The accredited observers of the V.U.C. Students' Association were Alec McLeod (formerly Association vice-president), Keith and Jacqueline Matthews, all graduates of V.U.C. The Executive wrote to them on 27th June last, listing certain questions on which they desired "information that would be relevant to the question of N.Z.U.S.A.'s reaffiliation or otherwise."

N.Z.U.S.A. also accredited an observer, Bruce Miller, formerly of Otago.

The report of V.U.C.'s observers arrived in the Exec Room in January, and was placed on their files. This report was very full, and gave an understanding, liberal, unprejudiced account of the Congress such as should be expected of university graduates. The Exec made no attempt to circulate the report, or publicise the conclusions of our observers.

Mr. Miller's report to N.Z.U.S.A. was chiefly devoted to abuse and sneering. Large sections of his report are almost exact replicas of portions of the report of Mr. Jenkins of the British N.U.S. as they appeared in the British press. It is significant that Jenkins' report on the Congress, and its recommendations of disaffiliation from the International Union of Students, was rejected by the Council of N.U.S., and only in a "referendum" (how well we know what that means), boycotted by large sections of British students, including the London University, disaffiliation was only 3,000 up in a poll of 33,000.

Officers of V.U.C.S.A. Exec undertook early in February to cyclostyle the whole of Mr. Miller's report, for circulation among students of all colleges, especially at Congress. The Secretary of the Association flatly declined even to go half-shares with the S.LF. in the cyclostyling and circulation of the report of the Association's own observers.

Impressions

The V.U.C. observers' report is meet informative on many points about which Mr. Miller's report tends to be abusive. Near the beginning, our observers state; "Our special gratitude must go to the hundreds of students and workers who gave up their Summer holidays and worked solidly for weeks beforehand to make the Congress a success. It is only after attending this Congress that we have come to realise the tremendous effort required to organise an international assembly of such a nature. We would strongly recommend that V.U.C.S.A. and N.Z.S.L.F. who appointed us as observers, should write to the Czech Student Union, to thank them officially for the really magnificent hospitality and kindness shown to your representatives. We have no doubt that Mr. Miller of N.Z.U.S.A. wil endorse our remarks in this regard. It would be indeed a desirable gesture if some small token gift sympolical of our N.Z. culture, could also be sent.

"As the derogatory comments of some British students after the Congress were apparently given publicity in the N.Z. press, and as we feel tolerably certain that the press, in its present mood, would be unlikely to publish any objective report, let alone any praise, either of the Congress or anything else that might take place in Czechoslovakia, we shall make one or two points in this [unclear: regord]."

The report continues by rebutting some press falsehoods about Czech customs formalities, police restrictions and the activities of certain British student leaders at the Congress. One British Conservative student from Durham, outspoken in his abuse of the I.U.S. and the Congress, made a brazen admission to our observers that he had capitalised on his foreign privilege concessions by racketeering on the black market. "As observers for two groups of N.Z. students," the report goes on, "we find it difficult to describe exactly the general atmosphere of the full sessions of the Congress. We spent a great deal of time talking to students of various opinions, some thinking that the Congress and its atmosphere was the most moving expression of student friendship and unity, others that it was a distasteful succession of demonstrations of feeling. The first group by far outnumbered the second, and we think it safe to say that for most participants the atmosphere was one of great enthusiasm and affection, and indeed it would have been difficult not to have been moved by the sincerity and feeling evident in speeches and applause. However, as the organisations which we represent are more likely to be familiar with the views of the minority in I.U.S., we believe that it would be profitable to examine this question of demonstration and applause which disturbed some delegates, and we feel that it would not be an exaggeration to say, determined their whole attitude to the Congress.

"At various stages throughout, prolonged applause, calling in unison of names and slogans, caused, we admit, a feeling of discomfort in our stolid Anglo-Saxon hearts. But take the circumstances. You have a group of over a thousand young people all together, speaking different languages. A student of Viet Nam, for instance, gets up and gives a most moving speech. We think it safe to say that everyone was deeply moved by the depth of feeling, the appeal for understanding and real help Apparent in almost every "colonial'" speech. Everyone present knows that this Viet Nam delegation walked 800 miles, and travelled several thousand more to attend this Congress. It is immensely proud of what its people have been doing to remove illiteracy and poverty. How can they show their admiration? The Congress claps, cries 'Peace to Viet Nam! Ho Chi Minh!' . . . We are not personally inclined to see anything sinister in such mass demonstrations, especially as 'Long Live Peace' was called for much longer than any name . . ."

Falsehoods

Students of Victoria have a right to know that their observers felt this way, especially as Mr. Miller's report is largely outright plagiarism.

More fantastic slanders were made in England, and some repeated in the N.Z. press—notably in the Dominion editorial of 9th November. The British Daily Mail of 30th August gave the story of one Mr. Sharps, Vice-President of the British N.U.S., that he had been accosted by the police at the Czech border on the way to the Congress, stripped and manhandled. The Daily Mail did not print the statement by Martin Ennals, Assistant Secretary of N.U.S., who was with Sharps throughout the journey, stating; "I wish to refute most strongly any suggestion of discourtesy and maltreatment. The inspection was a routine one by Customs officials, and there was no question of taking off any of our clothing. Mr. Sharps was definitely not stripped. The Daily Mail have admitted to me that this story was untrue, and have been asked to publish a corection, but have not done so." New Zealanders on the same train have endorsed Mr. Ennals' statement.

The Daily Mail, we can only assume, was frightened of the truth. Is the V.U.C. students' Association Executive frightened of the observations of its own appointed representatives?

—C.B. and H.C.M.