; its practice a serious threat to the community, medically, morally and socially; and its adherents sadly deluded and often mentally ill.

"It's founder is Lafayette Ron Hubbard, an American . . . who falsely claims academic and other distinctions, and whose sanity is to be gravely doubted."

While the British authorities hummed and hawed, an official inquiry in Victoria, Australia, in 1965 condemned Hubbard and his organisation in these unmistakable terms.

Intimate

It branded Hubbard a fraud and Scientology as "a delusional belief system, based on fiction and fallacies, propagated by falsehood and deception."

When the Minister of Health, Mr. Kenneth Robinson, last week in the House of Commons finally announced steps to curb the activities of the Scientologists in Britain. he cited the Melbourne report and added that there was "little point in holding another inquiry."

Mr. Kevin Anderson, Q.C., who headed the Victoria State investigation, and his colleagues blasted the Cult of Scientology throughout 159 pages of their report.

The appeal of Scientology, they found, was often deliberately directed towards the weak, the anxious, the disappointed, the inadequate and the lonely.

Many of its processes were hypnotic, "wherein normal inhibitions and restraints are in abeyance."

Sexual matters, normal and abnormal, were frequently dwelt up on extensively and erotically.

Many people had paid large sums — amounts of over £1,000 were "not uncommon" — for processing by Scientologists.

Evidence

As well as causing financial hardship, the cult bred dissension, suspicion and mistrust among members of the family and had caused many family estrangements.

Another disturbing aspect, said the investigators, was the filing of detailed records of "intimate disclosures" made by thousands of people when they were revealing "their most secret hopes and fears, their shame and grief and guilt."

Some of the evidence given to the board, and the files they examined, gave examples of "quite shocking mental depravity."

Notes made by "auditors" — Scientologists putting new recruits (or "pre-clears") through the cult's complex processes — often contained such comments as, P.C. gets often the urge; and "disturbed because he came to have auditing and now wants to have intercourse."

A woman being "audited" recalled living on the island of Lesbos, and believed she was the original Lesbian.

She also believed she was Karl Marx in a previous lifetime; and a man being "audited" at the same time thought that he was her wife when she was Karl Marx.

A man giving evidence — whose file contained a large number of references to "disgusting matters " — was asked: "Did the sex of the auditor affect you in that regard?"

"What do you think?" he replied. "A luscious doll sitting in front of you, and you have to cough up these horrible sex withholds. Of course, It did."

Guilty

The Melbourne report also reproduced a Scientology "security," designed to ensure that staff and students in the Hubbard organisation did not deviate. Among the 150 questions it contained were:

* ARE YOU guilty of anything? Do you have a secret you're afraid I'll find out? Have you ever assaulted anyone, practised cannibalism, been in jail?

* ARE MY questions embarrassing?

* HAVE YOU ever plotted to destroy a member of your family? Has a member of your family been in an insane asylum, ever been pronounced insane, looted any place, conspired with anyone, practised fraud, ever had anything to do with Communism or been a Communist, been a newspaper reporter?

* HAVE YOU ever had any unkind thoughts about L. Ron Hubbard or Scientology?

* WHAT UNKIND thoughts have you had while doing this check?

Debased

"If there should be detected in this report a note of unrelieved denunciation of Scientology, it is because the evidence has shown its theories to be fantastic and impossible, its principles perverted and ill-founded and its techniques debased and harmful.

"Its founder, with the merest smattering of knowledge in various sciences, has built upon the scintilla of his learning a crazy and dangerous edifice.

"The Hubbard organisation claims to be 'the world's largest mental health organisation.' What it really is, however, is the world's largest organisation of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy."

The Scientologists hit back with a booklet titled, Kangaroo Court, which recalled the 11th century transportation of convicts from England to Victoria.

"The foundation of Victoria consists of the riff-raff of London's slums," it said. "Robbers, murderers, prostitutes, fences, thieves."

And later it said: "The insane attack on Scientology can best be understood if Victoria is seen for what it is—a very primitive community, somewhat barbaric, with a rudimentary knowledge of the physical sciences.

Bigoted

"In fact, it is a scientific barbarism so bigoted that they know not and do not know they are ignorant."

Hubbard's "remarkable acumen" as a high-pressure salesman was well-documented by the Melbourne inquiry.

He was said to have gone to great pains to ensure that anyone who showed the slightest degree of interest in 

Scientology was not thereafter able to escape the organisation's importuning.

Evidence was given of numerous cases in which up to 70 and more letters were written to people who had stopped visiting or communicating with the organisation.

