Banned novels about WWI

[Elsa Franker]

Dear all, The year 1929, that is exactly ten years after WWI finished, several novels treating WWI experiences were published, for instance - Richard Aldington: The Death of a Hero - Robert Graves; Good Bye to All That - Ernest Hemingway: A Farewell to Arms - Erich Maria Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen Nichts Neues)  It´s interesting to see what happened to these novels: Aldington´s was censured, Hemingway´s was banned in some parts of the USA and in Italy, and Remarque´s was banned and burnt in 1933. Also Graves´s novel must have been seen as controversial at the time.  Were there more WWI-novels published in1929 or towards the end of the 1920s? It seems it took a decade for this literature to "mature" into literary texts for pubication.  Elsa

[David Hughes]

Graves in Goodbye To All That was certainly controversial: the (now very rare) first edition had to be scrapped, partly because Graves had included scenes from Sassoon's home, where Sassoon's mother - during a spell of Graves's recuperation there from wounds - had held seances in attempts to get in touch with the spirit of Siegfried's brother Hamo (killed at Gallipoli). Sasson regarded this (rightly, I should think) as a serious breach of privacy and trust.
   I've been enjoying (?) Death of a Hero again. My copy, a Sphere paperback of the mid-60s, seems remarkably uncensored - though I will have to re-check to provide references. If this is expurgated, I do wonder what the unexpurgated version might read like!
Other novels date from the same period. My own favourite is Medal Without Bar by Richard Blaker - a novel of artillery experience. Oddly enough, a short period within it is set in the Arras artillery position which must have been occupied by Edward Thomas at Easter 1917: strange to find such a location as a chalk-pit occurring in poignant moments like that. If you can get hold of a copy, I do recommend it: even now it moves me to tears in its most powerful  moments.
David

---

Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:22:14 +0000
From: elsaf...@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: Banned novels about WWI
To: ww1...@googlegroups.com

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[DJ]

Let me state that I got this one wrong.

When 'Death..' was reissued in the '60's it was 'restored'. Still
treasuring my 'Chatto...' I have eschewed buying a new one.

But as the articles tell us, the excisions in the 'Chatto' were made
by the publisher.They were made because the publisher [and/or printer]
were the people who were prosecuted for 'dodgy' books, rarely the
writer.

The Home Office had established this line of prosecution/ suppression
during their battles with the Unstamped Press in the 1830's, and
Secularist newspapers in subsequent years. Authors were rarely
'chased'. Probably because they were usually too impoverished to pay
any penalties,,,,,

But let me mention, once again, Ian Beckett's 'Guide to Sources...'
This has a wonderful section entitled 'Management of Morale;
"national; pp.231-9' and 'Service, pp145-50. The latter has some
comments on 'discipline' and 'executions'. Censorship is dealt with at
pp. 236-9, 246-7, 249. And the remark that 'Successful political
leadership in wartime ... required astute manipulation of public
opinion' [p. 231] might be set alongside Thomas Gray's summary of
Plato's Republic, book III; "Wrong notions of a future state are
instilled into youth, by the poets, whence arises an unmanly fear of
death" [ Works, Bohn Edition, Vol VI, p.473]

John Stallworthy's ' The Legacy of The Somme' in his 'Survivors Songs'
Cambridge, 2008 is well worth getting, too

On 31 Jan, 19:55, David Hughes <hafodd...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Graves in Goodbye To All That was certainly controversial: the (now very rare) first edition had to be scrapped, partly because Graves had included scenes from Sassoon's home, where Sassoon's mother - during a spell of Graves's recuperation there from wounds - had held seances in attempts to get in touch with the spirit of Siegfried's brother Hamo (killed at Gallipoli). Sasson regarded this (rightly, I should think) as a serious breach of privacy and trust.
>    I've been enjoying (?) Death of a Hero again. My copy, a Sphere paperback of the mid-60s, seems remarkably uncensored - though I will have to re-check to provide references. If this is expurgated, I do wonder what the unexpurgated version might read like!
>
> Other novels date from the same period. My own favourite is Medal Without Bar by Richard Blaker - a novel of artillery experience. Oddly enough, a short period within it is set in the Arras artillery position which must have been occupied by Edward Thomas at Easter 1917: strange to find such a location as a chalk-pit occurring in poignant moments like that. If you can get hold of a copy, I do recommend it: even now it moves me to tears in its most powerful  moments.
>
> David
>

> Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:22:14 +0000

> From: elsafran...@yahoo.co.uk

> Subject: Banned novels about WWI
> To: ww1...@googlegroups.com
>
> Dear all,
>
> The year 1929, that is exactly ten years after WWI finished, several novels treating WWI experiences were published, for instance
>
> - Richard Aldington: The Death of a Hero
> - Robert Graves; Good Bye to All That
> - Ernest Hemingway: A Farewell to Arms
> - Erich Maria Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen Nichts Neues)
>
> It´s interesting to see what happened to these novels: Aldington´s was censured, Hemingway´s was banned in some parts of the USA and in Italy, and Remarque´s was banned and burnt in 1933. Also Graves´s novel must have been seen as controversial at the time.
>
> Were there more WWI-novels published in1929 or towards the end of the 1920s? It seems it took a decade for this literature to "mature" into literary texts for pubication.
>
> Elsa
>
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[Margaret Crane]

Although there might well be an argument for calling Goodbye to All That  a "novel" - in that Graves was not often deterred by the idea of letting facts get in the way of a good story - I think it must still be considered as officially an "autobiography". I must say that it was still "banned" in my childhood home in the 1960s - as was the Remarque book: I read them both under the bedclothes, or in the bicycle shed at school. I don't know whether there were any war texts that were officially  banned in the UK - I haven't heard that there were.

----- Original Message -----

From: Elsa Franker

To: ww1...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 10:22 AM

Subject: Banned novels about WWI

[David Hughes]

Meg,
I think you are right: I don't know of any book officially 'banned'. I'm not even sure what the legislation would have been: I don't think there were mechanisms equivalent to Theatrical productions needing the Lord Chamberlain's licence; and I don't even know when cinema/film certification was introduced. Equally clearly there was a great deal of self-censorship, whether by authors themselves, or by what publishers were willing to handle - after all, they (the publishers, usually) knew themselves likable under e.g. obscenity, blasphemy, libel laws, and would not take a risk. Further, I suspect most publishers felt that texts which crossed certain boundaries simply would not sell. Remember, even as late as the mid 60s, "Lady Chatterley" was labelled by the prosecution in its obscenity trial as the kind of book you would not want your wives or servants to read!
David
 

---

From: mmcc...@ukonline.co.uk
To: ww1...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Banned novels about WWI
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 22:43:27 +0000

[Margaret Crane]

This is quite like old times, David! Chris, well done for letting us read your students' contributions: it seems to have woken us all up.

 

Meg

[David Hughes]

Yes, Meg: I'm glad to be getting back into it - having not long restored my home internet connection, it's getting plenty of use. And I have to say I am enjoying it...

David

---

From: mmcc...@ukonline.co.uk
To: ww1...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Banned novels about WWI

Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 13:05:00 +0000

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[Elsa Franker]

Hello David, Interesting that you should mention D H Lawrence´s novel Lady Chatterly´s Lover. In a lecture, I heard a Professor of English literature saying that Lawrence had wanted another title for his novel: Tenderness. But the publisher didn´t find that title very "selling" and sinply altered it. Elsa --- On Sat, 6/2/10, Margaret Crane <mmcc...@ukonline.co.uk> wrote:

[Margaret Crane]

I must admit that I hadn't thought of Lady Chat for a long time - though I am so old that I very distinctly remember the obscenity trial in 1960 (or 1961?) and did later study the various versions of the novel for my M.A. in the 1970s. Now that I think about it, I hadn't thought about anything to do with D.H.Lawrence for a long time either  (he was hugely popular on English examination syllabuses until about twenty years ago, and then suddenly vanished) until I finally got round, recently, to reading BIRDSONG, and recognised the literary antecedents of the sex scenes.

 

Would "Tenderness" have done as a title? I think my own alternative title might have been "Coercion". Personally I always preferred the middle version of the novel, which had certain claims to "realist" merit.

[Elsa Franker]

Dear Margaret, Whether Tenderness would have been a "better" title than Lady Chatterley´s Lover we will never know, I´m afraid. But it points at another question, namely who is to decide the title of a novel: the author himself or the publisher. Moreover, is the publisher free to disregard the wishes of the author in favour of something they think would be "better selling"? I´m not familiar with the publishing world and don´t know what exactly is governing it. Elsa

[DJ]

One 'book' that was quite definately banned was the text of Miles
Mallesons' D Company/ Black 'Ell. Malleson believed that all copies
were burnt. The process by which this took place is unclear, but an
order would have had to be made by the Treasury Solicitor (I believe)
acting on the advice of the 'Attorney-General' and Lord Chamberlain's
Office.

