However, of the papers relating to Cambridge's earlier, more orthodox, failed attempt in 1940, C.U. Registrary Officer Ian Troupe states without explanation that, at some unknown time between 1975 and the present, these important papers have been lost by the university, a suggestion which seems to compromise its reputation for academic integrity altogether. In the light of Geoffrey Cass's opening remarks of 21st November 1975, particularly at page 4, readers are invited to decide for themselves whether such a suggestion can conceivably be true. I have therefore added my recent correspondence with Mr Troupe (index following CUP's below). Oxford, likewise, has said that, "despite a careful search" the requested papers from its 1952 (and previous) rejected applications have also gone missing. So much for Oxbridge's History Faculties. - A. M.

UPDATE, March 2009 Under the 30-year rule, in February 2009 the Inland Revenue file on the two university presses' applications of the late 1970s was released into the National Archive, but indexed there as relating only to CUP (go to search and type in reference IR 40/19499), despite containing an IR instruction also to index it under OUP. The papers were then initially classified as "closed for 40 years", apparently bowing to a request made by CUP in 2008 for an extra 10-year embargo. When this was queried, an investigation resulted in the papers being declared now "open", but with certain words and passages in them being "redacted" by the Inland Revenue, that is, blanked out by computer. The Inland Revenue redactions are supposedly made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Section 40, which protects named individuals' reputations (these are labelled "Closed until 2033"), and Section 41, which protects commercially confidential material such as the amounts of the tax payments involved (labelled "Closed until 2019"). I say 'supposedly' because assiduous Akme scholars may conclude that some of the redactions (for example the opening paragraph in Mr Briddon's letter of 17/1/1977) may have been made for other reasons.

In the revised index below, these new Inland Revenue materials, along with others mentioned in them but apparently still missing, are date-labelled in red, with an asterisk indicating that the document has been redacted. The various redactions (9 in total, on 6 pages) are collated together in a separate puzzle-file with scans, which Akme visitors are invited to solve. The most plausible or amusing solutions to complete the censored blank spaces, e-mailed to Akme, will receive free copies of The Remedy. At the foot of some of the new files, I have added comments of my own, in maroon-bold, with my overall analysis appearing as an appendix to Clarke. - A. M.

December 2007: THE WHEEDLERS' WAR At last obtained by Akme: In all their shame, the failed applications by CUP (1940, 1941) and OUP (1944, 1950) for exemption from wartime taxes, featuring the Inland Revenue's rigorous investigations, the Special Commissioners' judgment (1940), the Oxford Vice-Chancellor's exaggeration, and both universities' unpatriotism. Click for the UPs' 1940s Charity Status Press Release, Explanation and Index