The Anderson inquiry held 160 separate sessions throughout 1964, and heard 151 witnesses. The evidence—nearly 4,000,000 words—covered 8,920 pages of transcript.

A notable absentee was Hubbard himself. He refused to attend unless his expenses to travel from England were paid by the Victoria government. This was refused.

Health Minister Kenneth Robinson last week, in reply to a Parliamentary question by Mr. Geoffrey Johnson Smith, MP for East Grinstead, announced steps to curb Scientology in Britain.

These curbs are that Scientology centres will no longer be accepted as educational establishments; foreigners will not be allowed to come in as Scientology students; those already here will not be granted extensions as students; foreigners and Commonwealth citizens will not be granted work permits as scientology staff; and existing work permits will not be renewed.

Mr. Robinson said that he and the Home Secretary had "amassed a considerable body of evidence about the activities of the cult in this country," and would "keep a close watch on the situation."

Cruising

Hubbard himself was last heard of cruising in the Mediterranean with a "Sea Org [sea organisation] of Scientologists." The organisation last year bought the old passenger ferry Royal Scotsman, which has now been renamed Royal Scotman.

They also have a former Hull trawler, the Avon river, last heard of at Valencia Spain, and a yacht which was recently at Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.

[Picture / Caption: Lafayette Ron Hubbard, the former American science fiction writer who founded 

Scientology, demonstrates his E-meter device with the leads attached to a tomato. An E-meter is a small electric meter in a box with batteries and transistors, and is said by Scientologists to "audit" people. The meter measures electrical resistance, but Hubbard claims that it really measures and indicates what the spirit is doing in the body. Other Scientology jargon: Thetan—the human spirit or soul; the immortal, indestructible being which is reborn again and again over trillions of years. Squirrel—an active Scientologist who is disloyal to the organisation. Theety-tweety—an over-enthusiastic "pre-clear " or recruit.]

Scientology leader may be banned
Date: Sunday, 28 July 1968
Publisher: Sunday Express (UK)
Main source: link (67 KiB)

MR. JAMES CALLAGHAN, the Home Secretary, is urgently considering whether to ban from Britain Mr. Lafayette Ron Hubbard, American leader of the controversial scientology cult.

This would be a sharp follow-up to the curbs, announced in the Commons on Thursday, on foreigners who belong to the cult entering or remaining in Britain either as staff or students.

Mr. Kenneth Robinson, Minister of Health, told M.P.s: "The Government are satisfied, having reviewed all the available evidence, that scientology is socially harmful.

"It alienates members of families from one another and attributes squalid and disgraceful motives to all who oppose it."

Now all the signs are that. Mr. Callaghan is about to exercise his discretionary powers under the Aliens 

Order to prevent Mr. Hubbard from working for his cult in Britain.

Should Mr. Hubbard be banned, it will be a serious blow to the organisation which claims 16,000 adherents in Britain. It runs three floating "colleges"—boats at sea—and has centres in London and provincial cities.

Recognised

At the moment Mr. Hubbard is believed in Whitehall to be abroad. A decision to ban him would mean that all immigration officers would be instructed not to permit him to return to Britain.

Mr Hubbard, aged 57, left Saint Hill Manor, the East Grinstead College in Sussex, which is the world headquarters of the sect, some months ago and was reported to have gone abroad.

But a man and a woman who know him well believe they saw him at East Grinstead just over a week ago.

Mrs. Pauline Hall, who lives in a former lodge at the entrance to Saint Hill Manor, said: "I think I recognised him leaving the college in a car which passed my window."

Mr. Ivor Jones, a farmer whose land skirts the college, said: "I think I saw him driving an American-looking sports car near the college. The man I saw had Hubbard's heavy jowls and lips. I think he recognised me too.

Quick look

"It was just a quick look, but I would have put money on it at the time that it was him."

Adherents of the cult in Edinburgh, however, were still in the dark yesterday about their master's whereabouts.

Speaking at the cult's new £16,000 college in the city, blonde 21-year-old "communicator," Madeline Litchfield said: "He could be anywhere in the world."

Nineteen-year-old Laurel Watson, the organisation's public relations officer, also claimed she did not know where "Commodore" Hubbard was.

And she added: " He is a man — a philosopher, a fabulous navigator and an explorer. It suits him to have a ship as his headquarters. We have not heard from him for some time — but we could communicate with him immediately if we thought it necessary. We do not think it necessary just now."

