THE OBJECTIONABLE NOVEL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 265, 1 August 1908, Page 12

THE OBJECTIONABLE NOVEL.

Lord Alfred Douglas, the, editor of the '"Academy," recently made an outspoken attack on a lately published novel, and in an interview in tho "Sunday School Chronicle", ho returns to the charge. i "Some writers," ho says, "have had the audacity to plead in tho. name of Art for freedom to write this stuff. If there were any real basis for the claim, I at'any rate,that the.books should only, bo issued to the public, on presentation of a certificate of maturity. The bulk of the readers of novels aire young .women and girls. You may see these young people with their hair hanging down their back, standing at the; counter of Mudie's Library and calling for these objectionable books.' 1 Yet if those samo girls were to go into a public-house and call for a pint of beer, : the. publican, would refuse to servo them. And which would do them more harm f" ho added .with omphasis. ; He is afraid the number of objectionable novels is increasing,: but ho thinks it would increase at a mtich moro alarming rate were it not for the criticism of, tho Press. : Asked whether ho. thought this sort; of thing was symptomatic of a slackening of the moral'sense of the l nation, Lord Alfred Douglas replied. "By no moans. ,I. attribute, it Bololy (he adds) to the publishers. Some 'of them—happily only a few at present—have got it into their heads that there is money to be mado;-at;the''business. Consequently thby encourage authors to write this objectionable stuff. I know for a fact that writers have had their MSS. returned to them by certain : publisherswith the re? mark'that the story is 'not hot enough;' and they have beon" told that < there might be a chanco of it being s accepted if it were 'hotter.' " If. publishers cannot get Englishmen to do this work, they make no bones, the editor of tho "Academy'' asserts, about getting foreign books translated. "Tne publishers' only interest is a financial one;" ' Lord Alfred Douglas, although in favour of a censorship of plays' would not appoint a .censor of novels.' ( "The only censorship possible is, the consorship of Press criticism,, and I am glad to think that in the ranks of. the reviewers thero ale still to be found men who have courage as well as conviction, and who are not afraid to protest •against tho objcctionablo novol. Ana lam glad, too, that thoro are still editors who will not allow tho loss of revenue from advertisements to stand iii the way of r their duty in this matter.". He does not think further legislation necessary. " "The public, if made to realise tho harmful influence of those books, will protect itself from them." '