STARTING A PRINTING WORKSHOP
Leaflets, posters, newsletters, pamphlets and other printed matter are important to any revolution. A printing workshop is a definite need in all communities, regardless of size. It can vary from a garage with a mimeograph machine to a mammoth operation complete with printing presses and fancy photo equipment.
With less than a hundred dollars and some space, you can begin this vital service. It’ll take a while before you get into printing greenbacks, phony identification papers and credit cards like the big boys, but to walk a mile you must start with one step as Gutenberg once said.
Paper
The standard size for paper is 8½” × 11”. It comes 500 sheets to a “ream” and 10 reams to a case. You want a 16-20 bond weight sheet. The higher weights are better if you are printing on both sides. You can purchase what are termed “odd lots” from most paper companies. This means that the colors will be assorted and some sheets will be frayed at the edges or wrinkled. Odd lots can be purchased at great discounts. Some places sell paper this way for 10% of the original price and for leaflets, different colors help. Check this out with paper suppliers in your area.
Ink
Inks come in pastes and liquids and are available in stationary stores and office supply houses. Each machine requires its own type ink, so learn what works best with the one you have. Colored ink is slightly more expensive but available for most machines.
Stencils
Each machine uses a particular size and style stencil. If you get stuck with the wrong kind and can’t get out to correct the mistake, you can punch extra holes in the top, trim them with a scissors if they are too big or add strips of tape to the sides if too narrow.
Be sure and use only the area that will fit on the paper you are using. Most stencils can be used for paper larger than standard size. Stencils will “cut” a lot neater if an electric typewriter is used. If you only have access to e manual machine, remove the ribbon so the keys will strike the stencil directly. A plastic sheet, provided by the supplier, can be inserted between the stencil and its backing to provide sharper cuts by the keys. If you hold the stencil up to a light, you should be able to clearly see the typing. If you can’t, you’ll have to apply more pressure.
Sketches can be done with a ball point pen or special stylus directly on the stencil. If you’re really rushed, or there isn’t that much info to get on the leaflet, you can hand-print the text using these instruments. Take care not to tear the stencil.
Mimeograph Machines
The price of a new mimeograph runs from $200 to $1200, depending on how sophisticated a machine you need and can afford. A.B. Dick and Gestetner are the most popular brands. Many supply houses have used machines for sale.
Check the classified section for bargains. See if any large corporations are moving, going out of business or have just had a fire. Chances are they’ll be unloading printing equipment at cheap prices. Campaign offices of losing candidates often have mimeos to unload in November. Many supply houses have renting and leasing terms that you might be interested in considering. Have an idea of the work load and type of printing you’ll be handling before you go hunting. Talk to someone who knows what they’re doing before you lay down a lot of cash on a machine.
Duplicators
We prefer duplicators to mimeos even though the price is a little higher. They work faster, are easier to operate and print clearer leaflets. The Gestener Silk Screen Duplicator is the best bet. It turns out stuff almost as good as offset printing. You can do 10 thousand sheets an hour in an assortment of colors.
Electronic Stencils
If you use electronic stencils you can do solid lettering, line drawings, cartoons and black and white pictures with good contrast. To make an electronic stencil, you map out on a sheet of paper everything you want printed. This is a photo process, so make sure only what you want printed shows up on the sheet. You can use a light blue pencil for guide lines as it won’t photograph, but be neat anyway. Printing shops will cut a stencil on a special machine for about $3.00.
The Gestefax Electronic Stencil Cutter can be leased or rented in the same way as the duplicator. If you are doing a lot of printing for a number of different groups, this machine will eliminate plenty of hassle. The stencils cost about 20¢ each and take about fifteen minutes to make.
If you have an electronic stencil cutter, duplicator, electric typewriter and a cheap source of paper, you can do almost any printing job imaginable. Have a dual rate system: one for community groups and another for regular business orders. You can use the profits to go towards the purchasing of more equipment and to build toward the day when you can get your own offset press.
Silk Screening
Posters banners and shirts that are unbelievable can be printed by this exciting method. The process is easy to learn and teach. You’ll need a fairly large area to work in since the posters have to be hung up to dry. Pick up any inexpensive paperback book on silk screening. The equipment costs less than $50.00 to begin. Once you get good at it, you can print complicated designs in a number of different colors, including portraits.
UNDERGROUND NEWSPAPERS
Food conspiracies, bust trusts, people’s clinics and demonstrations are all part of the new Nation, but if asked to name the most important institution in our lives, one would have to say the underground newspaper. It keeps tuned in on what’s going on in the community and around the world. Values, myths, symbols, and all the trappings of our culture are determined to a large extent by the underground press. Each office serves as a welcome mat for strangers, a meeting place for community organizers and a rallying force to fight pig repression. There are probably over 500 regularly publishing with readerships running from a few hundred to over 500,000. Most were started in the last three years. If your scene doesn’t have a paper, you probably don’t have a scene together. A firmly established paper can be started on about $2,500. Plan to begin with eight pages in black and white with a 5,000 copy run. Each such issue will cost about $300 to print. You should have six issues covered when you start. Another $700 will do for equipment. Offset printing is what you’ll want to get from a commercial printing establishment.
You need some space to start, but don’t rush into setting up a storefront office until you feel the paper’s going to be successful. A garage, barn or spare apartment room will do just fine. Good overhead fluorescent lighting, a few long tables, a bookcase, desk, chairs, possibly a phone and you are ready to start.
Any typewriter will work, but you can rent an IBM Selectric typewriter with a deposit of $120.00 and payments of $20.00 per month. Leasing costs twice as much, but you’ll own the machine when the payments are finished. The Selectric has interchangeable type that works on a ball system rather than the old-fashion keys. Each ball costs $18.00, so by getting a few you can vary the type the way a printer does.
A light-table can make things a lot easier when it comes to layout. Simply build a box (3’ × 4’ is a good size, but the larger the better) out of ½” plywood. The back should be higher than the front to provide a sloping effect. The top should consist of a shelf of frosted glass. Get one strong enough to lean on. Inside the box, attach two fluorescent light fixtures to the walls or base. The whole light table should cost less than $25.00. That really is about all you need, except someone with a camera, a few good writers who will serve as reporters, an artistic person to take care of layout, and someone to hassle printing deals, advertising and distribution. Most people start by having everyone do everything.
Layout
A tabloid size paper is 9 7/8” × 14 5/8” with an inch left over on each side for margins. Columns typically are 3 ¼” allowing for three per page. Experience has found that this size is easy to lay out and more importantly, easy to read.
There is an indirect ratio between readability and academic snobbishness. Avoid the textbook look. Remember, the New York Times in its low form represents the Death Kulture.
Start off with a huge collection of old magazines and newspapers. You can cut up all sorts of letters, borders, designs and sketches and paste them together to make eye-catching headlines. Sheets of headline type are available in different styles from art stores for $1.25 a sheet. Buy one of each type and then photograph several copies of each, bringing the price way down. The basic content in the prescribed column size should be banged out on the IBM. The columns can be clipped together with a clothespin to avoid confusion. Use a good heavy bond white opaque paper.
