PLAYRIGHTS AND THE CENSOR

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 71, 23 March 1912, Page 19

PLAYRIGHTS AND THE CENSOR

Mr. Israel Zangwill has written a play and the play has been banned' by the new* English censor. Perhaps no thing better could have happened. Sydney Smith once .electrified a party of friends by expressing his regret that Milton had not beenlianged by Charles 11. after the restoration. Being asked to explain his awful sentiment here-^ plied that tho utter damnation of Charles' 11. would then have been assured. In tho 6am© way we may rejoice that the utter damnation of the dramatic censor has thus been pronounced by himself. For Mr. Zangwell is no mean citizen. That he could write anything to the public detriment in inconceivable, and while he is unwilling lo disclose the plot of hiß play, he says' enough to throw a light upon the workings of tho censor's allegedmind. For example, Mr. Zangwill says in one place, "Christ comfort you," and the censor demands that this be changed to "Our Lord comfort you." No one seenix lo know why, unless we are to understand that the censorship is ■a literary as woll ac an ethiral one. Mr. •Zang.wUh-hhivelf if* -of ttio opinion * thatth« condemnation of hit play ib "Hie last straw,,".