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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 29, No. 4. 1966.

Holyoake dn't like "secret" pamphlets — Famous student Capping hoaxes retold by those involved

page 7

Holyoake [unclear: dn't] like "secret" pamphlets

Famous student Capping hoaxes retold by those involved

(A Two-Part Series)

What Makes a hoax great? Probably when it fools so many people as to make even Abraham Lincoln blink his eyes.

The 1963 'Spies for Peace" hoax did just that. For three days baffled police searched unsuccessfully for its perpetrators as students throughout Wellington sat back and chuckled.

Then, some hours after the Evening Post had "revealed" the "true details." they gave themselves up and told all.

But it seems wrong to leave the story to the police files and the memories of a few. So here, for the first time, is the inside story of the "Spies for Peace" pamphlet.

In 1963. in Britain, the CND had staged their Easter march, and dissident activists had issued a pamphlet during the march which caused a world-wide storm.

It contained secret details of the British Government's civil defence plans in case of nuclear attack.

This was the famous "Spies for Peace" pamphlet.

In New Zealand, some students met in a hostel to consider [unclear: stunt] plans, decided to issue a "New Zealand version" of this pamphlet Secretly delivered, it would contain imaginary details of a New Zealand civil defence system.

What was the aim? It has been difficult to determine just what [unclear: i] was, but one of those [unclear: involve] has listed the following:

1. To create publicity for [unclear: cap]ping—the hoax would be [unclear: reveal] just as capping week's celebration started.

2. To awaken public interest [unclear: i] civil defence.

3. To arouse public [unclear: indignn] against those who would reveal real government secret—if the could obtain them.

The scheme was put to [unclear: Linds] Cornford, then stunts [unclear: control] approved it after reading a of the pamphlet, which was on a censored copy of the [unclear: phlet] published by the Even-post.

[unclear: n] reams of newsprint were [unclear: hased] for about £3 from Whit-[unclear: be] and Tombs.

[unclear: want] it for a student stunt," purchaser told the salesman "Well, I hope it's a funny " she replied as she filled out sales docket with his name address. (The police aban-[unclear: ed] attempts to trace the paper quite hopeless.")

[unclear: en] 5000 copies of the [unclear: pamph-] were printed and on the [unclear: Mon] afternoon of capping week distribution began.

[unclear: hat] night students wandered [unclear: ugh] Hurt Valley streets, climbed in Brooklyn, and ffitted by from Island Bay to Seatoun, [unclear: sting] the pamphlets in letteres milk-stands, newspaper tainers and 4500 were distried by the time they called it [unclear: ght] and collapsed into bed.

Tuesday dawned bright and [unclear: ny]. It was "NZ Truth" day. [unclear: l] readers were startled to find page 1 a shock revelation head-[unclear: d] "NZ Defence Secrets Leak?" [unclear: n] elaborate caution Truth [unclear: re] much of the pamphlet but [unclear: tted] the place-names and the carefully faked map references.

Through most of New Zealand a yellow poster was to remain prominent throughout the week, still posing the headline's question. Only in Wellington did Truth have time to replace its poster, and there it read, more appropriately perhaps, "Sin Town Mothers Seek Govt. Aid."

The NZBC had been out on the job, and by 11am was itself leading off with the same news. However, it had a lead from the Prime Minister. Mr, Holyoake assured the nation that "while plans had been made by the Government in case of nuclear attack, the pamphlet's version bore no relation to them."

A full investigation by the "appropriate authorities" was promised. These it seemed were the armed forces and the police, who over the next few days were to search, with little success, for the hoax's perpetrators.

The Evening Post printed the pamphlet in full for the benefit of those who did not get one.

The Dominion the next morning was in fine form its political correspondent, a perceptive man, had decided that the pamphlet was the work of Communists— or "pinks" — indurating well-meaning "ban the bomb" sections of the community.

He had drafted his own charge against the perpetrators, that they had used with intent to cause worry, the provisions of the Civil Defence Act.(In fact, none of those involved had ever read the Civil Defence Act.)

However, the editor had different thoughts.

"Prank though it undoubtedly was" began a lead editorial which praised the hoaxers for directing attention to the Government's failure to promote civil defence.

That night the Evening Post claimed to have broken the story. The pamphlet was, it revealed, a student hoax. Michael Moriarty, students association president, told a Post reporter that 15 students had confessed to the police and that it was understood that no action would be taken.

He also stated that the hoax was unofficial as it had not been approved by the association. Mr. Moriarty has never yet explained how the students association's official approval of the stunt, explicitly given by its official stunts controller, came to be ignored by him.

That night, four students made their way into Waring Taylor Street and, on pursuance of a promise to Lindsay Cornford (who had been Interrogated by police the previous night), confessed to the stunt.

The police, pleasantly amused, accepted the student explanation. A convivial hour later, the students left the CIB office and the stunt passed into history.