All black and white photographs from newspapers and magazines can be used directly. Color pictures can also be used but it’s tricky and you’ll have to experiment a little to get an understanding of what colors photograph poorly.
Glossy black and white photographs must be shot in half tones to keep the grey areas. You can have them processed at any photo lab. You might also need the photo lab for enlargements or reductions, so make contact and establish a good working relationship.
An Exacto knife is available for 29¢ and you can get a package of 100 blades for $10.00. A few metal rulers, a good pair of scissors, some spray adhesive or rubber cement and you’re ready to paste the pages that will make up the “dummy” that goes to the printer. Each page is laid out on special layout sheets with faint blue guide lines that don’t photograph. Any large art supply store sells these sheets and all the other supplies.
By working over a light-table, the paste-up can be done more professionally.
Experiment with many different layouts for each page before finally pasting up the paper. Don’t have a picture in the corner and the rest solid columns. Print can be run over pictures and sketches by preparing two sheets for that page and shooting background in half-tones. The columns don’t have to be run straight up and down, but can run at different angles. The most newsworthy articles should be towards the front of the paper. The centerfold can be treated in an exciting manner. A good idea is to do the centerfold so that it can be used as a poster to put on a wall after the paper is read. If you have ads, they should be kept near the back. The masthead, which gives the staff, mailing address, and similar info, goes near the front. Your focus should be the local activities. A section should be reserved for a directly of local services and events. People giving things away should have a section. The rest really depends on the life style and politics of the staff.
National stories can be supplied by one or more of the news services. Nothing in the underground press is copyrighted, so you can reprint an interesting article from another paper. It’s customary to indicate what paper printed it first, or news service it was sent out by. Any underground paper has permission to reprint hunks of this book.
Ads
Most papers find it necessary to get some advertising to help defray the production costs. Some rely totally on subscription; some are outgrowths of organizations and still others are printed up and just handed out free. The ones with ads seem to have the longest life. Make up an ad rate before you put out the first issue. Ads are measured in inches of length. The width is understood by everyone to be the width of the column. If you use the 3¼” column, however, you’ll want to let potential advertisers know you have wide columns.
The way to arrive at a reasonable rate is to estimate the total budget for each issue (adding some for overhead and labor), then each page and finally each column inch. After a little arithmetic you can get a good estimate of your printing cost per inch. Using our figures throughout this section, it should come to about $2.00 per inch. Double this figure and you’ll arrive at the correct rate per advertising inch—$4.00. There should be special lower rates for large ads, such as half or full pages. There should also be a special arrangement for a continuous subscriber. If you have a classified section, another rate based on number of words or lines is constructed. A service charge is fixed if you make up the ad layout rather than the advertiser. The whole formula should be worked out and printed up before you lay out the first issue.
The best place to get advertising is locally. Theaters, hip clothing stores, ice cream parlors, and record stores are among the type of advertisers you should approach. After you build up a circulation, you might want to seek out national advertisers. The Underground Press Syndicate, Box 26, Village Station, New York, NY 10014, can be joined for $25.00, no dues thereafter. They try to get national ads for you in addition to sending out a newsletter, a news service, and making sure you get free subscriptions to the other underground papers. The U.P.S. can also do many other things for you, like list you in their directory, obtain legal advice, and bring you together with other underground papers for mutual benefit and defense. Another way to get national advertising is to see who tends to advertise in other underground papers. Send the publicity department of these companies letters and samples of your paper. Never let ads make up more than half the paper.
Distribution
At the beginning you should aim for a bi-weekly paper with a gradual increase in the number of pages. The price should be about 25¢. Check out the local laws about selling papers on the street. It’s probably allowed and is a neat way to get the paper around. Give half to the street hawkers. Representatives at high schools and colleges should be sought out. Bookstores and newsstands are good places to distribute. After your paper gets going well, you might try for national distribution. The Cosmep Newsletter is put out by the Committee of Small Magazines, Editors and Publishers, PO Box 1425, Buffalo, NY 14214. In addition to good tips if you want to start a small literary magazine or publish your own book, they provide an up-to-date list of small stores around the country that would be likely to carry your paper. Subscriptions should be sought in the paper itself. If you get a lot, check out second class mailing privileges. UPS can help with out-of-city distribution.
If you’re in a smaller town, you might have to shop around or go to another city to get printing done. Many printers print only pig swill, which brings up the point of getting busted for obscenity which can be pretty common. You probably should incorporate, but contact a sympathetic lawyer before you put out your first issue.
During the summer there are usually a few alternative media conferences organized by one group or another. You can pick up valuable information and exchange ideas at these gatherings. UPS and the news services will keep you posted. Good luck and write on!
HIGH SCHOOL PAPERS
The usual high school paper is run by puppet lackeys of the administration. It avoids controversy, naughty language, and a host of other things foreign to the 4-H Club members the school is determined to mass produce. The only thing the staff is good at is kissing the principal’s ass. Let’s face it, the aim of a good high school newspaper should be to destroy the high school. Publishing and distributing a heavy paper isn’t going to earn you the Junior Chamber of Commerce good citizenship award. You might have to be a little mysterious about who the staff is until you understand the ground rules and who controls the ballpark ¾ the people or the principal.
Many schools do not allow papers to be handed out on the school premises.
These cases are generally won by the newspapers that take the school to court.
You can challenge the rule and make the administration look like the dinosaurs they are by distributing sheets of paper with only your logo and the school rule printed. By gaining outside publicity for the first distribution of the paper, you might put the administration up tight about clamping down on you. It might be difficult to explain in civics class when they get to the freedom of the press stuff.
Your paper should have one purpose in mind¾to piss off the principal and radicalize the students. If you run into problems, seek out a sympathetic lawyer.
You can get a helpful pamphlet from the ACLU, 156 5th Ave., New York, NY 10010, called Academic Freedom in the Secondary Schools for 25¢.
Tell your lawyer about the most recent (July 10, 1970) decision of the United States District Court in Connecticut which ruled that the high school students of Rippowan High School in Stanford can publish independent newspapers without having the contents screened in advance by school officials.
The same info for underground papers applies to high school rags, only the price should be much less if not free. To begin with, you might just mimeograph the first few issues before trying photo-offset printing. It is very important to get the readers behind you in case you have to go to war with the administration in order to survive. Maintain friendships with above ground reporters, the local underground paper and radical community groups for alliances.
G.I. PAPERS
A heavier scene than even the high schools exists in No-No Land of the military.