Mr. Hubbard's "flagship" the 3,260-ton Royal Scotsman, a 350-berth ferry which, until last summer, was used on the Glasgow-Belfast run.

I visit the Scots Scientology H.Q.
Date: Sunday, 28 July 1968
Publisher: Sunday Mail (UK)
Main source: link (142 KiB)

LAST night I visited the Hubbard College of Personal Independence in South Bridge, Edinburgh.

It's the Scottish headquarters of Scientology—the organisation Health Minister Kenneth Robinson claimed is "socially harmful."

He also said the Government has found it "So objectionable that it would be right to take all steps within their power to curb its growth."

The first thing I was told by Madeline Litchfield (21) was: "Scots are particularly suited to Scientology.

"Their desire for personal independence is what Scientology is all about," said Madeline, who has the rank of 'Communicator,' and wore the Scientology uniform—a white polo neck sweater with star and laurel leaf badge in gold on her right sleeve.

The centre in South Bridge is for advanced students. When I arrived, public relations officer Laurel Watson (19), an attractive blonde from Vancouver, Canada, was on the phone.

Officials

"Send round the biggest and best flowers you've got," she said. "We've a graduation tonight."

The College was divided into different rooms, each one plush and carpeted inside.

At first it wasn't clear what was going on. Everyone just seemed to be talking.

One woman wearing headphones sat at a desk in another room people were crowded together chatting, and a young man played a guitar.

Madeline Litchfield — who was born in London but has lived 10 years in Canada — was introduced to Scientology when she was 18. She's now one of the top officials in the Scottish office.

She said: We can't understand why Kenneth Robinson criticised us. Maybe he thinks we're going to take over the Government.

"Hitler did the same thing to minority groups when he persecuted the Jews.

"WE WANT A WORLD WITH COMPLETE PEACE, AND NO WAR.

"Basically what we teach people is how to communicate.

"We don't believe in drugs, for it means people lose control of their minds.

"We do accept people who have used drugs, but they must promise to give them up.

"After a while we give them a test to see if they've been keeping off drugs.

"

For this we have a machine something like a lie detector.

"We've been told our teachings are a danger to mental health. We've had people come to us from mental Institutions after electric shock treatment.

"In most cases we can help them, but sometimes they are so sick they crack up again.

"These are the only people whose minds we have been charged with damaging.

"We are here to make able people more able. We don't even teach our cult to our own children—they can choose to take it up if they want.

Criticised

"People are taught to find out their own potentials. A salesman who takes up Scientology will find his sales increase a hundred times after we've taught him how to communicate.

"If a man has been unhappy with his wife for ten years, and he feels he should leave her, he should do so.

"We don't advise him to do this — but we do teach him to make the right decisions.

"We've been criticised so much in England because people there want things to stay the same. The Englishman doesn't want his freedom but the Scot does.

"In America Scientology is sponsored financially by many states.

"The Swedes have also taken it up in a big way and so has South Africa."

Some reports say a Scientology course costs up to £1000. I asked Miss Litchfield about this.

"We charge people who want to learn Scientology but it is a science and equivalent to a university education," she said.

"We reckon somebody who wants to learn Scientology will find a way to get the money he needs.

"Once he starts his studies he'll find that what he's learnt at the course will help him to make more money at his job, and this solves any financial problem.

"When Ron Hubbard, our founder, started teaching Scientology 18 years ago he taught it free . . . nobody was interested in learning the science.

"It was only after he put a price on it and people learned its values that they came to him.

Calmer

"At first everybody wanted to add their own thoughts to the teachings. This caused breakaway groups but they faded away.

"RON DECIDED ONLY HIS TEACHINGS SHOULD BE USED.

"The white polo neck uniform we wear signifies the future and purity. Anyone who read science fiction will know this.

"We're preparing a room at the centre in Edinburgh for Ron in case he drops in.

"We hold our own marriages which are not considered legal in England.

"We haven't had any weddings in Scotland but we've got two christenings in October.

"It's a strange thing but in a ward of newly-born children the baby who has Scientology parents looks calmer than the rest.

"We also crew our own ships. One, a 350-berth liner was bought in Scotland. We believe in physical exercise in the same way as mental exercise."

[Picture / Caption: MADELEINE LITCHFIELD, of the Edinburgh scientology H.Q. Behind her is a portrait of the cult's founder: L. Ron Hubbard.]

Scientology leaders were seeking legal advice yesterday over the last week's slating of their movement by health minister Kenneth Robinson.

Said a senior official: "Our legal advisers are being consulted over the week-end on this matter."

