The Curia

After a short business meeting in which a new Chairman, R. D. Palframan, and a new Secretary, S. J. White, were elected, and the term's programme decided, the first general meeting was held on 21st February, when E. Robinson introduced a discussion on emigration. His theme was that emigration was not merely desirable but necessary if Britain were to regain a true economic balance. In spite of the poor attendance, the discussion which followed was lively and most of the topics raised were relevant. The general conclusion was that mass-emigration would be beneficial to the country but seemed impossible at present, and, even if it were possible, this solution to our economic problems would only be temporary; a better policy to follow was one of more thorough development of the existing resources and agricultural facilities of the country.

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At the next meeting, S. H. Storey, a member of the Society, read a paper on Cuban Life. Having lived in Cuba for so many years he was able to give us a very amusing and enlightening talk which was enriched by his answers to the many questions at the end. The character of the Cubans has been governed by two factors—ancestry and environment. They are a mixture of Spanish and Negro; from the former they inherit a mercurial temperament and from the latter a bent towards superstition. The climate makes them unwilling to work so that they spend most of their time on their hobbies—love and politics. A description of the form of the island's government ended with the reflection that politics were very popular in Cuba at present as there is a lot of money in it—just waiting to be stolen. We are indebted to Storey for his interesting paper and the able manner in which he answered the many and varied questions.

The third and last meeting, held while five of our members were at Oxford, was devoted to the reading of a paper by Mr. L. Burgess on "The Elizabethan Underworld". He first of all outlined the social, economic and historical circumstances which had given rise to the considerable criminal class of Elizabeth's time, and then pointed out that the criminals did not work independently of each other but banded together into fraternities. There was, he said, a marked difference between the trickster in London and the common cheats and vagrants who roamed the countryside. The crooks of London were described at length and two in particular were mentioned—Moll Cutpurse, an amazing woman who, as Queen of the Underworld, controlled a vast criminal organisation, and the later Jonathan Wild, the notorious London fence immortalised by Gay in "The Beggars' Opera". Our thanks are due to Mr. Burgess for a most interesting paper.

Considering the shortness of the term and the numerous out-ofschool activities which take place during the Easter Term, the Society 22