The Washington herald., 1910-12-20
CENSOR OF PLAYS
IN GREA T BRITAIN

We read quite often of the British CEN
scr. Who is this censor about whom
people in almost all countries talk so
much. and yet of whom SO very few
know anything definite? The more OBJ
scure Mr.. Redford-for that is his name
is allowed to remain, the better he
likes it.
Mr.. BEDFORD. as such. has no public
individuality at all. He is simply an Eng
lish gentleman, who desires to remain so.
But in his official capacity he is the
man appointed by the lord chamberlain
to decide whether plays Teady for pro-
duction shall be licensed or not Mr..
Bedford IS called the censor Of plays.
Often he IS also called other things.
Although no stage play can be pro-
duced without Mr.. Redford's sanction, he
himself never appears to be concerned
In the matter at all. You might write a
play every month in the year and get il
licensed. too, and you would never even
be Obliged 10 know that Mr.. BEDFORD
existed. All that you would be expected
to know. however, is that there is an
anonymous person known as the ex-
aIniner OF stage plays, and that IL ne
wrote you a letter in that capacity 10
say that your play must not be per-
formed in Great Britain. his word would
be the law of the land. His name might
be Smith. or Jones. or Brown. for all
that it would matter. II is only by the
merest accident in the world that Il
happens to be Redford.
Now and again Mr.. Redford in his
quiet and transformations way, says that
certain play must not be publicly per-
formed Just that. If the author is
well-known man. no gathers his friends
around him ard great cry goes up for
the censor's blood. Quite recently Mr.
Redford has declined to license plays
written by several very prominent au-
thors. and. as We all remember from re-
cent newspaper paragraphs, the excite
\ ment over the matter has been tremen-
dous. Other weil-knoWn authors have
written TO tho papers to say that the
censor is not iii for his job, that he is
an ignorant person with vulgar preju-
dices. who knows no more about the
higher drama than a rabbit knows about
planting a tree.
Men OF influence have wanted 10 know
what a censor was being kept for any
way aRa why the good public money was
wasted year after year on a person
whose proper function in life was posi-
| ton as an obscure bank clerk. In short,
they charged him with having made an
idiot OF himself, and called upon him to
come out into the limelight and defend
| his action. Did he come? Not much
The censor just stayed at home and
smiled and said nothing. II is not part
OF his functions TO be Obliged 10 give rea-
sons for his decisions. He gives a de,
cision that shakes the dramatic world of
London 10 its very foundation, and while
people are shouting for him 10 come out
and have rude things said TO his face. he
goes into the country for a few days
fishing and pretends that in reality he
does not exist
He can set all London shaking with ex-
citement by writing a couple Of words on
a picture postal card. but If you want TO
know more, your only redress is TO apply
20 Parliament Those two words of his
represent an authority that is backed by
the government, the police, and even the
British army if there should be need for
such extreme measures.
In asking 10 have a play licensed YOU
| post copy of your immortal work TO a
certain official address, and if there is no
objection 10 the play you will hear no
| more Of the matter. But if there is. the
certain official addressed sends you a po-
lite note 10 say that your play cannot be
licensed for public performance.
The censor has the courage Of his con-
victiOns. He cannot help hearing the wild
threats that are hurled at him. but he
gives no sign that they worry him in the
least. little while ago Granville Bar
ker. very able and distinguished au-
thor. was informed that a play which he
| had written could not be licensed by the
lord chamberlin; in other words. the OBJ
scUre Mr.. BEDFORD had read the play and
did not think il was quite correct. Mr.
Barker, being man of influence, called
his friends together and they all in
solemn council practically gave the cen
scr TO understand that in this instance he
had gone too far. He was as good as
told that If he took liberties like that
again he would be bounced out OF his job.
Mr.. Bedford did lot faint at the news.
neither did he take the stronger course of
waiting for somebody outside afterward.
He simply went on with his work. and,
what do you think? A few weeks later he
refused to license play by the great and
only Bernard Shaw
Now. OF course he had done it,
Everybody told him that al last he had
| overstepped all proper limits of reverence
| and decency. For man in his position
20 dare TO refuse TO license a play by the
immortal Bernard Shaw was practically
an admission that he did not know good
play from bad one, and therefore was
| utterly united TO occupy the post of
censor. Mr.. Shaws friends appealed 10
Mr.. Redford 10 resign and spare them the
pain OF throwing him out OF his chair
once and for all AT the same time II
was limited that Mr.. Shaw's friends would
| be perfectly willing to hear what the
censor had TO say on the matter.
By way of reply. Mr. BEDFORD lit his
pipe sat back in his chair and wrote TO
another distinguished dramatist, Laurence
HOusman. 10 say that he regretted that
the license Of the lord chamberlain must
be withheld from Mr. HOusman's latest
play. Mr.. Housman is an energetic per-
son. He called a public meeting of pro-
test and read a paper to the effect that
the censor's existence was an offense
against reason and liberty; that it was a
horrid tyranny and an anachronism, and
several other words besides designed to
make Mr.. BEDFORD look small and cheap
Several dramatists who were unable to
attend the meeting wrote sympathetically
that they agreed with Mr.. Housman's re-
marks before they had been made, and
that the censor this time really would
have TO go. To judge by the tone Of
those letters and the vote Of the meeting,
you would have thought that Mr.. Red
ford the very first thing the following
morning would offer an humble apology
for all his sins, and then pack his bag
and decamp for parts unknown. Instead
of which he just drew his salary and
went for a days golfing.