“THRONE” FOR BERNARD SHAW

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 72, 18 December 1928, Page 12

“THRONE” FOR BERNARD SHAW

COMMUNIST JOKE IN AMERICA ATTEMPT TO HIRE A TOWN HALL A Reuter message from Dallas, Texas, on October 23, said that Mr. George Bernard Shaw had been nominated by the American "Royalists” as their candidate for the throne of America. The nomination to this illustrious office came about the following way : The American Communist Party desired to rent the Dallas Town Hull for n mass meeting in support of the Communist candidate for the Vice-President of the United States, one Benjamin Gallow. The Town Council, however, refused to allow the hall to be used for this purpose. A day or two later, when councillors opened their morning papers, they read with amazement that the Town Hall had been rented to "the secretary-general of the Royalist League of America” for discussion of a resolution that a monarchy was better (han "our so-called democracy."

When I lie council took immediate aetion in the form of cancelling the permit a storm of controversy arose, and called forth numerous leading articles in the newspapers on the danger of restricting freedom of speech. The American Civil Liberties Union heyrd of the matter, and telegraphed to the "secretary-general," asking him for the name of the candidate for King. The ofi'icial replied, “Bernard Shaw.” ami al once be-rnn an action in the local court to compel the council to grant the "Rovalists” permission to use the Town Hull'. . , , When, however, it transpired that the “seiTetury-geueral” was really a Communist trying to pull the legs of the town councillors, the case was thrown out of court.

Mr. Shaw, interviewed by a representative of the "Morning Post,” slated: "I have not received any application yet.” "■Would you entertain the idea if an application came along?” he was asked. "1 am prepared to entertain anything.” be replied. “In any case.” he added, "it is nothing incredible that there should be a Royalist Party in the United States, but it' would be a question of an Emperor rather than a King, because the States are really a League of Nations. 1 have not heard of stn-li a party yet."