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Chapter 8:
The British and Australian Orgs
If Britain acts, then you must
know that the hour is late.
-- South African minister of health urging their Parliament to have an
Inquiry {1}
In England, the
main Scientology Org is "Saint Hill," a 243-year-old fifty-seven-acre
estate in East Grinstead, Sussex, that was formerly the home of the
Maharaja of Jaipur, and before that, Mrs. Anthony Drexel Biddle.{2} When
Hubbard arrived there in 1959, he joined right into the spirit of
things, becoming East Grinstead's Road Safety Organizer.{3} One paper
reported that he attended only one meeting, telling how Americans reduce
car accidents, and suggested they use schoolboy campaign patrols. After
that, he sent his ideas through a local press office.
During these early days, Hubbard was said to have gotten up at Hyde
Park's Speakers Corner, to have grown giant radishes which he said had
been exposed to X-rays, and to have invited a local journalist to Saint
Hill to tell him of his theory that plant life can feel and think.{4} If
Hubbard really believed this, he apparently didn't care what the plant
felt or thought, since he promptly attached the plant to an E-meter,
stuck pins into the plant, tore off its leaves, and reduced it to a
ruined stump.
Unlike the plant, Scientology and Hubbard thrived in the mysterious
manor. Scientology, however, has not been accorded, or at least
permitted, the same religious status in England as in America, since the
British Registrar General refused to register Saint Hill as a place of
worship under the Place of Worship Registration Act.{5} ("While
Scientology may be wholly admirable, I find it difficult to reach the
conclusion that it is a religion."){6} So Hubbard has had to be happy
with running a college, "controlling the operation,"{7} as he said in
one interview, and sending his decrees, policies, etc., by Telex to his
Orgs and franchises in five continents while collecting his ten percent
and more.
But things began to sour, and some time after Hubbard left England to
establish the Sea Org, he was barred from returning to the country. He
says this was because the government didn't like his books. "I have
committed no crime," he said, "except writing about helping people to be
happy. Mr. Callahan [who probably barred him] doesn't like people to be
happy obviously."{8}
Although the British did not seem to object to Hubbard's books -- or to
making people happy -- many complained about the Scientologists
themselves, who were allegedly passing out their literature at Rugby
matches held in aid of the blind, letting school children distribute
Scientology propaganda, and sending out letters soliciting children from
six to fourteen years old as members.{9}
Some of the biggest outcries against Scientology came from the town of
East Grinstead, where right from the beginning, the local residents were
upset over the enormous number of people entering and leaving Saint Hill
manor which was registered as a residence. But Hubbard, even three years
after he arrived there, insisted he had only his personal staff at the
manor and allegedly stated "I guess the[y] ... noticed all the traffic.
There's been a lot of excitement here. I've discovered a kind of
psychological treatment which would make people live twenty to
twenty-five years longer."{10}
The traffic increased and so did the antagonism. The townspeople were
worried that their children might become Scientologists, perhaps
justifiably, since they and their children were constantly being
solicited to join, and Scientologists allegedly said they planned to
make East Grinstead the first "clear town."{11} School officials
complained that they couldn't even let the children go outside without
encountering Scientologists.{12}
Some complained that they didn't even have to go outside to be bothered
by them. One nun stated that Scientologists entered her school grounds
and tried to talk to the students. She got rid of them once by
mentioning the word "police," and on another occasion, she claimed, a
Scientologist put his foot in the door and she stomped on it.{13} Some
of the local residents complained that they too didn't have to go out of
their houses to encounter the Scientologists, who supposedly called them
at their homes and said, "I am your local Scientologist. Is there
anything you need?"{14}
There were also some Scientology scandals in the town: "death lessons"
(to be discussed later) and a scandal in December of 1967, when a number
of Scientology children were picked up for shoplifting, and a girl who
was taking a Scientology course was accused of immoral behavior.{15} The
News of the World, which broke the story, said that a fifteen-year-old
girl who was taking a Scientology course was found asleep near East
Grinstead with three men in a scrap metal truck. The next day, the girl
allegedly admitted that she had had intercourse with three boys, once
with a man she met at a youth club, the second time at a party where she
said she got very drunk, and the third time with a gypsy, one of the men
found with her in the truck. Their being Scientologists or children of
Scientologists may have had nothing to do with their behavior, but
Scientology was condemned nonetheless.
