Hic Jacet

After breathing with healthy vigour for about two minutes, that robust infant Oriflamme was strangled. Anxious Parents and a Board of Governors needed but a glance at the thriving offspring to know that this could not be; and to preserve the University, "steps were taken," and Oriflamme was no more.

And what was it all about? How did it happen?

* * *

The immortal Caxton Club was projected late last year by a bunch of enthusiasts who decided that until the university in New Zealand had some means such as a press for expressing itself, it would remain as academic and futile as it has been in the past. A letter was sent to the Board of Governors, pointing out the inevitability of a university press and what a fine old craft typography was and how keen the students were not to let Oxford, Cambridge and Auckland get a lead on them in this respect, and finally could they have an old basement for their activities? They were told they could.

When up in Auckland in the long vac. one of their number picked up a small hand-press, and the Caxton Club, consisting then of 8 members, page 40 forthwith proceeded to follow in the path of the illustrious forbear in whose name the activities were undertaken.

There was at this time no clear policy, and no clear indication of what they stood for. They were content in the meantime to be breaking new ground.

Oriflamme suggested itself as a means of doing something to provide a focal point for the general intellectual revival that seemed to be sweeping over the university at that time. Contributions were not in any way limited to the club, and the only rule of selection was that purely literary interest was to be of no importance. Selection, it was felt, should be made only of interesting matter on social or political lines. "Does it butter any parsnips?" was the question asked.

It will be seen that they stood for nothing but a freedom of speech and outlook. They felt that until they could get all points of view debated, and all sections of opinion interested, there was not much use in trying to put forward anything at all. They aimed at resurrection of the vitality of outlook that has been so deplorably lacking in this hide-bound little colony since about 1900. They aimed at rousing people.

Well, they did all right. Oriflamme was sold out (200 copies) in under two hours, and it was not long before the chairman of the Board was getting telephone rings ten a minute from indignant mothers who sprang to the immediate conclusion that one of the Club's planks of policy imperilled their unprotected daughters one and all.

The emotional response to Oriflamme was amazing, the intellectual—none at all.

Meanwhile the Board had a meeting, which decided that such fascinating topics as companionate marriage might be discussed but not written upon by their young charges. As for the terms "masturbation" and "recourse to prostitutes"—well, they simply weren't mentioned. So decided the Board, and promptly withdrew permission to occupy their basement (where, for all they knew, bombs were being made) on the ground that permission to occupy the basement for the purposes of studying printing and typography had been abused by the publication of Oriflamme, which contained matter of an objectionable nature.

After some time, members of the Club interviewed one or two members of the Board. But the latter made it clear that if the Club were going to imperil the good name of the University they wern't going to stand for it, However eager they were to see the Club's point of view, and however convinced they were that it was just the sort of folly they used to fall into from excess of youthful enthusiasm, it simply cannot be denied that there is a gap between the elders and the youth of to-day that no amount of sympathy can bridge. They are pre-war, we are post-war. They are wearing the bowler to prevent catching cold, we are determined to let the wind blow through our hair.

The upshot of it was that the Club applied for reinstatement, subject if necessary to collaboration with Dr. Hight in what was published. (Dr. Hight, when discussing the matter, deplored the word "censorship.") The Board granted this, and made absolutely no mention of any supervision or censorship. But they advised the Club that it would do well not to publish anything that would discredit the College in the eyes of the community.

After all this, the membership of the Caxton Club sadly dwindled. There were resignations, some of them enforced by "respectable" employers. And thus, with the backbone of the Club completely broken, and all adventurous thinking quelled, a drear Sirocco issues from the College precincts.

May the authorities smile complacently. They have indeed succeeded. They have done all that was expected of them. Youth breaks its bonds in every generation, but by the grace of Providence there are always those who will restore the shackles. 'This not for us "to lash the age, to ridicule vain pretention." If criticism is abroad, and hypocrisy is spiked on every side, let there be no fear. for all is not yet lost: the University will descend, the noisy will be silenced, the rebel will be laid low, and conventional justice and morality will be protected from the misguided and unwelcome onslaught of youth.