None-the-less, against incredible odds, courageous G.I.’s both here and overseas have managed to put out a number of underground newspapers. If you are a G.I. interested in starting a paper, the first thing to do is seek out a few buddies who share your views on the military and arrange a meeting, preferably off the base. Once you have your group together, getting the paper published will be no problem. Keeping your staff secret, you can have one member contact with someone from a G.I. coffee house, anti-war organization or nearby underground newspaper. This civilian contact person will be in a position to raise the bread and arrange the printing and distribution of the paper. You can write one of the national G.I. newspaper organizations listed at the end of this section if you are unable to find help locally. The paper should be printed off the base. Government equipment should be avoided.
Correspondence and subscriptions can be solicited through the use of a post office box. Such a box is inexpensive and secret (at least that’s what the G.I. papers now publishing report) from military snoopers up tight about bad publicity if they get caught spying. If you are mailing the paper to other G.I.’s use first class mail and a plain envelope. This is advice to anybody sending stuff to a G.I.
The mail is handled by “lifers” who will report troublemakers to their C.O. (Commanding Officer) if they notice anti-war slogans on envelopes or dirty commie rags coming their way.
You’ll want to publish stuff relevant to the lives of the G.I.’s on your base. News of demonstrations, articles on the war, racism, counter-culture and vital info on how to bug the higher-ups and get out of the military service are all good. Get samples of other newspapers already in operation to get the flavor of writing that has become popular.
Distributing the paper is really more of a problem than the publishing. Here you run smack into Catch 22, which says, “no printed matter may be distributed on a military base without prior written permission of the commanding officer.” No such permit has been granted in military history. A few court battles have had limited success and you should go through the formality of obtaining a permit.
Send the first issue of the paper to your C.O. with a cover letter stating where and when you intend to distribute the paper on the base. In no part of the application should you list your names. Have a civilian, preferably a civil liberties lawyer, sign the declaration of intent. If more info is requested, go over it with the lawyer before responding, Natch, they’re going to want to know who you are and where you get your bread, but fuck ’em. Whether or not you get a permit or have a successful court battle is pretty academic. If the military pigs catch you handing out an underground paper on the base, you’re headed for trouble. Use civilian volunteers from your local peace group in as many public roles as possible. They’ll be glad to help out.
Print and distribute as many copies as you can rather than concentrating on an expensively printed paper with numerous pages. The very existence of the paper around the base is the most important info the paper can offer. Leave some in mess halls, theaters, benches, washrooms, and other suitable spots. Off base get the paper to sympathetic reporters, coffee houses, colleges and the like.
Outside U.S.O. centers and bus terminals are a good place to get the paper out.
Rely on donations, so you can make the paper free. Get it together. Demand the right to join the army of your choice. The People’s Army! As Joe Hill said in one of his songs, “Yes, I’ll pick up a gun but I won’t guarantee which way I’ll point it.”
NEWS SERVICES
Aside from UPS, which is the association of papers, there are five news services that we know of that you might be interested in subscribing to for national stories, photos, production ideas, news of other papers and general movement dope.
LNS is the best known. It sends out packets once a week that include about thirty pages with original articles, eye-witness reports, reprints from foreign papers and photographs. They tend to be heavily political rather than cultural and view themselves as molders of ideology rather than strictly a service organization of the underground papers. A subscription costs $15.00 per month, but if you’re just starting out they are good about slow payments and such.
You should get in the habit of sending special articles, in particular eye-witness accounts of events that other papers might use, to one or more of the news services for distribution. If you hear of an important event that you would like to cover in your newspaper, call the paper in that area for a quick report. They might send you photos if you agree to reciprocate.
• LIBERATION NEWS SERVICE-160 Claremont Ave., New York, N.Y. 10027 (212) 749-2200
• COLLEGE PRESS SERVICE-1779 Church St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 387-7575
• CHICANO PRESS ASSOCIATION-La Raza, Box 31004, Los Angeles, California 90031
• G.I. PRESS SERVICE-Rm 907, 1029 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20005
• FREE RANGER INTERTRIBAL NEWS SERVICE-Box 26, Village Station, N.Y., N.Y. 10014 (212) 691-6973
A complete and up-to-date list of G.I. underground papers can be obtained by writing to G.I. Press Service, 1029 Vermont Ave., NW, Rm 907, Washington, D.C. 20005. G.I. Alliance provides excellent national newsletters with all sorts of ways to fuck up the Army. Write G.I. Alliance, PO Box 9087, Washington, D.C. 20003. The phone is (202) 544-1654. American Serviceman’s Union, 156 5th Avenue, New York, N.Y., 10010 will also help, as well as provide legal and medical aid to G.I.’s.
A complete and up to date list of Chicano underground papers can be obtained by writing to Chicano Press Association, La Raza, Box 31004, Los Angeles, California 90031.
The Young Lords Organization paper Palante can be obtained by writing to Young Lords Party, Ministry of Finance, 1678 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10029. It’s $5.75 for 24 issues.
The Black Panther Party paper can be obtained by writing to Black Panther Party, Ministry of Information, Box 2967, Custom House, San Francisco, Calif. 94126. It’s $7.50 for 52 issues.
THE UNDERGROUND PRESS
• ALBION’S VOICE, Box 9033, Savannah, Ga. 31401 $4/yr.
• AMAZING GRACE, 212 W. College Ave. Tallahassee, Fla. $6/26 issues.
• ANGRY CITY PRESS, 14016 Orinoco Ave., E. Cleveland, Ohio 44112
• ANN ARBOR ARGUS, 708 Arch St., Ann Arbor, Mich. 48104 $3/yr.
• AQUARIAN ORACLE, 8003 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A., Calif. .50/iss.
• AQUARIAN TIMES, 331 Forest Acres Shipping Ctr., Easley, S.C. 29640
• AQUARIAN WEEKLY, 292 Main St., Hackensack, N.J.
• ASTRAL PROJECTION, Box 4383, Albuquerque, N. Mex. 87106
• AUGUR, 207 Ransom Bldg., 115 E. 11th Ave., Eugene, Ore. 97401
• BARD OBSERVER, Box 76, Bard College, Annandale-on-the Hudson, N.Y. 12504
• BERKELEY BARB, Box 1247, Berkeley, Calif. 94715 $6/yr.
• BERKELEY TRIBE, Box 9049, Berkeley, Calif. 94709 $8/
• BOTH SIDES NOW, 10370 St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville, Fla. 32217 $2/12 iss.
• BROADSIDE/FREE PRESS, Box 65, Cambridge, Mass. 02139 $4.50/yr.
• BURNING RIVER NEWS, 12027 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44112 $5/yr.
• CHINOOK, 1452 Pennsylvania St., Denver, Col., 80203 $6/50 iss.
• THE CLAM COMMUNITY LIBERATOR, Box 13101, St. Petersburg, Fla. 33733
• COME OUT, Box 92, Village Station, New York, N.Y. 10014, $6.50/12 iss.
• COUNTRY SENSES, Box 465, Woodbury, Conn. 06798 $5/yr.
• CREEM, 3729 Cass Ave., Detroit, Mich. 48201 $5/24 iss.
• DAILEY PLANET, Suite 2-3514 S. Dixie Hwy., Coconut Grove, Fla. 33133 $5/yr.