Another scandal in England which indirectly involved Scientology
occurred in 1964. At that time, two Scientologists, Mary Ann, an
illegitimate daughter of a Scots mill worker, and Robert de Grinston, a
Scientologist, met in Scientology, married, and then left the
Scientology movement.
They began their own group, which they called the "Process," although it
was nicknamed "The Mindbenders" by others, and incorporated a number of
Scientology ideas, including the E-meter.{16} Instead of worshipping
Hubbard, members of the Process worshipped Mary Ann de Grinston, and
many of the members truly believed she was God, a delusion that Mary Ann
and her husband did nothing to discourage.
Mary and Bob lived upstairs in their large home, above the other members
who were living five to six to a room. When they came downstairs, the
Sunday Telegraph in England described, "They descended like Gods. She
was the resident deity. He her consort." Members were so anxious to
please and emulate her, that when she bought an Alsatian dog, everyone
else in the group did also.
By 1966, the Process had moved, Alsatian dogs and all, to Mexico, where
they were living in "paradise," according to them, with no gas,
electricity, sanitation, water, or beds, at a cost of approximately $8 a
day divided among fifteen people. In England, the Daily Express
estimated that over two hundred people had been involved with the
Process at one time or another, and that at least three had suffered
nervous breakdowns.
Although the article in the Daily Express suggested that the group had
dissolved, its obituary was written prematurely. On September 14, 1969,
the Sunday Mirror in England reported that three Americans "with large
dogs" were sailing on the Queen Elizabeth II to join the Process -- now
called "The Final Church of Judgment."{17}
Apparently the Process is still thriving in England. Only now it is
obviously Robert who is the worshipped one. He is called "The Christ of
Carnaby Street." In addition to deifying him, the group worships Satan,
Lucifer, Jehovah and Christ, who are all regarded as having equal
status.
The group also worships sex, and the Sunday Mirror reported that their
magazine, The Process contained articles praising all types of
perversions, stating "let no so-called sin, perversion and depravity
escape your searching senses, participate in all of them to
overflowing." They also suggested a few, such as sex in an alleyway with
people walking in the nearby street, intercourse with a cripple or
halfwit, flagellation, necrophilia, sex in a cemetery, and Black Mass,
which is to be finished by "Divine degredation."
But one of the biggest Scientology scandals in England occurred in 1967.
The Scientologists took a girl into the group, Karen Henslow, who had
been in psychiatric institutions three times during her life (although
the Scientologists claim they do not take people who have a history of
institutionalization.) Miss Henslow had a relapse while in Scientology.
(See Chapter 21)
The British finally began to look into Scientology and into the
complaint letters received by the British Ministry of Health.{18} Mr.
Peter Hordern, MP of Horsham, who had originally brought up the case of
Karen Henslow in Parliament, asked the Minister of Health, then Kenneth
Robinson, to conduct an inquiry into Scientology. Although Robinson
decided not to do so at the time,{19} he did make some rather
unflattering statements about the Scientologists.
Robinson said that they "direct themselves to the weak, the unbalanced,
the immature, the rootless, and the mentally or emotionally unstable,"
and that their "authoritarian principles ... are a potential menace ...
to the personality and well-being of those so deluded as to become its
followers."{20} Although he regretted that he had no power under the
existing laws to prohibit the practice of Scientology, he said that "the
government has concluded that it is so objectionable that it would be
right to take all steps within its power to curb its growth."{21} In
return, the Scientology newspaper Freedom has made some rather
unflattering statements about Kenneth Robinson and his association with
the National Association of Mental Health, which they believe is part of
a vast conspiracy against them.{22}
One step Robinson took to curb the growth of Scientology was to make the
"Hubbard College of Scientology" no longer an educational establishment.
