EDWARD’S ABDICATION

Evening Star, Issue 22631, 24 April 1937, Page 15

EDWARD’S ABDICATION

MR GEOFFREY DENNIS'S BOOK WITHDRAWAL DEMANDED Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, April 22. Tho ‘Daily! Mail’ says that the Uuke of Windsors solicitor, Mr A. G. Vilen, requested William Heinemann Ltd., publishers of ‘ Coronation Commentary,’ by Geoffrey Dennis, to with-draw-the book and publish a suitable apology on. the. ground that it libels the Duke, • otherwise a writ for libel mar be issued. Mr Dennis was an Oxford undergraduate at the same time as the Duke, and is about to end his League career jy representing the Secretary-General at an educational • conference in Australia and New! Zealand. ‘ Coronation Commentary,’ published on April 12, has proved itself a “ best seller.” [A previous message read as follows:—“ There was more in the drama uf Edward’s abdication than the conflict between Mr Baldwin and the King over Mrs Simpson,” states Mr Geoffrey Dennis (editor in chief of Document Services, Deague of Nations Secretariat) in ‘ Coronation Commentary,’ published by Heinemann. “ There were things done and said ip his infatuation -ays lover’s prodigality, his shrill Xing’s rages against those who denied ■ier. to him—and there were things left . .indone in’ his infatuation—duty neglected, papers held up, papers curiously neo-Kaiserishly annotated, no mund understanding of the technique or the limitations or the necessary dignity df office* irregular hours, irregular aahitij muddling, fuddling, and meddling.” Yet Mr Dennis sees in these things: A poor little list of crimes which were sufficient to ' have broken an' adored and devoted King. Dereliction of duty; was hoped for and pounced upon, and was it no dereliction of duty by a Government complacently to leave naif England derelict? Contempt for. dignity of office meant evasion of certain excesses of Court etilUette. Irregular hours meant once 'laving kept the Right Honourable taok-in-officd waiting five minutes, leddling meant -trying to help the unirtunate. In wanting to get rid of im for his other' misdeeds they may ave been wrong, or they .may very •ell have been right, but until this ■arriage Was mooted they had no rition of-Hew, to get rid! of him. She bo they pretended was a disaster was fact a godsend. . Her two divorces .'re:-*- giftrfrom heaven.”] , PUBLISHERS RECEIVE DEMAND “ JIATTER TOO DEDICATE FOR , COMMENT. ’ r LONDON, April 23. (Received April ,24, at IQ a.m.) Air Allen "told the Press Association hat if the ‘ Coronation Commentary ’ va a not withdrawn and an apology published action would "certainly follow. Heinemann’s admit that they haveE received the ■ demand. ; They say the matter is too delicate for them'to make a statement. Mir Dennis, who for many yean was attached to the League Secretariat at Geneva, resigned to devote himself to literature.