The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-07
TROUBLE BREWING
FOR STAGE CENSOR
English Playwrights and Play.
goers Growing Tired Of
Mr.. Redford's Vagarles.
From a Staff Correspondent.

From a Staff Correspondent.
LONDON, Feb. 6.--Sooner or later,
something certainly is going to happen
to the British censor. Hitherto any
thing like a determined effort on the
!, part Of stage folk and public to get
rid of this exasperatingly powerful Of
fetal has failed to materialize only
because the examiner of plays inter-
ference have been so comparatively
rare, but of late Mr.. BEDFORD has been.
unusually active.
All in month or so he has for
hidden perfectly harmless Tagging"
or hazing-scene to be acted at Dru-
~ Lane, he has refused to permit
London theater-goer to witness a
piece which Edward VII enjoyed in
Paris, and now comes the crowning
absdrdity Of. his action regarding "The
White Slaves of London"
Some time ago Arthur Shirley wrote
a play with the above title, which was
designed to SHOW up some Of the
worst abuses of the Sweating system"
and the dramatist has just learned
from the lord chamberlain's office that
he must not use this title, because
there are no slaves in London!" And,
moreover, that if his play is to be
licensed at all, certain scenes must be
removed therefrom on the ground
that this piece-as it now stands-is
calculated to make workmen dissatis-
fed and to excite race hatred!"
This amazing pronouneement has
brought down a storm of ridicule upon
Mr.. Redford's devoted head Natural
ly, Mr.. Shirley's fellow playwrights
are hot upon the censor's trail, and
they have dealt him some shrewd
knocks, especially Cecil Raleigh, au-
thor of the Drury Lane melodramas,
who observes in the Times that the
full absurdity of the present situation
will not be realized until the lord
chamberlain's representative prohibits
Hamlet on the ground that it is a con-
donation of suicide and an Indictment
to disloyalty.' The general tone of
the London press regarding the CEN
sor's latest prohibition is, however, de-
cidedly significant. 'Of course there
are no slaves in London" comments
prominent journal, amy more than
there are asses in the lord chamber
Ia1ns department"
About the only excuse that can be
that perhaps some of his judgments
have to be made in a hurry. For Mr..
Redford has little time to spend in par
ing his nails. London is perhaps the
greatest "show" town in the world, and
every piece which it is purposed to
produce here has to be read by the
censor This means that Bedford pe-
ruses between 500 or 500 plays a year
sometimes dozen in one week, and Of
course authors aren't inclined to give
him too much time over manuscripts.
But play-reading really is the smaller
part of the censor's duties. One thing
there is to be said, and that is that his
unofficial title is no misnomen. This
censor really ''censors," wisely or un-
wisely Every new song sung in a
theater, even every new gag" has to
be submitted to him, and his decision
regarding such is final 1t is source
of public wonder, however, that COM
paratiVeiy innocent songs, tests and
bits of business-as we'll as plays-are
bounced upon by him, and what of
fensiye ones are allowed to. pass.
Monsieur Beaucaire," the American
play was first produced in London by
Lewis Waller considerably a year ago
at the Comedy theater, and ran SOC
nights. Then 1T was revived at the
Comedy and did we'll again, and when
Waller took over Mrs. IAangtry'S the
alter, the Imperial, not long ago, he
decided to open in the Harrington
piece and see il there was any STAN
ina left in it. And 10 and behold.
Beaucaire still is doing such a remark
able business that, though Waller has
a new piece, "A Queens Romance
by John Davidson. ready for produc
ton, and has engaged Mrs. Patrick
Campbell therefor. it, seems like throw
ing good money away to stop the run
of the American play. How much of a
gold mine "Beaucaire" has proved to
Waller, the following rather interesting
figures indicate:
During his first London season the
receipts were much over $250,OO0. those
of the second over 100000, while during
Its late revival at the Imperial the
piece has earned something like $55.-
600. And yet. at the last matinee. mon
-ey to the extent of $500 had to be re-