Abbie Hoffman - Steal This Book

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.”

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.