New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-11
CENSORSHIP OF PLAYS.
TO BE abolished Soon IN France
GAIN to Dramatic Art.
Paris. NoYenaher 40

Paris, November 80
The censorship Of French plays will soon be
abolished. "Anastasin," the prude dame that
for centuries has clipped and expurgated thou
sands OF plays represented on the Paris stage. is
now on her deathbed The Chamber OF Depu-
ties by an overwhelming majority has consti-
tuted commission TO do away with the CEN
sorship. This radical measure meets universal
approval NJ. Henri Marcel, Director of Fine
Arts, Is enthusa stically In favor OF the meas
ure. He points out that under modern condi-
tons a theatrical censorship does more harm
than good, and declares that 1t never i'm
partially applied NJ. Jules Clarete states that
the censorship seems useless, for any nation or
individual illuminated injured by theatrical
plays has legal remedies for the grievances.
Offences against public decency. against foreign
sovereigns and nations libels OF ministers and
Of functionaries and of private citizens are all
prohibited by the French Civil and Criminal
Code. and the penalties for infringement are Sc
we're.
The censorship is now to be IN the hands Of
the theatrical managers and with the public
The opinions of the leading dramatic authors
Victorien Sardou, Paul Hervteu, Alfred Capus
Marcel Provost. Octave Mirbeau, Henri Bataille
and Anatole France, and all in favor
of the suppression OF the censorship. Pierre
Louys voices the general feeling by saying that
the common sense OF the public is the only CEN
sorship required. The author of "Aphrodite"
thinks that the plays presented on the French
stage Will be purer and more healthful without
the censorship than with IT, He states that in
England the stage free from censorship in
the days of Queen Elizabeth, and attributes to
this fact that it at that time reached its most
glorious period. He saws that the dialogues In
the plays written by Shakespeare. Beaumont
Fletcher, Marlowe and Webster, would never
have passed the French censorship. The blunt
language of Congreve and Wycherley would he
says. never have been tolerated in France, and
his conclusions that the absolute freedom
of language gave strength and vitality to the
English stage.
1t is noteworthy that the French censorship of
the old monarchy fought against Moliere. Ra-
cine. Sedaine Beaumarchais and Voltaire. The
revolution prohibited Horace" 'Andromaque,"
"Phedre" Macbeth" and Henry Wiz" and
burned the manuscript Of Richard CRur de
Lion" During the renascence of romanticism
the censorship refused to accept Marion De-
lorme" lie Rot s'Amuse," and even Hermann"
The censorship prohibited lie Chevalier de
Maison Rogue" Les Effrontes" Les Lions
Pauvres' Diane de I.ys" and La Dame aux
Cameas" Since the middle OF the last century
the censorship sought to strange Victor Hugo,
Dumas pere Dumas fils, Emile Angler, Legouve,
Balzac Erckmann- Chatrian. Meilhac, Halevy.
Jules Claretie Victorien Sardou. Paul Adam,
Maurice Donnay, Octave Mrbeau, Alfred Capus
and EDMOND Faraucourt.
What will be the effect of the death of Dame
Anastasa" upon the morality of the French
stage? The trend Of opinion is that il will be for
good. At all events the result will be worth
noting c. I B