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The Gaelic Press GENERAL PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS Telephone No 78 30 Upper Liffey Street Dublin 28th March 1916 Dear Sir, Could you kindly
inform me whether it has ever been officially
given as the opinion of the military authorities, that your book,
'Plays For Puritans' contains seditious matter, or matter likely to
prejudice recruiting. My reason for putting this query to you is, that
a copy of this book in the possession of a journalist employed in this
firm, was seized by military authorities in the course of a raid, which
was made on these premises on Friday last, 24th inst. A newspaper
cutting in reference to same is enclosed. An early expression of your opinion on
the matter will be deemed
a great favour. Yours sincerely,
Per pro Gaelic Michael Stanley
The letter is from the printer Joseph Michael Stanley (1890-1950) to playwright George
Bernard Shaw (1856-1950). Stanley refers to a raid on his printing firm during which
a copy of Shaw's book 'Plays for Puritans' was taken from an employee. Stanley asks
if the military have declared the book 'seditious'.Below is the reply from Shaw stating
that he does not think that the raid was for copies of the book but suggests that
a 'zealous police officer' may have spotted a reference to King George and taken the
book for that reason. Stanley's printing press would be later used to print the proclamation
of the Irish republic.