IN GERMANY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 26, 30 December 1925, Page 2

IN GERMANY

POLICE CENSOR NOVELS. AUTHOR’S HOUSE RANSACKED. An astounding form of literary censorship has been introduced into Germany. Mr George Ronwick, in the London Daily Chronicle, relates a remarkable . story of one of the many, instances of how it works. Herr Curt Corrinth is an admirable and respected German author, a serious and high-minded craftsman, who has never produced anything of an inferior or sensational nature. Just when Herr Corrinth was beginning a novel a few'weeks ago two policemen entered his study. Tliey informed him that in tho house of a local citizen, whom he did not know, a cortain small work by himself, published five or six years ago, had been found and seized as “indocent”—indecent, that it, not in the view of any literary authority, but merely of the policeman. The police did not serve a summons on the author-, but set about a twoliours’ search in his house. • All the copies of his many already published works, against which no one has ever preferred a charge of “indecency” or even suggested in criticism that they were in the least degree improper, were seized. His library was examined, and, together with a number of other works, Oscar Wilde’s “Salome”—for long years so tremendously admired in Germany.—was officially taken possession of! Then three unpublished works, in manuscript, were added to tho list, though, according to German law, an unpublished work does not legally exist, and cannot, therefore, be made tho subject of a court action. After that a large number of Herr Corrinth’s ordinary private letters were closely examined, as though the police were engaged in dealing with a treasonable conspiracy and as though the author was to bo held responsible for tho views of people who wrote to him. Then the four pages of the novel that Herr Corrinth had just begun were scrutinised, together with the notes, sketches and ideas lie had jotted down in connection with ' it. As nothing “indecent” was found in these, Herr Corrinth was informed he might proceed with that particular work. Finally there was a general search throughout his house, during which his trunks, wardrobe, etc., were turned inside out. Then the policemen with their “booty” departed, leaving the house in confusion.

Well may tho Society of German Authors ask where this sort of thing is going to load, adds the writer. Certainly the vision, which such a censorship calls up, of authors doing their work with policemen looking over their shoulders and examing every sentence is a sufficiently alarming one!