This meant that foreigners and Commonwealth citizens could no longer
enter England to study (or work) there, nor would those who were already
there be given extensions.{23}
David Gaiman, the Scientology spokesman in England, called this move
"another example of ill-intentioned, diabolic, pompous, official
bumbledom;" and said later, "We are certainly no worse than other
minority groups like Jehovah's Witnesses or Plymouth Brethren ... at
this rate [they] will turn around tomorrow and without giving any reason
ban Roman Catholics."{24}
Although this policy of barring Scientologists was rigidly enforced at
first (and an entire planeload of American Scientologists was turned
back), Scientologists report that enforcement has been rather lax
lately.{25} Perhaps that's because the British have decided to take even
more drastic steps. An inquiry into the Scientology organization is
currently underway.{26}
The decision to set up this inquiry was announced in the House of
Commons on January 27, 1969, by Mr. Richard Crossman, Secretary of State
for Social Services, who also stated that Sir John Foster, QC, would
conduct the inquiry. In view of what was called in Parliament the
"character assassinations"{27} perpetrated by the Scientologists against
those who have previously attacked them (especially in Australia, where
the Scientologists were even said to have sent agents out after those
who opposed them{28}), Sir John Foster's job is not an enviable one.
Mr. Crossman also stated at that time that Sir John Foster would take
evidence for this inquiry privately, and that the witnesses would not be
on oath, because the "kind of evidence we want will be from people of a
nervous nature, who will not face cross-examination or any public
examination."{29} The Scientologists countered this statement by saying
that if they wanted evidence from people of a nervous nature "this
immediately precludes Scientologists who are happy, relaxed, and
purposeful."{30}
While a private inquiry, with no cross-examination and not on oath, may
not be in keeping with most people's idea of English jurisprudence, Mr.
Crossman explained why he chose an inquiry of this sort. It can be
assumed that his final metaphor was an unintentional slur to the
Scientologists.
Unfortunately, the choice is very
limited for the government. We either have to have a formal inquiry
under the Tribunals of Inquiry Evidence ... Act ... or we have to have
the sort which I have proposed. I thought that to use the former would
be to take a sledgehammer to crack a nut.{31}
The Scientologists
stated their opinion of this inquiry, and its nature, in Freedom.
To take executive action against a
Church [banning Scientologists from coming into the country] and then
seven months later hold an inquiry to provide, if it can be found, the
evidence to justify the action is to find guilt without any trial ... to
accept gossip, privately and not on oath may be alright [sic.] to handle
a problem in Bognor Regis, but it is not ethical to conduct a private
smear campaign against 150,000 people in the British Isles.... This is
the way a witch hunt begins, this is the way a police state gets into
operation, and this is the way in which men, Callaghan, Crossman and
Robinson attempt to back up their poor faulty judgment and faulty
decision -- taken in the full glare of worldwide publicity -- because
they haven't the grace to admit they were wrong in the first place. This
is gross misuse of Ministerial Office.{32}
The article also
implied that all this was part of a "conspiracy" against Scientology,
and in a later issue of Freedom, they revealed who was part of this
"Anti-Scientology Organization Chart" and "Electric Death Camp
Utopia."{33} They named seven countries with the National Association of
Mental Health in the forefront of almost all of them, and in England,
they also implicated several members of Parliament, Dr. Russell Barton,
a prestigious British psychiatrist, and the News of the World and the
Daily Mail. Both of these papers have written a number of negative
articles on Scientology and Hubbard, and a couple of issues cast doubt
on both his qualifications and his sanity.
The English Scientologists have recently made a number of moves to help
polish their tarnishing image. They ended some of their more criticized
policies, such as security checking and "disconnecting" (to be discussed
later). They also opened Saint Hill Manor to outsiders, for what David
Gaiman said would be "rather like a vicarage tea party."{34}
He promised donkey and pony rides for the children -- and Scientology
films and cartoons for the adults. John McMasters, the first clear (who
is also Hubbard's very eloquent personal spokesman{35}), would speak,
and soft drinks (no alcohol) would be served. David Gaiman stated that
Mr. Robinson was invited, but that he wrote saying he was unable to
attend.{36}
In addition, Scientologists have actively started promoting Dianetics
again, perhaps in anticipation of a prohibition of Scientology, or
possibly to partially dissociate themselves from Scientology while it is
getting negative publicity.{37} Although Scientologists have boasted
that the publicity has actually helped them, certain things suggest that
while this may have been true initially (and there may have been an
initial influx of curiosity-seekers who came to find out what all the
fuss was about), in the long run the publicity may not have done them
much good.