• DALLAS NOTES, Box 7140, Dallas, Texas 75209 $5/yr.
• DIFFERENT DRUMMER, Box 2638, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 $2/14 iss.
• DISTANT DRUMMER, 420 South St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147 $7/yr.
• DOOR TO LIBERATION, Box 2022, San Diego, Calif. 92112 $4/26 iss.
• DWARFF, Box 26, Village Station, N.Y., N.Y. 10014
• EAST VILlAGE OTHER, 20 E. 12 St., N.Y., N.Y. 10003 $6/yr.
• EL GRITO DEL NORTE, Box 466, Fairview Station, Espanola, N.M. $4/yr.
• EYE OF THE BEAST, Box 9218, Tampa, Fla. 33604
• FERAFERIA, Box 691, Altadena, Calif. 91001 $4/13 iss.
• FIFTH ESTATE, 1107 W. Warren, Detroit, Mich. 48201 $3.75/yr.
• FILMMAKERS NEWSLETTER, 80 Wooster St., N.Y., N.Y. 10012
• FREEDOM NEWS, Box 1087, Richmond, Calif. 94801 $2.50/12 iss.
• FREE SPAGHETTI DINNER, Box 984, Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060 $4/yr.
• FREE YOU, 117 University Ave., Palo Alto, Calif. 94301 $6/yr.
• FUSION, 909 Beacon St., Boston, Mass. 02215 $5/yr.
• GEST, Box 1079, Northland Center, Southfield, Mich. 48075 $2/yr.
• GREAT SPECKLED BIRD, Box 54495, Atlanta, Ga. 30308 $6/yr.
• GREENFEEL, Jms Madison Law Inst., 4 Patchin Pl., N.Y., N.Y. 10011
• GUARDIAN, 32 W. 22 St., N.Y. N.Y. 10010
• HAIGHT-ASHBURY TRIBUNE, 1778 Haight St., San Francisco, Calif. 94117 $10/yr.
• HARRY, 233 East 25th St., Baltimore, Md., 21218 $4/yr.
• INDIANAPOLIS FREE PRESS, Box 225, Indianapolis, Ind. 46206 $5/26 iss.
• INQUISITION, Box 3882, Charlotte, N.C. 28203 $2/6 iss.
• KALEIDOSCOPE, Box 5457, Milwaukee, Wisc. 53211 $5/26 iss.
• KUDZU, Box 22502, Jackson, Miss. 39205 $4/yr.
• LAS VEGAS FREE PRESS, Box 14096, Las Vegas, Nev. 89114 $7/yr.
• LEFT FACE, Box 1595, Anniston, Ala. 36201
• LIBERATION, 339 Lafayette St., N.Y. 10012
• LIBERATION NEWS SERVICE, 160 Claremont Ave., N.Y. 10027 $15/mth.
• LIBERATOR, Box 1147, Morgantown, W. Virginia 26505
• LONGBEACH FREE PRESS, 1255 E. 10, Long Beach, Ca. 90813 $6/25 iss.
• LOS ANGELES FREE PRESS, 7813 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, Ca. 90036 $6/yr.
• MADISON KALEIDOSCOPE, Box 881, Madison, Wisc. 53701 $5/yr.
• MARIJUANA REVIEW, Calif. Instit. of Arts, 7500 Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, Calif. 91504
• MEMPHIS ROOT, Box 4747, Memphis, Tenn. 38104 $3.50/yr.
• METRO, 906 W. Forest, Detroit, Mich. 48202 $4/yr.
• MODERN UTOPIAN, P.0. Drawer A; Diamond Hts. Sta., S.F., Ca. 94131 $4/yr.
• MOTHER EARTH NEWS, Box 38 Madison, Ohio 44057 $5/yr
• NEWS FROM NOWHERE, Box 501, Dekalb, Ill. 60115 $5/yr.
• NEW PRAIRIE PRIMER, Box 726, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613 $4/20 iss.
• NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE, 110 St. Marks Place, N.Y. $5/lifetime
• NOLA EXPRESS, Box 2342, New Orleans, La. 70116 $3/yr.
• NORTH CAROLINA ANVIL, Box 1148, Durham, N.C. 27702 $7.50/yr.
• NORTHWEST PASSAGE, Box 105, Fairhaven Sta., Bellingham, Wash. 98225 $5/yr.
• OLD MOLE, 2 Brookline St., Cambridge, Mass. 02139 $5/20 iss.
• ORACLE OF SAN FRANCISCO, 1764 Haight St., San Francisco, Ca. 94117
• OTHER SCENES, Box B, Village Station, N.Y. 10014 $6/yr.
• OTHER VOICE, c/o Why Not Inc., Box 3175, Shreveport, La. 71103 $5/yr.
• PAPER WORKSHOP, 6 Helena Ave., Larchmont, N.Y. 10538 $4/yr.
• PEOPLES DREADNAUGHT, Box 1071, Beloit, Wisc.
• PHILADELPHIA FREE PRESS, Box 1986, Philadelphia, Pa. 19105
• PROTEAN RADISH, Box 202, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514 $8/yr.
• PROVINCIAL PRESS, Madala Print Shop, Box 1276, Spokane, Wash. 99210 $5/yr.
• QUICKSILVER TIMES, 1736 R St., N.W. Wash., D.C. 20009 $8/yr.
• RAG, 2330 Guadalupe, Austin, Tex. 78705 $7.50/yr.
• RAT, 241 E. 14 St., N.Y. 10009 $6/yr.
• REBIRTH, Box 729, Phoenix, Ariz. 85001
• RISING UP ANGRY, Box 3746, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, Ill. 60654 $5/yr.
• ROOSEVELT TORCH, 430 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60605
• SAN DIEGO STREET JOURNAL, Box 1332, San Diego, Calif. 92112
• SECOND CITY, c/o The Guild, 2136 N. Halsted, Chicago, Ill. 60614 $6/26 iss.
• SECOND COMING, Box 491 Ypsilanti, Mich. 48197
• SEED, 950 W. Wrightwood, Chicago, Ill. 60614 $6/yr.
• SPACE CITY, 1217 Wichita, Houston, Tex. 77004
• SPECTATOR, c/o S. Indiana Media Corp., Box 1216, Bloomington, Ind. 47401
• SUNDANCE, 1520 Hill, Ann Arbor, mich. 48104 $3.50/yr.
• UPROAR, 44 Wimbleton Lane, Great Neck, N.Y. 11023
• VIEW FROM THE BOTTOM, 632 State St., New Haven, Conn. 06510 $5/20 iss.
• VORTEX, 706 Mass St., Lawrence, Kansas 66044 $5/24 iss.
• WALRUS, Box 2307, Sta. A, Champaign, Ill. 61820
• WATER TUNNEL, Box 136, State College, Pa. 16801 $3/Yr.
• WILLIAMETTE BRIDGE, 6 SW 6th, Portland, Ore. 97209 $5/26 iss.
