The on-again-off-again Oxford University lecture by Adolph von Thadden, deputy leader of the West German neo-Nazi National Democratic Party, scheduled several times for tomorrow, is off once more.
His latest invitation — after earlier cancellations of bids for his appearance made by the Oxford Liberal Club and the university’s Conservative Club — had been issued by the undergraduate Cosmos Club, a society “devoted to the principles of the United Nations.” Today, Serge Lourie, president of Cosmos, announced that the Clarendon Press Institute, owners of the hall where von Thadden was to have lectured tomorrow, has cancelled the booking of the auditorium.
The university’s senior proctor, Dr. Robin Fletcher, issued a statement today saying that the proctors have decided that the meeting could not take place in the absence of a suitable site. Prior to these latest developments, both the World Jewish Congress office in London and the British Labor Zionist Party had issued sharp protests against the scheduled appearance of von Thadden.
A delegation representing the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women today visited David Ennals, Parliamentary Under-secretary of the British Home Office, and expressed concern over the possibility of a visit by von Thadden to this country.
The delegation pointed out the “extreme right-wing policies of the NDP” and requested that the Government give due consideration to the implications of permitting von Thadden to enter Britain to act as spokesman for the NDP’s program.
Mr. Ennals assured the delegation that “fullest consideration has been given and will continue to be given” to any proposed von Thadden visit. He said the Government would consider carefully von Thadden’s background and affiliations, the source of any invitation extended to him, his announced program, and the country’s possible reaction to such a visit.
Although the invitations for lectures by von Thadden in England have, thus far, been issued only by student groups at Oxford — albeit the bids had to be canceled — there was no certainty that some other British group might not seek to have him appear on some platform or other.
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