One would expect that if it really had increased their number, the
Scientologists would be anxious to identify themselves and their
services with the group that was getting the publicity. Instead, they
are now emphasizing Dianetics. Last summer, there was no mention of
Scientology in their entire Tottenham Court Road bookshop and the only
books and signs around were about Dianetics. (The Scientologists,
however, seemed to have forgotten to pull down their marquee, which said
"Scientology" on it.)
They are also attempting, perhaps, to win back some of their critics,
such as members of the medical profession. Toward this last goal, one
recent issue of Freedom, which for the first time promoted Dianetics
instead of Scientology, said that people who are sick must receive
medical attention before starting on Dianetics. However, the statement
that "Dianetic Counsellors work very closely with Doctors in
England"{38} would perhaps make many doctors livid.
Scientologists have reason to be concerned right now. If the British
Inquiry has the same results as the Australian one (and it could be even
worse for them, since at the Australian Inquiry, Scientologists were
permitted to be present, witnesses were on oath, and they were
cross-examined), Scientology could be banned in England as well.
Scientologists are understandably bitter about the Australian Report. It
is an incredible denunciation of the Scientologists, and even says that
they have "no worthwhile redeeming features." Almost every paragraph of
the report is a criticism. Where evidence could perhaps have been
interpreted equivocably, either for or against them, it was consistently
interpreted against them.
Hubbard is extremely hostile to the report. According to the Sun, in
England, he claims he was forbidden to appear at the Inquiry, and that
no testimony or witnesses on his behalf were heard.{39} According to the
Inquiry, many of the witnesses were Scientologists and the
Scientologists were represented until they voluntarily withdrew.
The Board also claimed that they repeatedly invited Hubbard to attend
but that he failed to do so. They felt he stayed away purposely so as to
have something to criticize the Board for. They also believed that he
didn't appear because if he had taken the stand and repudiated his
writings, he would have appeared deceitful, and if he had not disowned
them, he stood "condemned by their content." Hubbard, by the way, has
been invited to testify at the British Inquiry. So far he has failed to
show.{40}
Scientologists believe that they were condemned in Australia because
various prominent witnesses "connived to produce hostile evidence."{41}
Furthermore they claim that only four witnesses said Scientology hadn't
helped them, and that they have "affidavits" which show that "one of
these was a blackmailer, the second a professional car thief, the third
was brainwashed by the first two, and the last was intimidated by
terrorism."{42} Since 151 witnesses testified,{43} the Scientologists
argue that if only four people said Scientology hadn't helped them,
Scientology is 97.351 percent effective. They also argue -- although
they claim they are not a form of therapy -- that psychiatry is only
twelve percent effective{44} with eighty-eight percent "maimed for life
or dead."{45}
Actually the Scientologists may be correct in stating that only four
people specifically stated that Scientology hadn't helped them, but a
number of witnesses said things about Scientology that made them look a
lot worse than that, and a great deal of written testimony was
introduced that was even more damaging to them than the verbal
statements.
In addition, among the 151 people that Scientologists said were helped
by Scientology, many were expert witnesses in science, physics,
medicine, psychiatry, etc., who presented evidence, more often against
than for Scientology. (The reader also should not get confused over the
Scientologists' numbers. One hundred fifty-one witnesses gave testimony
at the Australian Inquiry and this was explicitly stated in the report.
The Scientologists seem to think it was 155, because they keep talking
about the 151 witnesses for Scientology plus the four against it. Some
of their other arguments against this Inquiry also suggest that those
who are most outspoken against it, did not read it very carefully.)
Finally, the Scientologists also argue that the report is unfair because
the psychiatrists who testified against Scientology were incapable of
judging it inasmuch as they had never personally treated a
Scientologist.{46} But Scientologists are not permitted to undergo
psychiatric treatment,{47} so few psychiatrists would have had the
opportunity to treat them. In addition, many of these psychiatrists read
transcripts or descriptions of sessions so they had something to base
their opinions on. (It appears that some may have also watched the
sessions through a two-way mirror.) And finally, to say that psychiatric
opinion on the merits of a certain type of treatment is worthless
because the psychiatrists hadn't personally treated the person involved
is not much different from saying that a ballistic expert cannot be
called in a court trial because he didn't personally know the man who
shot the gun.
