CLASSIC AUTHORS IN COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2711, 4 March 1916, Page 7

CLASSIC AUTHORS IN COURT

■ ME DATJDET'S AND DE ROCK'S BOOKS INDECENT? SAPPHO" AND "THAT RASCAL GUSTAVE" What is a olassio? The question was argued yesterday morning when the police took action against Norman Edward Aitken, booksellor and stationer, Courtenay Place, because he allegedly exposed for sale, Alphonse Daudet's "Sappho," and Paul do Koek's "That Unseal Gustave." Mr. D. M. Find Jay, appeared for the defendant. •. ■ Chief-Detective Boddam stated that the prosecution was made on tho authority of the Solicitor-General, under the Indecent Publications Act of 1910. Ho directed His Worship's attention to various pages in the two "books, which ho contended woro indecent. •• Deteotive-Sergcant Cox gave formal evidence of the booka (having been exposed for sale in tho defendant's shopwindow. Cross-examined by Mr. Findlay: In some cases, booksellers had been warned about tne sale of certain books. He tlid not think any warning had bean iEiven about these books m question. He did not find similar books exposed for sale in the shop windows of other booksellers. He was not aware that these books were on sale at Whitcombe and Tombs's, or at S. and IV. Jlackay's. ■ - For tho defence, Mr. Findlay said :hat in this case thoro wore soma distinguishing circumstances which separated it from any similar proseoutions in New Zealand.' The translations 'of f these writers had boen sold in this country for-mpny yoars. Ho would nlso take objection to the method of the prosecution'. It had been the practice to warn booksellers that n book, if there was any question of its decency, was not to be sold. Tho writers ■of the books wero two well-known classic writers. "Sappho" appeared in 'J 88-4 and was almost at once translated.. The book had been dramatised and had appeared oh the stage in NewZealand with Miss Olga Nethersole, a very well-known actress in,the titl) role. With regard to Alphonse Daudai himself, he was above reproach. Criticisms of his writings by Profossor Henry James had appeared in the sup- ■ plement of tho London "Times," and that was. a valued opinion. The book itself was of a high moral tone. On the title page, there was an inscription, "To my Sons, when they _are 20 ] years of age." The hook was a warning against illicit Hove affairs. If 1 •Daudet was to ho condemned, then one 1 might begin with Shakespeare and go : down a long starry line, and also con-, ' demn many others. There was a moral 1 purpose behind many of their writings ,and many of them contained oassages ] which went far beyond anything contain- ; ed in "Sappho." Many of these works' had been dramatised, and it cost very 1 little more for one to go to a play than J to buy 'the books. If the book was ! to be-.- banned, then the play' must also be banned. Paul de'Kock might 1 bo regarded as a sor£ of French Field- , ing. He, like Daudet, was also a French Catholic, and a man of very high repute. In the "Encyclopaedia Brittanica," a passiigo on his* writings ' stated that there was an absence of : vulgarity from his works. Apparently here iu New Zealand they were going 1 to go beyond that. If tliey were going 1 to do-that then there wjib gooig "to be ' a curtailment of classical-literature' in ' this _ country. His Worship had ac- ' cording to the Act, to consider whether 1 there were indecent . vo'ds or state- 1 ments in.*the book, and also have due c regard-to'the literary merii; -.if the a book., v

Norman Edward Aitken, in endi'Dee, said that lie purchased the hooks "Sappho" and "That llascal Gustave" from the shelves of Messrs. S. and W. Mackay. Ho did not specially ask for them. 'I'Jio works of tlio rwo writers of theso books had bewi sold in Wellington for years.' He bad aJso purchased these hooks from Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs. The police had never warned him with reference io the sale of these books, Mr. Wm. Mackay, of Messrs. S. and W. Mackay, said that lie was awaro of no prohibition against theso books. He did not know if he had actually made tUq sale to Mr. 'Aitken, but ho quite believed that tlio sale was made by his firm. The books were sold quite openly. The writers were' classed as classical writers, John Harding, book manager, Gordon and Gotcli, gave evidence lli-'.t the books in question bad lifcon stocked jmd sold by liis firm, And no objection had ever b.een taken to them. If theso books were to bo prohibited, then ho thought they might as well piobibifc Hall Oaine's "The Woman Thou Gavest Me," and Maxwell's "In a Garden." Charles Ait-ken, railway book stall, gave evidence as to having also sold the books to which exception was being ta.kpn, and had heard no objections. Decision was reserved.