A town they took over
Date: Sunday, 28 July 1968
Publisher: Sunday Mirror (UK)
Author: Bruce Maxwell
Main source: link (163 KiB)

SCIENTOLOGY chiefs are staging an all-out drive to get new British recruits—despite Government action to curb the "harmful" cult.

So far the chief effect of the Government clampdown is to restrict foreign students going to the "mind-training" cult's world HQ at St. Hill Manor, East Grinstead, Sussex.

Under existing law no action can be taken to ban British Scientologists, although Health minister Kenneth Robinson has promised to "consider other measures should they prove necessary."

This is small comfort to the residents of East Grinstead—a town virtually taken over by the weird sect.

Residents say foreign students can easily find ways to avoid the new entry rules, and that most of the foreign-born scientology chiefs have lived in Britain long enough to be residents anyway.

Mr. James Ellis, 51, landlord of the Rose and Crown public house in East Grinstead, which was recently "outlawed" by the Scientologists, had this to say about the situation:

"All now depends on how much sense we British people have got.

"If the Scientologists don't get many British recruits it could have some effect.

Badges

"Most of the people at St. Hill Manor are Americans, Australians and South Africans.

"You can sell an American anything if the price is high enough, but I don't think our people will fall for it despite this recruiting drive."

Mr. Ellis added: "Let's face it. You'd have to be barmy to wander around town with big badges pinned to you saying: 'Please do not speak to me—I am under process.' "

Mr. Ivor Jones, 43, a local councillor whose farm adjoins St. Hill Manor, said:

"If there are enough silly Englishmen to take it on then I suppose it will keep going.

"I've said it before—if the Scientologists kept themselves to themselves it would be all right. But they don't."

The truth of Mr. Jones's statement is astonishingly evident in East Grinstead.

The Scientologists—there are about 300 of them—have already bought a hotel, acquired scores of houses, and privately they run many businesses.

Mr. Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, is a director of two companies, and his wife, Mary Sue, is a director of five—one with nominal capital of £300,000.

Two weeks ago the cult decided they didn't like some of the town's businesses run by non-Scientologists.

So they simply decreed 22 of them "out of bounds" — bookshops, cafes, garages, pubs, a laundry and even a furniture removal company.

Crime

Not content with that, they have just issued a further list of 150 "suppressive persons."

These people have committed the highest crime of Scientology—opposing it. So now nobody is allowed to talk to them.

The cult have also sent a questionnaire to many residents of East Grinstead, asking, among other things, for the names of people who oppose Scientology.

Mr. Maurice Taylor, president of the East Grinstead Chamber of Trade, said the Chamber had sent a letter to St. Hill Manor, deploring their attitude in "banning" the 22 firms.

Mr. Taylor said: "We believe everybody should trade where they wish. What would happen if priests and clergy started telling their congregations where to shop? Where would it all end?"

When I arrived in East Grinstead the day after Mr. Robinson announced the curbs on the cult, I found Scientologists distributing invitations for a lecture tomorrow.

Vanished

Disturbing aspects of the activities of the Scientologists emerged last week at a public inquiry into the council's refusal to allow them to expand.

* A 22-year-old boy had "disappeared" since joining th cult, sending his mother a letter saying merely that he was "disconnecting" from her.

* A teacher told of "death lessons" given to pupils at a private school.

* A barrister said Scientology attracted the neurotic, the simple-minded and the immature.

* A National Health Service officer said doctors had reported Scientology patients were "frequently unclean."

During the past year the chairman of East Grinstead juvenile court, Mr. Anthony Evans, has also lashed out at Scientology when reviewing cases before him.

Fight

When told that an 11-year-old girl accused of shoplifting was taking a course in Scientology he said:

"If there was ever a case where it is the parents as much as the children who are to blame this is it."

East Grinstead council have called a special meeting for next Wednesday to consider Mr. Robinson's action.

They said no statement could be made until after the meeting.

The Scientologists spokesman, Mrs. Jane Kember, said: "We intend to fight. We are not going to sit around and just submit."

[Picture / Caption: St. Hill Manor, East Grinstead, world headquarters of the Scientology cult. Scientologists also own a hotel and scores of houses in the town.]

[Picture / Caption: TRADER Maurice Taylor: "What would happen if clergy started telling congregations where to shop?"]

[Picture / Caption: FARMER Ivor Jones: "If they kept themselves to themselves it would be all right. But they don't."]

[Picture / Caption: PUBLICAN James Ellis: "I don't think our people will fall for it despite the recruiting drive."]