AT OXFORD

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 21 January 1926, Page 5

AT OXFORD

COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA. MILD SENSATION CAUSED. ACTION AGAINST STUDENT. lIY CABLE PRESS ASSOCIATION —COCY RIGHT. Received Jan. 21, 10.37 a.in. LONDON, Jan. 20. A mild sensation was caused, at Oxford University by tin allegation that Communist propaganda was being conducted among the Indian students, concerning which a cpiestion was recently asked in the House of Commons. The ■ not has been that correspondence aas passed between the Vice-Chancel-lor. tlie Proctors, and the Queensland Rhodes scholar, Mr F. R. Stephenson, :i second-year student, who .has a’so given a political address in Yorkshire. He was requested by the proctors to give a written guarantee within 48 hours to cease his propaganda among the Indians while at the University, otherwise he would be ‘"sent down."

Mr Stephenson signed the guarantee on Monday.—A. and N.Z. Assn. Mi Stephenson, in an interview, said that the action of ,the Vice-Chancellor in compelling him to sign a promise not to endeavour to propagate Communist views directly or indirectly" is ■ ciite in accordance with the conservative traditions of the Oxford authorities, who are notorious for their resistance to the new and vital ideas of each succeeding generation, but the ViceChancellor has unlimited power. His word is law, and 1 have no wish to suddenly discontinue my studies for honours in school philosophy, politics, an deconomy.”—A. and N.Z. Asn.