• WIN, 339 Lafayette St., N.Y. 10012 $5/yr.
• WORKER’S POWER, 14131 Woodward Ave., Highland Park, Mich. 48203 $3.50/yr. USA/UPS ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
• AKWESASNE NOTES, Roosevelton, N.Y. 13683 .50/iss.
• ALESTLE, c/o Paul Gorden, 7404 Tower Lake, Apt. 1D, Edwardsville, Ill. 62025
• ALLIANCE MAGAZINE, Box 229, Athens, Ohio 45701
• ALL YOU CAN EAT, R.P.O. 4949, New Brunswick, N.J. 08903 $3/yr.
• ALLTOGETHER, 44208 Montgomery-33 Palm Desert, Calif. $10/yr.
• ALBION’S VOICE, P.0. Box 9033, Savannah, Ga. 31401 $4/yr.
• AQUARIAN HERALD, Box 83, Virginia Beach, Va. 23458
• ATLANTIS, 204 Oxford, Dayton, Ohio
• BOTH SIDES NOW, 10370 St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville, Fla. 33217 $3.50/12 iss.
• COLLECTIVE, 614 Clark St., Evanston, Ill. 60201
• COME TOGETHER, P.O. Box 163, Encino, Calif. 91316
• CROSSROADS, Hill School, Pottstown, Pa. 19464
• DALLAS NEWS (CORP), P.0. Box 7013, Dallas, Texas 75209 $/24 iss.
• THE D.C. GAZETTE, 109 8th N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 $5/yr.
• EDGE CITY, 116 Standart St., Syracuse, N.Y. 13201 $3/yr.
• EVERYWOMAN, 6516 W. 83 St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90045 $2.50/iss.
• FAIR WITNESS, P.0. Box 7165, 0akland Sta., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15213
• FOX VALLEY KALEIDOSCOPE, Box 252, Oshkosh, Wisc. 54901
• FREE PRESS OF LOUISVILLE, 1438 S. First St., Louisville, Ky. 40208 $6/yr.
• HIGH GAUGE, Box 4491, University, Ala. 35486 $5/Yr.
• THE HIPS VOICE, P.O. Box 5132, Santa Fe, N. Mexico 87501 $5/24 iss.
• HOME NEWS CO., P.O. Box 5263, Grand Central Station, N.Y. 10017
• HUNDRED FLOWERS, Box 7152, Minneapolis, Minn. 55407 $9/yr.
• IT AIN’T ME BABE, c/o W.L. Office Box 6323, Albany, Calif. 94706 $6/yr.
• LIBERATED GUARDIAN, 14 Cooper Sq., New York, N.Y. 10003 $10/yr.
• THE LONG ISLAND FREE PRESS, P.O. Box 162, Westbury, N.Y. 11590 $6/2 yr.
• NEW TIMES, Box J, Temple, Ariz. 85281 $10/52 iss.
• NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND, P.O. Box 15081, San Francisco, Calif. 94115
• OUR TOWN (COLLECTIVE), Box 611, Eau Claire, Wisc.
• PALANTE YLP, 1678 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y.
• PROTOS, 1110 N. Edgemont St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90029 $3/yr.
• PURPLE BERRIES, 449 West Seventh Ave., Columbus Ohio
• REARGUARD, P.O. Box 8115, Mobile, Ala. 36608 $4/yr.
• THE S.S. PENTANGLE, Box 4429, New Orleans, La. 70118 $4/20 iss.
• ST. LOUIS OUTLAW, Box 9501, Cabanne Sta., St. Louis, Mo. 63161
• SUSQUEHANNA BUGLER, 700 Market St., Williamsport, Pa. 17701 .25/iss.
• TASTY COMIX, Box 21101, Wash., D.C. 20009
• THE TIMES NOW, Box 676, Coconut Grove, Fla. 33133
• TUSCON FREE PRESS, Box 3403, College Sta., Tuscon, Ariz. 85716 CANADA/UPS
• ALTERNATE SOCIETY, 10 Thomas St., St. Catharines, Ont. $3.50/12 iss.
• CARILLON, Univ. of Sask. Regina Campus, Regina, Saskatchewan
• CHEVRON, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario $8/yr.
• DIME BAG, 3592 University St., Montreal 130, Que.
• FOURTH ESTATE, 24 Brighton Ct., Fredericton, N.B.
• GEORGIA STRAIGHT, 56A Powell St., Vancouver, 4, B.C. $9/52 iss.
• HARBINGER, Box 751, Stn F, Toronto 285, Ontario $4/26 iss.
• OCTOPUS, Box 1259, Station B, Ottawa, 4 $4.50/26 iss.
• OMPHALOS, 279½ Fort St. No. 4, Winnipeg 1, Manitoba $5/26 iss.
• PRAIRIE FIRE; FOURTH ESTATE, Regina Community Media Project, 210 Northern Crown Bldg. Regina, Sask.
• SWEENEY, 119 Thomas St., Oakville, Ontario $2.50/12 iss. EUROPE/UPS
• Europe/UPS, Box 304, 8025, Zurich, Switzerland
• FIFTH COLUMN, 100 New Cavendish Street, London W1, England
• FRIENDS, 305 Portobello Rd., London W10, England
• HAPT, Flat L, 42 Moore Ave., W. Howe, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England
• HOLLAND HAPT, Keigersstraat 2a, Amsterdam, Holland
• HOTCHAI, Postfach 304-CH 8025, Zurich 25, Switz. $5/yr.
• INTERNATIONAL TIMES, 27 Endell St., London, WC2, Eng. $5/yr.
• KARGADOOR, Oude Gracht 36 bis. Utrecht, Holland
• OEUF, 14 Ch de la Mogeonne, 1293 Bellevue, Geneva Switzerland
• OM, Kaizerstraat 2A, 11et, Amsterdam, Holland, Neth.
• OPS VEDA, 16 Woodholm Rd., Sheffield 11, England
• OZ, 52 Princedale Rd., London W11, England $6/yr.
• PEACE NEWS, 5 Celedonian Rd., Kings Cross, London W1, Eng. $8.50/yr.
• PIANETA FRESCA, 14 Vie Manzoni, Milano, Italy 20121 $1/iss.
• QUINTO LICEO, c/o Tommsaco Bruccoleri, 3, Meadow Place, London, England
• REAL FREE PRESS, Runstraat 31, Amsterdam, Netherlands $1/2 iss.
• RED MOLE, 182 Pentonville Rd., London N1 Eng. $5.50/yr.
• ROTTEN, Huset, Readhusstraede 13, 1466 Copenhagen K. Denmark EUROPEAN ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
• CYCLOPS, 32. St. Petersburg Place, London, W2, Eng. (Comix)
• GRASS EYE, 71 Osbourne Rd., Levenshulme, Manchester 19, Eng.
• MOLE EXPRESS, 19 New Brown St., Manchester 4, Eng.
