HCO Exec Ltr: The Melbourne Enquiry Into Scientology

HUBBARD COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
Saint Hill Manor, East Grinstead, Sussex

HCO EXECUTIVE LETTER OF 6 OCTOBER 1965¹

Remimeo
BPI

TO: ANYONE INTERESTED

FROM: RON

SUBJECT: THE MELBOURNE ENQUIRY INTO SCIENTOLOGY

Regarding the opposition party “enquiry” into Scientology in the State Parliament in Melbourne and its “findings” the following story was written in reply by L. Ron Hubbard, Founder of Scientology.

Does a Man in the 20th Century have a right to write what he believes to be the truth?

I am a philosopher and a writer. I am not a psychiatrist and have no degrees for it. I am not a psychologist, and there are no degrees for that. I am a philosopher by trade and I do have a degree for that.

In a long lifetime I have always written what I believed to be true and I am afraid, will continue to do so. Some millions of my books have been bought, so there are many who think as I do — that Man is basically good, and that he deserves help.

And organization has grown up to forward my work. People read my books and come to me and somebody has to help me care for them. Any money they receive from people, they use in helping people. I do not get it as I do not need it. Even my book royalties have all been used in this work. These are decent people. They are only trying to help others. Nobody is getting rich. On the contrary, they are rather badly paid. A lot of money can be totalled up but then, it’s a big organization across the world and it costs money to run it. What I own I bought myself and have loaned or given the organizations more money than they have ever paid back.

The lot of philosophers is often a hard one. They think new thoughts and advance new ideas and these are resisted by the old, quite naturally. But the world must go on, must progress. The normal lot of any philosopher is to be fried during his lifetime and either exalted or forgotten after he is dead. This matters little to me. My trade is that of a writer of philosophy and the issue is, do I have a right to say what I believe is true? And do people have a right to believe what they wish to believe?

McCarthyism has many faces. It is still abroad today.

The “enquiry” that dragged on for years in Melbourne was in fact no more than a “Kangaroo Court”. They had their conclusions drawn long before they held the first hearing.

In England this “enquiry” would have been laughed out of existence. It was quite illegal in its conduct under common law. And I’m afraid the Q.C. would have been disbarred.

Consider these points. The opposition witnesses held secret meetings before the hearings to agree upon their testimony. They even kept minutes of those meetings and I have a copy. Although the Profumo² witnesses are still in jail for doing just that in England the Q.C. in Australia and their parliament shrugged it off.

The court transcript is illegible and contains enough errors to make it senseless.

And finally, I was not permitted to appear in defense of my writings. Our solicitors [Nossic] and Norris of Melbourne petitioned their justice department and were refused. They petitioned the enquiry and were refused.  They urged the hearing be held in England since I was not permitted to go to Australia. And this was refused.

These and many other errors give one a picture of a confused scene. And the findings, based on no facts, are at best an hysterical outburst.

Well, Australia is young. In 1942 as the senior US naval officer in Northern Australia by a fluke of fate I helped save them from the Japanese. For the sake of Scientologists there, I will go on helping them. They have a lot to learn.

I feel sorry for them. They are afraid.

Fifteen years ago my writings were ridiculed by the various vested interests. But as time has gone on these interests have felt more challenged and have now issued what amounts to a self condemnation.

Socrates said, “Philosophy is the greatest of the Arts and it ought to be practiced.”

I intend to keep on writing it and practicing it and helping others as I can.

The dark ages have not yet returned. The three witches burned at the stake for “heresy” who lie buried in our East Grinstead Church cemetery are not forgotten.  That example of barbarism helped push form the shores of England tyranny over men’s minds. The members of the enquiry in Australia are members of the same Church that burned the witches in our High Street.

Let us be thankful that this desire to persecute is now 12,500 miles away from us.

I will continue to write what I think and believe. And will go on until lightning strikes or the atom bomb comes. And I hope a Man’s right to do that is still his right in this our times.

End of story.

L. RON HUBBARD

LRH:ml
Copyright (c) 1965
by L. Ron Hubbard
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Notes