THE WAY IN GERMANY

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12315, 9 December 1925, Page 9

THE WAY IN GERMANY

POLICE CENSOR OF NOVELS "AUTHOR’S HOUSE RANSACKED SEIZURE OF MANUSCRIPTS An astounding form of literary consor&hip has been introduced into Germany. Mr George Benwick, in the •‘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 arid highminded 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. They informed him that in the house of a local citizen, whom he did not know, a certain small work by himself, published five or six-years ago, had been found and seized as “indecent”—.indecent, that is, not in the view of any literary authority, but merely of the policeman. The polioe did not serve a summons on the author, but set about a two. hours’ 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 Then three unpublished Works, in manuscript, were added to the list, though, according to German law, an unpublished work does npt legally exist, and cannot, therefore, be. made the 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 were to be held responsible for the 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 he had jotted down in Connection with it. As nothing “indecent” was found in these, Herr Corrinth was informed he might proceed with that particular workl 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 the Society of German Authors ask where-this sort of thing is going to lead, adds the writer. Certainly the vision which such a censorship calls up, of authors doing their work with policemen looking over their shoulders and examining every sentence, iB a sufficiently alarming one!