New-York tribune., 1907-11-03
STAGE CENSORSHIP.
PIaysoTghts Outside Bounds-More
Safeguards Needed.
London, October 23.


them are inveighng against the official
tyranny exercised by George Alexander Red
ford In prohibiting the production of their
plays One work is Mr.. Garnet's "The Break
ing Point" and the other is Granville Bar
kers Waste" Why Mr. Redford considers
them unfit for presentation to London audiences
is not explained. He has returned the plays
without the official sanction required under the
theatre regulation act, and he is not under obli-
CATION to justify his conduct An overworked
official condemned to read from 500 TO 1000
plays every year lacks time for controversy with
disappointed and contentious authors. When
ever he is attacked as an unconstitutional die
tator of stage morality he remains silent and
does not undertake to explain what are his
standards of public decency or what features of
the prohibited work he regards as objectionable
The Lord ChamberIain's Office is armed with u
thority TO forbid the performance of any play or
farce when such action may be considered nee
essary "for the promotion of good manners and
decorum. of the public peace" This dis
cretionary power is exercised, and there can be
no legal redress if just grievances are created.
one appeal is alone possible, and that is to the
public through the publication of the prohibited
MAY in an unexpurgated text In one way this
is satisfactory to the author. for the book has
an advertisement which piques curiosity and n
Of the inefficiency of the censorship. Literary
partisans may defend the playwright and ridi-
cue the Examiner OF Plays as an inconsistent
and fussy official but his case is never stated,
and there is no authoritative judgment on the
moral issue.
The invective of the embittered playwrights
against the censorship as an unconstitutional
and irresponsible Office is silly. Precedent. un-
interrupted usage for generations and the letter
CT two acts of Parliament are behind the office
It marks the survival of court supervision over
entertainments from the reign OF Henry VIII,
before there was theatre IN London. TheiAIas-
ter of Revels was the earliest of Mr.. Redford's
remote predecessors in Office. He arranged and
stage managed the open air dances and cos
tume 1nasouerades for the amusement of the
court personally conducted rehearsals of prn-
oesses and courtiers and was charged with the
responsibility Of obtaining allegories in stately
verse and providing a sumptuous scenic setting
and scores from the best composers Of the day.
The Lord Chamberlain succeeded him in con-
ducting amateur theatrcals of lords and ladies
at court, and became tho professional patron and
critic of all stage performances. The right of
regulating and suppressing plays at theatres
was exercised by the Crown during the reigns
of Elizabeth. James I and Charles until the
Long Parliament abolished the stage by statute
common rogues. After the Restoration the Lord
Chamberlain licensed actors to wear royal scar
let and lace and ordered theatrical performances
for the pleasure Of the king. When the minis
ters Of the Crown were coarsely satirized and
ridiculed the licensing bill of 1877 was enacted
and an absolute court censorship over plays was
established, with the number Of metropolitan
theatres strictly limited. The struggle for a
free stage went on until 1913, when the theatre
regulation bill passed; and while it oper-
ated to break up monopoly under royal patents
and to bring into existence many theatres
as were needed for public entertainment, the
censorship of plays was retained and has never
ceased to be exercised by an official OF the Lord
Chamberlains department. Mr.. Redford's dis
cretionary powers regulated by precedent
and custom rather tran by the text OF the act of
Parliament. but his authority is valid and
as responsible that Of any other servant Of
the Crown.
If a new agitation for the emancipation OF the
stage from official restraint be organized it will
be conducted by aggrieved playwrights like Mr..
Garnett and Mr.. Barker without the co-opera-
ton Of theatrical managers. A memorial asking
for the abolition OF the censorship may be pre-
pared Tor presentation to the Prime Minister.
but discontented authors alone are likely to sign
il, and il is doubtful whether many actors Of the
first rank viii join in supporting ii. The owners
and managers OF theatres will not take active
Ininistered with discretion and heXbty. They
DO not want TO bear the responsibility of decid-
ing whether a play Is fit or unfit for production.
Ihey prefer the existing arrangements, by which
the Examiner of Plays reads and sanctions hun
oreds Of dramas and does not reject than
half a dozen year. His signature protects
them from destructive criticism il there in
delicate situations, unsaVory themes and tainted
passages Of dialogue. If the play has been duly
licensed a presumption is created that ii is
moral and reputable, and that fastidious and
sensitive patrons Of the drama need not gtay
away. The fact that il has been tolerated and
approved by 4 responsible official, who stands
Tor good manners, public decorum and conVen-
uonal morality, is helpful to them whenever they
are reprOached for trafficking in strong meat
which attracts sWarms Of flies. The Lord
Chamberiain's office is a screen which wards
off sudden gusts of hostile opinion. If the CEN
sorship were abolished. has been done in
France, they would be exposed TO constant criti-
licentious plays. The actor-managers and the
atre lessees know this and with few exceptions
favor the retention OF the censorship
The censorship il originally legazed
by the licensing act OF 1877 was nriTnariIyy de-
signed for the protection of the Crown and min
listers against coarse political satire This OBJ
Sect has not been lost sight of, and play which
ridiculeS members Of the royal family any
sx1Gning house in Europe, the rulers Of foreign
ststes or the members OF the government Of the
oay can be produced in England This safe
guard was imposed with almost unnecessary
business when the revival Of The Aiikado" was
prohibited not long ago. All Religions are rro
Of Plays. This precauton is necessary when
London is the capital OF an empire in which
every form Of religion is practised. The SOW
ereign Of millions OF Mahometan subjects has
not been placed in a false position by the stage
impersonation of the Prophet Of Islam even
when the theme has been reVerently treated, and
incidents have been ruled out offensive to
Christian sentiment In these respects the CEN
sorship has been conducted consistently on a
high level, and the English stage has been
patriotic and useful institution in conse-