• PANGGG, Upn-Sippenpresse, d-8500, Nurnberg Kopernikusstr. 4, Germany
• PARIA, c/o Poretti Viavalle Maggia 41, 6600 Locarno, Switz.
• ZIGZAG, Yeoman Cottage, N. Marston, Bucks, England LATIN AMERICA/UPS
• ECO CONTEMPORANEO, C. Correo Central 1933, Buenos Aires, Argentina …Membership list temporarily unavailable.
SWITCHBOARDS
A good way to quickly communicate what’s coming down in the community is to build a telephone tree. It works on a pyramid system. A small core of people are responsible for placing five calls each. Each person on the line in turn calls five people and so on. If the system is prearranged correctly with adjustments made if some people don’t answer the phone, you can have info transmitted to about a thousand people in less than an hour. A slower but more permanent method is to start a Switchboard. Basically, a Switchboard is a central telephone number or numbers that anybody can call night or day to get information. It can be as sophisticated as the community can support. The people that agree to answer the phone should have a complete knowledge of places, services and events happening in the community. Keep a complete updated file. The San Francisco Switchboard (see below) puts out an operator’s manual explaining the organization and operation of a successful switchboard. They will send it out for 12¢ postage. San Francisco has the longest and most extensive Switchboard operation. From time to time there are national conferences with local switchboards sending a rep.
San Francisco
• THE SWITCHBOARD—1830 Fell St., San Francisco, Calif. 94117 (415) 387-3575
• MUSIC SWITCHBOARD—1826 Fell St., San Francisco, Calif. 94117 (415) 387-8008
• MISSION SWITCHBOARD—848 14th St., San Francisco, Calif. 94110 (415) 863-3040
• CHINATOWN EXCHANGE—1042 Grant Ave., San Francisco, Calif. 94108 (415) 421-0943
• THE HELP UNIT—86 3rd St., San Francisco, Calif. 94103 (415) 421-9850
• WESTERN ADDITION SWITCHBOARD—Fell & Fillmore, San Francisco, Calif. (415) 626-8524 California
• CHICO SWITCHBOARD—120 W. 2nd St., Chico, Calif. (916) 342-7546
• EAST OAKLAND SWITCHBOARD—2812 73rd Ave., Oakland, Calif. (415)569-6369
• MARIN MUSIC SWITCHBOARD—1017 “D” St., San Rafael, Calif. (415) 457-2104
• WEST OAKLAND LEGAL SWITCHBOARD—2713 San Pablo, Oakland, Calif. (415) 836-3013
• SWITCHBOARD OF MARIN—1017 “D” St., San Rafael, Calif. (415) 456-5300
• BERKELEY SWITCHBOARD—2389 Oregon, Berkeley, Calif. (415) 549-0649
• SANTA CRUZ SWITCHBOARD—604 River St., Santa Cruz, Calif. (408) 426-8500
• PALO ALTO XCHANGE—457 Kingsley Ave., Palo Alto, Calif. (415) 327-9008
• SAN JOSE SWITCHBOARD—50 S. 4th St., San Jose, Calif. (408) 295-2938
• SANTA BARBARA SWITCHBOARD—6575 Seville, Isla Vista, Calif. (805) 968-3564
• EUREKA SWITCHBOARD—1427 California, Eureka, Calif. (707) 443-8901 & 443-8311
• UC DAVIS SWITCHBOARD—(on campus), UC Davis, Calif. (916) 752-3495
Other Western States
• TURNSTILE—1900 Emerson, Denver, Colorado (303) 623-3445
• BLACKHAWK INFORMATION CENTER—628 Walnut St., Waterloo, Iowa (319) 234-9965
• TAOS SWITCHBOARD—c/o Gen. Del., Taos, New Mexico (505) 758-4288
• PORTLAND SWITCHBOARD—1216 SW Salmon, Portland, Oregon (503) 224-0313
• HOUSTON SWITCHBOARD—108 San Jacinto, Houston, Texas (713) 228-6072
• YOUTH EMERGENCY SERVICE—623 Cedar Ave. So., Minneapolis, Minn. (612) 338-7588 Eastern States
• POWELTON TROUBLE CENTER—222 N. 35th St., Phila., Penna.. (215) 382-6472
• WASHINGTON D.C. SWITCHBOARD—2201 P St. NW, Washington, D.C. (202) 667-4684
• MIAMI CENTER FOR DIALOG—2175 NW 26th St., Miami, Fla. (305) 634-7741
• CANTERBURY HOUSE—330 Maynard S, Ann Arbor, Michigan (313) 665-0606
• THE LISTENING EAR—547 E. Grand River, East Lansing, Michigan (517) 337-1717
• THE ECSTATIC UMBRELLA—3800 McGee Kansas City, Missouri (816) 561-4524
• OPEN CITY—4726 3rd St., Detroit, Michigan (313) 831-2770
• SWITCHBOARD INC.—1722 Summit St., Number 6, Columbus, Ohio (614) 294-6378
• HELP—c/o Marby Beil, 1708 E. Lafayette, Number 5, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (414) 273-5959
• UNITED CHURCH PRESBYTERIAN—181 Mount Horeb Rd., Warren, N.J. (201) 469-5044
• BOSTON SWITCHBOARD—45 Bowdoin St., Boston, Mass. (617) 246-4255
• PROJECT PLACE—37 Rutland St., Boston, Mass.(617)267-5280
• BEVERLY SWITCHBOARD—Beverly Hospital, Beverly, Mass. (617) 922-0000
• FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF ACTON—8 Concord Rd., Acton, Mass. (617) 263-3940
• HALF WAY HOUSE—20 Linwood Sq., Roxbury, Mass. (617) 442-7591
• ACID—13 Linden Ave., Malden, Mass. (617) 342-2218
• PROJECT ASSIST—945 Great Plain Ave., Needham, Mass. (617) 444-1902& 3
• LEXINGTON—ARLINGTON HOT LINE—1912 Mass. Ave., Lexington, Mass. (617) 862-8130&1
• COMMUNITY YOUTH COMMISSION—945 Great Plain Ave., Needham, Mass. (617) 444-1795
• HOT LINE—429 Cherry St., West Newton, Mass. (617) 969-5906
Other Countries
• BINARY INFORMATION TRANSFER—141 Westbourne Park Rd., London W2, England. Ask overseas operator for London 222-8219
• CANADIAN SWITCHBOARD—282 Rue Ste. Catherine, West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (514) 866-2672
For a complete and up-to-date list of switchboards and similar projects around the country, write to San Francisco Switchboard. They need 25 cents to cover postage costs.
LEGAL ADVICE
Any discussion about what to do while waiting fur the lawyer has to be qualified by pointing out that from the moment of arrest through the court appearances, cops tend to disregard a defendant’s rights. Nonetheless, you should play it according to the book whenever possible as you might get your case bounced out on a technicality. When you get busted, rule number one is that you have the right to remain silent. We advise that you give only your name and address.
