DR. FRANK CRANE’S DAILY EDITORIAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 70, 14 June 1927, Page 16

DR. FRANK CRANE’S DAILY EDITORIAL

A TRAGEDY (Copyright, 1927.) rpFIE attack upon Charlie Chaplin is no less than a world tragedy. Without going into the merits of the case and without forming hasty judgments we can say this much. Those who denounce the comedian and who ban his pictures merely upon the appearance of this scandal do not show good judgment. People sh6uld keep an open mind until the case has been properly adjudicated. Charlie Chaplin is known all over the world and has given delight to audiences from Tokio to Timbuctoo. Probably no fun-maker has enjoyed so wide a vogue. It is but natural that, his popularity has brought him financial returns. These no one ought to envy him. Unfortunately there is a disposition all too common among human beings to pull down any one who occupies a place of prominence. The human grey wolves are always ready to attack any one of their number who gets too far in advance. It is to be regretted that Chaplin’s marital arrangements have become un satisfactory and possibly his wife may have a good case against him, but the burden of proof is upon her. The temptation to assail a man of such promin ence and ruin him is very great and all such attacks should be discounted until they are clearly proved. No sooner had George Young achieved eminence by his successful swimming of the Catalina Channel than he was assailed by those who claimed he owed them money. No sooner had Amundsen flown over the North Pole than a controversy arose between his lieutenants. Shortly after Dewey achieved his phenomenal victory in Manila he was attacked by those who did not like the fact that he gave his house to his wife. The price of a pedestal is pretty high and those in excellent positions need to be more than ordinarily careful. What a common man may do safely without extraordinary notoriety becomes a capital crime when the doer of a wrong act has a high position. Uneasy must lie the head of any one who has excelled his fellows. The apostles of envy and discontent are ready to turn and rend him. It is to be hoped that for the sake of the millions who have enjoyed Chaplin’s humour, which has always been human and clean, that he will come out of from his trial unscathed. He should be, of course, made to do the right tiling in his domestic relations, but we trust that this can be accomplished without disturbing him and sending him the way of “Fatty” Arbuckle.