ABDICATION BOOK

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 428, 8 May 1937, Page 6

ABDICATION BOOK

"CORONATION COMMENTARY” Question Of Entry Into New Zealand Auckland, May 8. No instructions have been received by the Customs Department in Auckland about the entry into New Zealand of Mr Geoffrey Dennis’s book ‘Coronation Commentary,” which has been, withdrawn from sale in England. It wUs stated that in the ordinary course of events, a copy of the book would be examined in Auckland, if it arrived there first, and, if the contents were considered of such "’a nature that further investigation Ehoiild be made, it would be sent to Wellington for perusal. The regulations governing the entry of literature into New Zealand provide for the seizure or banning of several types of book, including those which are indecent and those which are calculated to incite or encourage violence, lawlessness and disorder or express any

seditious intention. When “Coronation Commentary” was first withheld from sale in Canada after its banning in England, the grounds were stated to be that it might be considered seditious or libel_ lout and the cable which announced that its sale was now being permitted said that the Canadian Revenue Department had decided that the bobk was neither seditious nor libellous. In New Zealand there is no Customs regulation providing for libellous material and officials are uncertain whether Mr Dennis’s book could be prohibited on this ground. If it was decided to sSnd a copy of the book to Wellington it would be examined by a committee which exists to deal with questionable works, and a magistrate would have the ultimate decision to make.

Orders for copies of the book were placed in England by Auckland booksellers when the publication was announced, but these were (automatically stopped when the ban was placed upon its gale. Since the copyright for the whole of the British Empire was held by one English firm the bah naturally applied to publication in any of the Dominions or colonies, and representatives of prominent booksellers were uncertain to.day whlat edition of the book will now be sold in Canada. An American edition of the book has been printed., it is stated, by an American firm, but because of copyright laws this cannot be imported into New Zealand. From Customs 1 regulations, too, which provide for the prohibition of any books infringing copyright, it was thought 'hat the Canadian edition might also be banned in this country.