There is a legal dispute about whether or not you are obligated under the law to do even that, but most lawyers feel you should. The address can be that of a friend if you’re uptight about the pigs knowing where you live.
When the pigs grab you, chances are they are going to insult you, rough you up a little and maybe even try to plant some evidence on you. Try to keep your cool.
Any struggle on your part, even lying on the street limp, can be considered resisting arrest. Even if you beat the original charge, you can be found guilty of resisting and receive a prison sentence. Often if the pigs beat you, they will say that you attacked them and generally charge you with assault.
If you are stopped in the street on suspicion (which means you’re black or have long hair), the police have the right to pat you down to see if you are carrying a weapon. They cannot search you unless they place you under arrest.
Technically, this can only be done in the police station where they have the right to examine your possessions. Thus, if you are in a potential arrest situation, you should refrain from carrying dope, sharp objects that can be classified as a weapon, and the names and phone numbers of people close to you, like your dealer, your local bomb factory, and your friends underground.
Forget about talking your way out of it or escaping once you’re in the car or paddy wagon. In the police station, insist on being allowed to call your lawyer.
Getting change might be a problem so you should always have a few dimes hidden. Since many cases are dismissed because of this, you’ll generally be allowed to make some calls, but it might take a few hours. Call a close friend and tell him to get all the cash that can be quickly raised and head down to the court house. Usually the police will let you know where you’ll be taken. If they don’t, just tell your friend what precinct you’re being held at, and he can call the central police headquarters and find out what court you’ll be appearing in. Ask your friend to also call a lawyer which you also should do if you get another phone call. Hang up and dial a lawyer or defense committee that has been set up for demonstrations. The lawyer will either come to the station or meet you in court depending on the severity of the charge and the likelihood you’ll be beaten in the station. When massive demonstrations are occurring where a number of busts are anticipated, it’s best to have lawyers placed in police stations in the immediate vicinity.
The lawyer will want to know as many details as possible of the case so try and concentrate on remembering a number of things since the pigs aren’t going to let you take notes. If you can, remember the name and badge number of the fink that busted you. Sometimes they’ll switch arresting officers on you. Remember the time, location of the bust and any potential witnesses that the lawyer might be able to contact.
If you are unable to locate a lawyer, don’t panic, the court will assign you one at the time of the arraignment. Legal Aid lawyers are free and can usually do as good a job as a private lawyer at an arraignment. Often they can do better, as the judge might set a lower bail if he sees you can’t afford a private lawyer. The arraignment is probably the first place you’ll find out what the charges are against you. There will also be a court date set and bail established. The amount of bail depends on a variety of factors ranging from previous convictions to the judge’s hangover. It can be put up in collateral, i.e., a bank book, or often there is a cash alternative offered which amounts to about 10% of the total bail.
Your friend should be in the court with some cash (at least a hundred dollars is recommended). For very high bail, there are the bail bondsmen in the area of the courthouse who will cover the bail for a fee,generally not to exceed 5%. You will need some signatures of solid citizens to sign the bail papers and perhaps put up some collateral.
Once you get bailed out, you should contact a private lawyer, preferably one that has experience with your type of case. If you are low on bread, check out one of the community or movement legal groups in your area. It is not advisable to keep the legal aid lawyer beyond the arraignment if at all possible.
If you’re in a car or in your home, the police do not have a right to search the premises without a search warrant or probable cause. Do not consent to any search without a warrant, especially if there are witnesses around who can hear you. Without your consent, the pigs must prove probable cause in the court. It’s unbelievable the number of defendants that not only come naked, but pull their own pants down. Make the cops kick in the door or break open the trunk themselves. You are under no obligation to assist them in collecting evidence, and helping them weakens your case.
LAWYERS GROUPS
National Lawyers Guild
The “Guild” provides various free legal services especially for political prisoners.
If you have any legal hassles, call and see if they’ll help you. You can call the one nearest you and get the name of a good lawyer in your area.
• BOSTON—70 Charles St.
• DETROIT—5705 N. Woodward St.
• LOS ANGELES—c/o Haymarket, 507 N. Hoover St.
• NEW YORK—1 Hudson St.
• SAN FRANCISCO—197 Steiner St.
Outside of these areas, there are no offices, but people to contact in the following cities are:
• FLINT, MICH., Carl Bekofske, 1003 Church St.
• PHILADELPHIA, PA.—A. Harry Levitan, 1412 Fox Building
• WASHINGTON, D.C.—S. David Levy, 2812 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU is not as radical as the Guild, but will in rare instances provide good lawyers for a variety of civil liberty cases such as censorship, denial of permits to demonstrations, and the like. But beware of their tendency to win the legal point while losing the case. Here is a list of some of their larger offices.
• ALABAMA—Box 1972, University, Alabama 35486
• CALIFORNIA—ACLU of Northern California, 503 Market St.,
• SAN FRANCISCO, CA—94105 (EX 2-4692)
• COLORADO—1452 Pennsylvania St., Denver, Colorado 80203 (303-TA5-2930)
• GEORGIA—5 Forsyth St. N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30303 (404-523-5398)
• ILLINOIS—6 S. Clark, Chicago, Illinois 60603 (312-236-5564)
• MICHIGAN—234 State St., Detroit, Mich. 48226 (313-961-4662)
• MONTANA—2707 Glenwood Land, Billings, Montana 59102 (406-651-2328)
• NEW MEXICO—131 La Vega S.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico 87105 (505-877-5286)
• NEW YORK—156 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010 (212-WA9-6076)
• NORTH DAKOTA—Ward County (Minot), Box 1000, Minot, North Dakota 58701 (702-838-0381)
• OHIO—Suite 200, 203 E. Broad St., Columbus, Ohio 43215
• WASHINGTON, DC—(NCACLU) 1424 16th St. NW, Suite 501,
• WASHINGTON, DC—20036 (202-483-3830) (202-483-3830)
• WEST VIRGINIA—1228 Seventh St., Huntington, West Virginia 25701
• WISCONSIN—1840 N. Farwell Ave., Rm. 303, Milwaukee, Wisc. 53202 (414-272-4032)
To obtain a complete list of all the ACLU chapters, write: American Civil Liberties Union, 156 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010, or call them at (212) WA 9-6076.
JOIN THE ARMY OF YOUR CHOICE
The first rule of our new Nation prohibits any of us from serving in the army of a foreign power with which we do not have an alliance. Since we exist in a state of war with the Pig Empire, we all have a responsibility to beat the draft by any means necessary.
First check out your medical history. Review every chronic or long-term illness you ever had. Be sure to put down all the serious infections like mono or hep.
Next, make note of your physical complications. When you have assembled a complete list, get a copy of Physical Deferments or one of the other draft counseling manuals and see if you qualify. If you have a legitimate deferment, document it with a letter from a doctor.
