BACK TO NORMAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1937, Page 7

BACK TO NORMAL.

ECHOES OF THE STORM LOYALTY TO NEW KING. PARLIAMENT AND 8.8.C. (By G. S. COX AND J. A. MULGAX.) LOXDOX, December 19. England seems to be going more normally about its business this week, but there is still only one topic of general conversation, and the echoes of controversy are still to be heard. Indeed, throughout what is now callcd "Abdication Week," there was very little open discussion and the negotiations were carried on in great secrecy. Xow the public feels a little freer to ask what really happened, and though it knows no more than it knew then or ever will know, this does not stop newspaper Comment or public speakers from raising different issues. Dr. Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, made -vhat lias so far been the most direct personal attack on the ex-King and his friends in a national broadcast on Sunday night, heard by millions and resented by many of them, to judge from the newspapers on the following day. It was felt generally that the Archbishop's words did not accord well with the eulogistic speech which he made in the House of Lords when the King's abdication was announced and the good taste of having waited until King Edward left the country to say these things, is questioned. So too is the necessity for the stern tone of criticism which was assumed, once it was all over, by the great Conservative papers who went back over the Duke of Windsor's life | in a way which made one wonder wliv these things were not raised long a<ro, in fact before he ever came to the throne. Affection For Edward. Broadly speaking, if one were to draw a graph of the reactions of the English, people to the events of the last few weeks, it would show something as follows. First of all, a very genuine and personal affection for King Edward, the "'People's Prince" and the "Great Democrat"; then, once the news of his proposed marriage was made public a wave of moral feeling against the proposal, but a strong desire that some way out should be found and that the King should stay. This desire was given no opportunity of expressing- itself, and abdication came swiftlv and as a shock to the country. Xow &at it U all over, a strongly reasserted feeling of affection for him. There is no sign of any sort of a ""King Over the Water" movement, and it is a good thing, for no community as politically conscious as the British Commonwealth could afford euch a movement; but the Empire should remember that in this country affection for the Duke Qf Windsor is deep if latent, and that it might some day, given a political disaster or crisis of great magnitude. Income a political force. Meanwhile the new King has been proclaimed with what is obviously genuine loyalty and enthusiasm. But in truth, England itself has had too many displays of Royal pageantry of late. In the last two years there have been two Royal weddings, a silver jubilee, a funeral, two proclamations, and there is now to be a Coronation. Given always the value of such Royal displays, over-emphasis can have a deadening effect, as the 8.8.C. found, for example, when it reduced all programmes to slow music for two weeks for the funeral of King George V. The angry public reaction which followed from that will be remembered by the B-B.C. So, too, there is a tendency to over-emphasise the accession of the new King, and the carefully bnilt-up adulation which is now flooding the country has a slightly irritating effect. This is the common reaction of ordinary Englishmen who note, among other things, that they won the first Test match at Brisbane in the middle of "Abdication Week"—greatly to everyone's surprise— and were given no opportunity to feel pleased about it. A political "factor to be noted for the future is the growth of republican feeling over the last two weeks, as voiced bv certain outspoken members of the House of Commons, and the general desire of the Labour party to revert to simpler and less pretentious traditions of monarchy. Broadcasting in Britain. Westminster had an opportunity to criticise the 8.8.C. again this week, and as usual enjoyed itself. Remarks, from both sides of the House, ranged from commenting adversely on a parody of "Hamlet." recently presented, to saving that Sir John Reith, the director, is a Hitler in embryo. The occasion for this was not only the report of a commission on its organisation, but also the echoes of the "talking mongoose" case which amused Britain a month ago. In this, David Lambert, editor of the ''Listener," the 8.8.C.'s weekly journal, sued one Sir Cecil Levita for slander and got £7500 damages. Levita apparently said that Lambert was queer in the head because he went down to the Isle of Wight to investigate a "talking mongoose," said to be there. (Xo one has ever seen it—it was a psychic investigation). A serious side of the matter emerged when, during the Court case, it was shown that Lambert's chiefs at the 8.8.C .had tried to stop him taking action—Levita, so say the scandalmongers. being their friend. Such an interference with the private rights of a civil servant called for a committee which reported that both sides had acted unwisely. There the matter rests, except for Mr. Lambert, who is £7.">00 better off. (Humour says the heavy damages were in anticipation of his losing his job.) But M.P.'s went on from this to make more pertinent inquiries. There was a lot of trouble some time ago when members of the 8.8.C. staff—particularly on the technical side —wanted to form a union, and were stopped. David Thirwall, Socialist M.P.. who supported their demands, maintains that since then staff members have asked him not to give his name when ringing up, and say that telephone conversations have been tapped—altogether | "an unhealthy situation," to quote his I words. This gave rise to the description of Broadcasting House as a Nazi State in miniature. England is very jealous of the pouei and prerogatives of the 8.8.C. So fai I they have very wisely kept it from direct governmental interference. Tin difference is practical rather than thro retical in a crisis, like another <.'c-ncra. .strike, the Government would no doubt ] immediately take it over—but it -fi icas a very useful brake on continued political interference, and the 8.8.C. has a good standard of impartiality on most I occasions. This does not. of course, prevent it from being a target for unI remitting criticism.