One wonders what Nelson and Wellington would have had to say to such vermin? One knows the reply of Napoleon when one of his officers reported that a common soldier was having intercourse with his mare: Well: do you expect me to take an interest in his love affairs"?

SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE OSCAR WILDE

CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

By Anatole James.

Just lately, to mark the centenery of the birth of Oscar Wilde there have been quite a few celebrations of one sort and another.

There was a large and important Luncheon given in London during the last week, at which many well-known people, including Wilde's only surviving son, were present, and a plaque has been affixed outside Wilde's house, in Tite Street, Chelsea, to mark the place where he lived for so long. And there have been several talks, and references to Wilde given by the BBC. And quite a lot of references to him in many papers, which have been favourable, and even flattering. Even the Daily Telegraph" has devoted space to praise his memory, which is interesting when one recalls the outpourings of smugness and humbug this paper indulged in at the time of the trial, as anyone can see by turning up the numbers in the reading room at the British Museum.

All this recent reference to Wilde is good, so far as it goes, but I think it is apt to be very misleading. One is led to imagine there has been much change in the outlook regarding homosexuality, the male variety, (the female variety seems to be, at the worst, merely regarded as a venial sin, at the best, as an amiable weakness to be tolerated), by the vast majority of the British population.

Last night, 16th Oct, in the BBC third programme, Mr. Graham Hough gave a talk on Wilde in which he said he supposed there were few people to-day who approved by the severe sentence passed on Wilde in 1895.

I profoundly disagree with this statement. I think the vast majority of people to day thoroughly approve of that sentence, and regret it was not far more severe.

It must be remembered the law to-day is FAR stricter in regard to male homosexuality than it was in Wilde's time, even now there are very many people who think it ought to be made still stricter.

The disgraceful publicity given of the recent case of the young Lord Montagu, by very many newspapers, is indicative of present-day opinion, as is the attempted hounding out of public life of Sir John Gielgud after his recent conviction.

In the case of the M. P. Field, he, of course, HAD to clear out, which, according to many opinions I heard, was a jolly good thing, too, you know"!

No. Among most people male homosexuality is still regarded as being worse than murder, in spite of the fact that there is a very small minority of enlightened public opinion which is trying to get the law amended so as to bring it into line with that of most civilized countries.

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