The next best deal is a Conscientious Objection status (C.O.) or a psychiatric deferment (psycho). The laws have been getting progressively broader in defining C.O. status during the past few year s. The most recent being, “sincere moral objections to war,” without necessarily a belief in a supreme being. There are general guidelines sent out by the National Office of Selective Service that say it is a matter of conscience. The decision, however, is still pretty much in the hands of the local board. Visit a Draft Counseling Center if you feel you have a chance for this type of story. They’ll know how your local board tends to rule.
There are still some more cases to be heard by the Supreme Court before objection to a particular war is allowed or disallowed. It is not grounds for deferment as of now.
Psychos are our specialty. Chromosome damage has totally wiped out our minds when it comes to concentrating on killing innocent people in Asia. When you get your invite to join the army, there are lots of ways you can prepare yourself mentally. Begin by staggering up to a cop and telling him you don’t know who you are or where you live. He’ll arrange for you to be chauffeured to the nearest mental hospital. There you repeat your performance, dropping the clue that you have used LSD in the past, but you aren’t sure if you’re on it now or not. In due time, they’ll put you up for the night. When morning comes, you bounce out of bed, remember who you are, swear you’ll never drop acid again and thank everyone who took care of you. Within a few hours, you’ll be discharged. Don’t be uptight about thinking how they’ll lock you up forever cause you really are nuts. The hospitals measure victories by how quickly they can throw you out the door. They are all overcrowded anyway.
In most areas, a one-night stand in a mental hospital is enough to convince the shrink at the induction center that you’re capable of eating the flesh of a colonel.
Just before you go, see a sympathetic psychiatrist and explain your sad mental shape. He’ll get verification that you did time in a hospital and include it in his letter, that you’ll take along to the induction center.
When you get to the physical examination, a high point in any young man’s life, there are lots of things working in your favor. Here, long hair helps; the army doesn’t want to bother with trouble-makers. Remember this even though a tough looking sergeant runs down bullshit about “how they’re gonna fix your ass” and “anybody with a trigger finger gets passed.” He’s just auditioning for the Audie Murphy movies, so don’t believe anything he lays down.
Talk to the other guys about how rotten the war in Vietnam is and how if you get forced to go, you’ll end up shooting some officers. Tell them you’d like the training so you can come back and take up with the Weathermen.
Check off as many items as can’t be verified when given the forms. Suicide, dizzy spells, bed-wetting, dope addiction, homosexuality, hepatitis. Be able to drop a few symptoms on the psychiatrist to back up your story of rejection by a cold and brutal society that was indifferent, from a domineering father that beat you, and mother that didn’t understand anything. Be able to trace your history of bad family relationships, your taking to the streets at 15 and eventually your getting “hooked.” Let him “pry” things out of you if possible. Show him your letter if you had the foresight to get one.
Practice a good story before you go for the physical with someone who has already beat the system. If your local board is fucked up, you can transfer to an area that disqualifies almost everyone who wants out, such as the New York City boards. If you can’t think of anything you can always get FUCK ARMY tattooed on the outside of the baby finger of your right hand and give the tough sergeant a snappy salute and a hearty “yes sir!”
[4]
CANADA, SWEDEN & POLITICAL ASYLUM
If you’ve totally fucked up your chances of getting a deferment or already are in the service and considering ditching, there are some things that you should know about asylum.
There are three categories of countries that you should be interested in if you are planning to ship out to avoid the draft or a serious prison term. The safest countries are those with which Amerika has mutual offense treaties such as Cuba, North Korea and those behind the so-called Iron Curtain. The next safest are countries unfriendly to the U.S. but suffer the possibility of a military coup which might radically affect your status. Cambodia is a recent example of a border-line country. Some cats hijacked a ship bound for Vietnam and went to Cambodia where they were granted asylum. Shortly thereafter the military with a good deal of help from the CIA, took over and now the cats are in jail. Algeria is currently a popular sanctuary in this category.
Sweden will provide political asylum for draft dodgers and deserters. It helps to have a passport, but even that isn’t necessary since they are required by their own laws to let you in. There are now about 35,000 exiles from the Pig Empire living in Sweden. The American Deserters Committee, Upplandsgaten 18, Stockholm, phone 08-344663, will provide you with immediate help, contacts and procedural information once you get there. If you enter as a tourist with a passport, you can just go to the local police station, state you are seeking asylum and fill out a form. It’s that sample. They stamp your passport and this allows you to hustle rent and food from the Swedish Social Bureau. It takes six months for you to get working papers that will permit you to get employment, but you can live on welfare until then with no hassle. The following places can be contacted, for additional help. They are all in Stockholm:
• Reverend Tom Hayes 82-42-11 or 21-45-86
• Kristina Nystrom of the Social Bureau 08-230570
• Bengt Suderstrom 31-84-32 (legal)
• Hans-Goran Franck 10-25-02 (legal)
Canada does not offer political asylum but they do not support the U.S. foreign policy in Southeast Asia so they allow draft dodgers and deserters to the current tune of 50,000 to live there unmolested. Do not tell the officials at the border that you are a deserter or draft dodger, as they will turn you in. Pose as a visitor. To work in Canada you have to qualify for landed immigration status under a point system.
There will be a number of background questions asked and you have to score 50 points or better to pass and qualify. You get one point for each year of formal education, 10 points if you have a professional skill, 10 points for being between 18-35 years of age, more points for having a Canadian home and job waiting for you, for knowing English or French and a whopping 15 points for having a stereotyped middle class appearance and life-style. Letters from a priest or rabbi will help here. Some entry points are easier than others. Kingsgate, for example, just north of Montana is very good on weekdays after 10:00 P.M.
The best approach if you are considering going to Canada is to write or, better still, visit the Montreal Council to Aid War Resisters, Case Postale 5, Westmount, Montreal, 215 Quebec or American Deserters Committee, 3837 Blvd., Saint Laurent, St. Louis, Montreal 3, Quebec. They will provide you with the latest info on procedures and the problems of living in Canada as a war resister. If you can’t make it up there, see a local anti-war organization for counseling. If you are already in the army, you should find out all you need to know before you ditch.
It’s best to cross the border while you’re on leave as it might mean the difference between going AWOL and desertion if you decide to come back. In any event, no one should renounce their citizenship until they have qualified for landed immigration status as that would classify the person as a non-resident and make it possible for the Canadian police to send you back, which on a few rare occasions has happened.
Because there have been few cases of fugitives from the U.S. seeking political asylum, there is not a clear and ample formula that can be stated. Germany, France, Belgium and Sweden will often offer asylum for obvious political cases but each case must be considered individually. Go there incognito. Contact a movement organization or lawyer and have them make application to the government. Usually they will let you stay if you promise not to engage in political organizing in their country. In any event if they deport you these countries are good enough to let you pick the country to which you desire to be sent.
We feel it’s our obligation to let people know that life in exile is not all a neat deal, not by a long shot. You are removed from the struggle here at home, the problems of finding work are immense and the customs of the people are strange to you. Most people are unhappy in exile. Many return, some turn themselves in and others come back to join the growing radical underground making war in the belly of the great white whale.