Thankfully the thing was reissued and can be read at;

http://www.archive.org/stream/dcompanyblackell00malluoft/dcompanyblackell00malluoft_djvu.txt.

But the process by which 'banning' took place was twofold. For the
most part it consisted of a gentlemanly understanding between all
parties that the Press Bureau would 'pass' material submitted to them,
if they thought it permissable.

A second was that Printers were required to submit to the appropriate
authority all material that they thought might be against the national
interest. The files are rather 'fat' with such communications, since
the printer was liable to be raided and closed down if they did not do
so.

More invidious were the 'concerned individuals' who took it upon
themselves to report suspicious 'publications' to the appropriate
authority. Such a system had been established in England during the
wars against France and the United Staes in the 18th century. It was
organised by Lord Sidmouth's Secretary during the wars against
Revolutionary France, but primarily directed at 'stroppy' English
Trades Unionists in the early 19th century.

There was, by the end of the First World War a quite extensive list of
'banned' publications. Included on it was a flier with Sassoon's
Declaration...

On 5 Feb, 22:15, David Hughes <hafodd...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Meg,
>
> I think you are right: I don't know of any book officially 'banned'. I'm not even sure what the legislation would have been: I don't think there were mechanisms equivalent to Theatrical productions needing the Lord Chamberlain's licence; and I don't even know when cinema/film certification was introduced. Equally clearly there was a great deal of self-censorship, whether by authors themselves, or by what publishers were willing to handle - after all, they (the publishers, usually) knew themselves likable under e.g. obscenity, blasphemy, libel laws, and would not take a risk. Further, I suspect most publishers felt that texts which crossed certain boundaries simply would not sell. Remember, even as late as the mid 60s, "Lady Chatterley" was labelled by the prosecution in its obscenity trial as the kind of book you would not want your wives or servants to read!
>
> David
>

> From: mmccr...@ukonline.co.uk
> To: ww1...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: Banned novels about WWI
> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 22:43:27 +0000
>
> Although there might well be an argument for calling Goodbye to All That  a "novel" - in that Graves was not often deterred by the idea of letting facts get in the way of a good story - I think it must still be considered as officially an "autobiography". I must say that it was still "banned" in my childhood home in the 1960s - as was the Remarque book: I read them both under the bedclothes, or in the bicycle shed at school. I don't know whether there were any war texts that were officially  banned in the UK - I haven't heard that there were.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Elsa Franker
> To: ww1...@googlegroups.com
> Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 10:22 AM
> Subject: Banned novels about WWI
>
> Dear all,
>
> The year 1929, that is exactly ten years after WWI finished, several novels treating WWI experiences were published, for instance
>
> - Richard Aldington: The Death of a Hero
> - Robert Graves; Good Bye to All That
> - Ernest Hemingway: A Farewell to Arms
> - Erich Maria Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen Nichts Neues)
>
> It´s interesting to see what happened to these novels: Aldington´s was censured, Hemingway´s was banned in some parts of the USA and in Italy, and Remarque´s was banned and burnt in 1933. Also Graves´s novel must have been seen as controversial at the time.
>
> Were there more WWI-novels published in1929 or towards the end of the 1920s? It seems it took a decade for this literature to "mature" into literary texts for pubication.
>
> Elsa
>
> --
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[Margaret Crane]

Was it ever performed, DJ - or was it just a printed play-text?

[DJ]

Malleson (1916) "'D' Company was written towards the close of 1914,
while I was a private in a Territorial batallion at Malta...Some
slight foot trouble was responsible for my being invalided home and
out of the Army. That was in January, 1915. Since then my view of
this colossal catastrophe of the war has changed. 'Black 'Ell has been
just recently written." [p.5]

Malleson (1925) "Soon after these two short plays were published in
1916, all the copies were carried away from the publishers and
destroyed....." [p.5]

[Mr Forster in the HOC] "the question involved in this case was not
one of literary taste, but of contravention of the Defence of the
Realm Regulations...." [cited ibid]

'D' Company was licensed by the Lord Chamberlain's Office for
perfomance at the Lyceum, Edinburgh in June 1916., with the comment
"Their[sic] is no attempt to idealize in the popular way either their
lives or themselves. But they are all good fellows in their different
ways, and no intelligent spectator could fail to have an increased
sympathy and pride them and their like.." [BL LC 1916/13 No. 285]

I presume the play went on there.

