THE LEEDS MERCURY

Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

4 February 1930

(page 7)

VARSITY SOCIETY BOWS TO

THREAT OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION.

(From Our Correspondent.)

OXFORD, Monday.

An extraordinary situation has arisen over the Oxford University Poetry Society.

A meeting had been arranged for to-night to be addressed by Mr. Aleister Crowley on the subject of “The Mediæval Magician,” but at the last minute the lecture was cancelled.

The secretary of the society, Mr. H. Speaight [Hugh Speaight], sent a letter to Mr. Crowley as follows: “I am writing to tell you that we have been unfortunately forced to cancel next Monday’s meeting of the Poetry Society. It has come to our knowledge that if your proposed paper is delivered disciplinary action will be taken, involving not only myself but the rest of the members of the Society.

“In these circumstances you will, I trust, understand why we have had to cancel the meeting.”

Sandwich men paraded the streets of Oxford this afternoon announcing that the lecture [The Banned Lecture]  which had been planned would be printed and on sale to-morrow.