One thing no one can argue about -- a lot of testimony was produced.
Kevin Anderson, QC, now Justice Anderson of the Supreme Court of
Victoria{48} spent 160 days listening to four million words totalling
8,921 pages of testimony,{49} or, as the Scientologists put it "not much
shorter than the Nuremberg trials."{50} Some of this was condensed into
a very-difficult-to-obtain (fortunately for the Scientologists) 201-page
report, which makes repeated references to the depravity and perversions
they claimed existed in the Scientology movement. (It also keeps
promising that more information on this will be included in Appendix 19,
and so the fingers eagerly fly to the back of the report only to
discover with much sadness that there is no Appendix 19. It was not
included because the various members of the government considered it to
be "obscene."{51})
On the basis of the testimony, the report concluded that "Scientology is
evil; its techniques evil; its practice a serious threat to the
community, medically, morally and socially; and its adherents are sadly
deluded and often mentally ill."
The Victorian Parliament accepted Anderson's conclusion that Scientology
was the "world's largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in
the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental
therapy,"{52} and passed the 1965 "Psychological Practices Act." This
Act, among other things, makes teaching Scientology, applying it, or
even advertising it punishable by up to $500 and two years in jail.{53}
But Scientology seems to be making a comeback in Victoria right now{54}
since they are holding "religious services" for approximately sixty-five
people a week in an unmarked house that is said to contain a "chapel,"
along with the usual pictures of Hubbard, books by Hubbard, Scientology
charts -- and a small box in the entrance asking for donations for
Scientology expansion.
_______________
Notes:
{1} initial quote [248]
{2} Saint Hill [142]
{3} Road Safety Organizer [180]
{4} Hyde Park; radishes; plants [225]
{5} not a religion [239]
{6} quote on religion [239]
{7} "controlling the operation" [142]
{8} quote on writing books by Hubbard [186]
{9} soliciting children [274]
{10} Hubbard claimed only personal staff; quote on living longer and
traffic [170]
{11} clear town [214]
{12} children can't go out [214, 242]
{13} difficulties they had [214]
{14} Scientology calling homes [198]
{15} shoplifting and immorality [197]
{16} The Process [163, 219]
{17} The Process today [193]
{18} letters of complaints [153]
{19} Robinson refuses inquiry [233]
{20} (21) quote by Robinson [258]
{21} (20) Robinson acts [150, 258]
{22} statements against Robinson [57]
{23} banning foreigners; not a college [227, 224]
{24} quote by Gaiman [217 or 215, 236]
{25} Scientologists say enforcement of ban lax [224]
{26} inquiry decision [259]
{27} "character assassination" [259]
{28} Australian harrassment [257]
{29} quote on nervous people [259]
{30} Scientology quote [57]
{31} Crossman quote [259]
{32} Scientology reply [57]
{33} conspiracy revealed [57]
{34} opening St. Hill [236]
{35} McMasters personal spokesman of Hubbard [75]
{36} Robinson not coming [217a]
{37} promoting Dianetics [178]
{38} Dianetics & Doctors [64]
{39} (40) why not attending [261]
{40} (39) Hubbard not attending [204]
{41} witnesses connived [57]
{42} 4 hostile witnesses [54]
{43} 151 witnesses for it [54]
{44} psychiatry [128] {ambiguous citation}
{45} effective [54]
{46} psychiatrists didn't treat Scientologist [6]
{47} can't go to psych. [120]
{48} Justice Anderson [270]
{49} amount of testimony [261]
{50} Nuremberg trials [60]
{51} Appendix 19 [243]
{52} Anderson quote [261]
{53} Psych. Prac. Act [282]
{54} current comeback [245]
Extraneous citation notes:
{55} fn Robinson threatens suit [183]
{56} Scientology welcomes it [62]
{57} allegations against attorney [262]
{58} House of Commons additional debate [259]
{59} quote by Hordern [257]
{60} 151 witnesses [261]
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