The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-13
La Marquise deFontenoy

90 great was the cutlery raised a
Few years ago In Great Britain
~ against the censorship OF tho
staGe exercised, not by the gov
ernmcnt, but by the crown. tho pro
tcst to the Premier being signed by
.Ii,gS Il s%.n,burnc; George Mere
nard Shaw. Henry James, and others.
that 1t was generally believed that 1t
had been abolished. What Prime Min.
ister Asquith did was to refer the en-
5oint committee OF the. Lords and the
Commons. who, after u lengthy Invest.
isatlon, during which some OF the lead
Ing dramutists and theatrical managers
were invited to give full expression to
thelr views. returned report entirely
IN favor OF the maintenance or the
censorship This report was held as
practically indorsing George A. Red
ford. VINO had held the Office OF on
aminer OF plays for over seventeen
Last year, however, tho lord cham.
oerlain appointed an advisory board
10 assist the censor. composed of him
self. Sir Edward Carson CORNER solicit
tor-generaD. Colonel Sir Douglas Duw-
iain,s department; Professor w. RAJ
leigh. and s. O. BuckInaster. the Kings
counsel and member OF Parliament the
stage being represented by Its two vet
Grams. Sir John Hare and Sir squire
bancroft. That gave general salts
faction.
But just before Christmas the tho
atrical world was startled be- the news
that Charles II. T.. Brooktield had been
appointed as co-censor of plays. with
an authority equal TO that OF George
hedford. and that the appointment
had been made by the lord chamber
lain. not on the recommendation OF
the committee in question, but at the
personal instance OF Mrs. Asquith, the
Charlie Brookfield has always been a
welcome guest. acting as master OF the
reyels. The effect of this appointment
has has, been the resignatton OF Mr.. Red-
lncto censor OF the British drama. a
man who. as an actor. $ playwright.
and as a dinner guest has always
whose masterpiece In the way Of a
entitled Dear Old Charlie; in which
Der that at the time Wien Mr. Red
ford was the object of SO much abuse
for placing his ban upon Norma Van
ma" The showing Up OF Blanco Pos
Morti," he was Informed that his Of
tense against dramatic art in the mat
ter d. had been ,,. rendered sun more helm
piece as Dear Old Charlie"
The new censor of the drama IL Il
son of the late Canon Brookfeld. made
his debut on the stage in 1870. and has
played In almost everything, from
tragedies. but with never anything
else than mediocrity. Perhaps IL is
owing to this that in an article
which he published last fall In Lon
don. in the National Review" n few
weeks before his appointment as cen
sor of the drama was made. he declar-
cd that nothing Of any value had been
produced on the English or American
stage during the last twenty years
The salary of tho office is $500 a
year from the civil list. and a fee OF
SO for every play read, no matter
whether approved or condemned. Mr..
Rcdford during his seventeen years of
Office admits having read between o.
600 and 10000 plays. which means that
he has received nearly 100000 in fees
alone. He has been, however well
worth the money. for he Is n man OF
great culture. who was retired bank
or with a considerable independent for
tune Of his own at the time Of his nom
nation, This insured his independence
And l may mention that much of his
youth was passed In the house of
George Eliot, With whom as a boy he
was great favoritc.
The censorship of the stage in Eng
land Is vested in the sovereign by an
act of Parliament. the passage Of
which through both houses OF the
national legislature was secured in
1877 by Sir Robert Walpolc. who SUI
fercd greatly from the ridicuc of the