THE YORKSHIRE POST

Leeds, Yorkshire, England

4 February 1930

(page 8)

OXFORD'S BANNED LECTURE.

Reported Intervention by

Roman Catholic Chaplain.

LECTURE BANNED.

Oxford “Disciplinary Action If Delivered.”

An extraordinary situation has arisen in connection with the Oxford University Poetry Society.

A meeting had been arranged for last night to be addressed by Mr. A. 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 streets of Oxford yesterday announcing that the lecture [The Banned Lecture] which had been banned would be printed and on sale to-day.