A BROADCAST FORBIDDEN

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21123, 26 March 1934, Page 10

A BROADCAST FORBIDDEN

« —. EPILOGUE TO ri.AY BY SHAW HELD TO I>K .K-OXTKOVLKSIAI" Ii , 1 i Although the play "A::droclcs and the Lion" by George Bernard . Shaw was broadcast from station ; 3ZM last evening, the reading of the epilogue to the pk>> was banned • ' bv an officer of the Broadcasting : Board. When Mr Shaw arrived in : . New Zealand the Air Institute of ; ' New Zealand, which has been broad- ; easting a series of Sunday night . programmes, asked him for permission to broadcast the play. His ; : consent was received, but when the . ' broadcast was submitted to the dis- ' \ trict radio inspector (Mr J. C. Fair- ■ ; bairn) for approval, he vetoed, as controversial, the epilogue. -Shaw has been banned in Christ- ; church." Dr. F. Eirkinshaw, who ' took part in the broadcast, said last ■ evening. "New Zealand is probably the only country in the Empire where he would not be allowed , full use of the air. lie is allowed . io go on the air in Great Britain and say what he likes. His speeches ; are not censored." When the proposal to broadcast the play was submitted for approval the following reply was received from Mr Fairbairn: "1 have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 23rd instant in reference to the broadcar.ling from station 3ZM of the play 'Androcles and the Lion.' by G. "Bernard Shaw. The epilogue (pages 46-51) is considered to be of a controversial ir.iture. and contravenes Radio Regulation 130. ' It is regretted therefore that, eonsent to broadcast the epilogue cannot be granted." Decision Made Locally This reply was received so promptly that it did not seem likely that the decision had been ] made outside of Chrisichurch. Dr. : Eirkinshaw said. When Mr Fairbairn was approached he said that lie had used ■ l-i., own discretion. "We are allowed to u: e our own discretion," ', ho raid. "If 'here e any doubt about It we refer it to WelimgPw. ' The text of the author's argument ' in the epilogue is contained in Ihe : iir.-t sentence, which road>: "In this : play I ha\e presented one of Die Roman persecutions of the early i Christians, not as tin: conflict of a ! false theology with a true, but as I what all such persecutions esson- j tiahy are: an attempt to s.upprcss ! ihroalen the interests involved in, the established law and order." As j the epilogue proceeds it develops ! into a condemnation of militarism! ainl imperialism. "I: v, as current !y i oported in the r.erhn newspapers." Hie last paragraph r-fates, "that when Androcler. war- fir.-t pei-formc-ci in Berlin, the Cro\"-n Prince y. ..-c and left the : hou-e, unable to endure flic (I hope) \ei y clear and fair exposition of aii!i><t:i! e imperialisin given by the i Roman captain to his Christian prisoners. No Kngilsh imperialist was intelligent and earnest enough ' to do the same in London. If the ! report is correct, I eon firm the logic 1 (if the Crown Ei nice, and am glad to tind myself so well understood., But I can assure him that, the em- ; lure which served for my model , when I wrote Androcles was, as lie ; is now rinding to his cost, much nearer jay homo than the German one." Tile cast of tin- play heard over the an- last, evening was: Professor L. G. Pocock, Mr PI. McD. Vincent, ' Miss M. Hall. Miss M. Jepson. Dr.! !•'. Birkinshaw, Messrs R. Wheeler, : Yv. Young, K. West-Watson, and : K. Guthrie.