'The Times' reported in Sept 1926 that the Little Theatre Repertory
Company, Leeds would give Black 'Ell as part of its Autumn season
there. It remarked that it would be 'its first production' [Times,
Sept 23, 27; Nov 22, 1926].

Labour Leader columns of 1916-1917 show various branches of the ILP
giving performances of Black 'Ell. I have not yet seen any
prosecutions.....

In September 1916 Malleson wrote; "here in England...even while we
were boasting as we have never boasted before of our great traditions,
we shut away in prisons those who could not be false to their beliefs.
As the histories of those black years must contain chapters of
wondering tribute to the sacrifice and brave endurance of those who
month after month faced mutilation and death, so they will contain a
grateful tribute to all the war-time pacifists of the world- and to
the Conscientious Objector" ['The Out and Outer', No-Conscription
Fellowship, 1916. p.12]

The Lord Chamberlains' File for the 1926 production has a copy of the
1925 printed text.

I should have said..yes they were performed at the time.

The BL copy of the first edition [aquired in June 1992] has a small
cutting attached "EC White was fined £25 and FJ Linton £10 at
Guildford yesterday for having in their possession literature likely
to prejudice recruiting. They are secretary and treasurer...of the
local branch of the No-Conscription Fellowship" [BL. YA .1992.a.11739]

When I began collecting material for my study and Anthology of Anti-
WW1 Poetry I came across only one other copy of the first printing. It
is in private hands.

On 9 Feb, 17:49, "Margaret Crane" <mmccr...@ukonline.co.uk> wrote:
> Was it ever performed, DJ - or was it just a printed play-text?
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "DJ" <djdj...@googlemail.com>
> To: "World War One Literature" <ww1...@googlegroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 12:40 PM
> Subject: Re: Banned novels about WWI
>
> One 'book' that was quite definately banned was the text of Miles
> Mallesons' D Company/ Black 'Ell. Malleson believed that all copies
> were burnt. The process by which this took place is unclear, but an
> order would have had to be made by the Treasury Solicitor (I believe)
> acting on the advice of the 'Attorney-General' and Lord Chamberlain's
> Office.
>
> Thankfully the thing was reissued and can be read at;
>

> http://www.archive.org/stream/dcompanyblackell00malluoft/dcompanyblac....

> > newsletterhttp://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/195013117/direct/01/-Hide quoted

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[DJ]

Questions were asked in Parliament about this affair. The relevant
exchanges can be found in Hansard [Commons Debates, 1916; LXXXVI;
LXXXVII. 31 October 1916 Cols; 1531-2; 7 November 1916 Col;32
respectively]

"SEIZURE OF BOOK
99. Sir W. Byles asked the Secretary of Stae for War why an officer
from the War Office, accompanied by two officers from Scotland Yard,
visited the premises of Mr Henderson, publisher, Charing Cross
Road...and seized a large number of a small book, consisting of two
plays by Mr. Miles Malleson; and will he point out, for the deterrence
of other authors, what are the incriminating passages, if any, in the
book?

Mr Forster: The facts are substantially as stated in the question. The
book in question is, I am advised, a deliberate calumny on the British
soldier. The visit...was ordered by the competent military authority.

Mr Morrell: Is the hon. Gentleman aware that this book has the
approval of men very well known in the literary world, and of
unimpeachable patriotism?...

Mr Forster I am advised that the book is very properly suppressed....

Mr. MacCallum Scott: Has the hon. Gentleman any personal knowledge of
the book at all?

Mr Forster: No

Mr Scott: Will the hon. Gentleman take step----[interrupted]

Mr Speaker: To ask so many supplementary questions is not fair to hon
Members who have given notice of questions to come later.

=========================

OFFENDING PUBL:ICATIONS
51. Sir William Byles asked the Secretary of State..if he will give
the name of the competent military authority who was set to judge Mr.
Miles Malleson's plays and found that the book was a deliberate
calumny on the British soldier, and then ordered a raid on the ...
premises and the confiscation of all the stock; and will he say what
are this officer's qualifications for judging delicate literary work?

Mr FORSTER: My hon Friend treats this matter as one raising the
question of the literary qualifications of the officers referred
to.....But the question involved in this case was not one of literary
taste, but of contravention of the Defence of the Realm Regulations,
and I do not feel called upon to go into the question of the literary
qualifications of the officers concerned in the matter."

Many people with high 'literary qualifications' were employed by the
War Office by 1916.

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