WILD PENS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 72, 16 November 1931, Page 7

WILD PENS

imagined history AUTHORS WHO INDULGE IN NEW ART OF SAFE LIBEL KING'S ALLEGED STATEMENT "Very well, gentlemen. I am the richest Commoner in England. If you wish, I will abdicate, but first let us have a general election. I've little doubt about tbe result." Thus, in bis "Return to Yesterday," Mr. Maddox Ford puts words into tbe moutb of King George; but, needless to say ofiieial circles deny that such words were ever used. The occasion to which Mr. Ford has pinned his little pieee of "literary erabroidery" is the Ulster crisis. King George is depieted as at odds with his Cabinet, and is xnade to threaten in a speech that is as unlike himself as anything in the notorious "Evelyn Graham's" biographies. Recent years have given us a fine crop of imaginative works of history. Mr. Ford "may have had his "leg pulled" — but in the Evelyn Graham case this excuse failed. Sentimental people a few years ago alniost shed tears over the story of how a simple factory girl was perxnitted to write a Royal biography, and so won literary fame. Other books followed. Biographies of the King, Prince. of Wales, Duke of Connaught, and Lord Lonsdale eame along — and then the "ghost" walked once too often. A biography of Queen Alexandra by a mysterious "Lady Angela Stanley" was proved to be an impude.nt fraud, and Netley Lucas, the "ghost," became a guest of Royalty at last — for 18 months. Wright' s "Gladstone" A great storm arose in 1927 over a life of Gladstone. Greatly daring, Captain Peter Wright designed his historical effort with an eye to royalfcies, with the result that Viscount Gladstone hit out in defenee of his father's name, and so, Wright alleged had the author barred from a certain famous club. Wright, still daring too greatly, sued the Viscount for libel, and in a case which he. lost after many days, put up the naive argument that he had charged the dead statesman with "primarily hypocrisy, and only secondarily immorality." Wright lost the case, was slated by the judge, and belatedly expressed "regrets." Cruel Lie Only a week ago, Mrs. May Dixon 1 Thacker announced that she "repent-

ed in sackcloth and ashes" having been gulled by one, Gaston Means, into "ghosting" for Means's book, "Strange Death of President Harding." This atrocious piece of faking came out about a year ago — and at least one loeal reviewer denounced it at the time — Means, the titular author, being self-revealed in it as an out-and-out crook. Into the book was dragged every prominent person who had associated with the dead President, and masses of faked "evidence" to show that Mrs. Harding had poisoned hixn, as the result of her discovery of "his child by Nan Britton." The whole story originated in the crooked brain of Means, but what he hoped to gain from its publication, except notoriety and trouble for himself, only he. might be able to explain. A few people will remember a book by a Melbourne author, who wrote caustically about the "boom" days and the "boom" people — so caustically that only a few copie-s of his book got to the public, the remainder

mysteriously disappearing from the stalls soon after publication day. , Other Cases Misrepresentation of the great, who may be expected- to preserve a safe j and dignified silence, from the au- J thor's point of view, is not neces- I sarily always so harmful. I Little harm was done, and every- | body with a real sense of the ridi-_ j culous had a good laugh, when Dame. j Clara Butt attributed to Melba the : famous "Sing 'em muclc!" phrase. | And the G. B. Shaw-Ellen Terry ! love letters (which were not actually ' love letters at all, but a long-stand- j ing jest betwe-en the principals) are j still alniost topical. In this case the j lady's son, Gordon Craig, made ' trouble when he found that the book was heing misrepresented by book- j sellers. j i The modern adventurer has learnt ' that there is an easier road to for- ; tune than that followed by the cor- { sair of old. Aim high with the poi- \ soned pen, shock the people who like ! scandal into parting with the shekels j — but be sure to aim very high — the Big People rarely sue for libel!