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July 1[edit]

Dean Inge as Dictator[edit]

In 1931, according to Jones, Thomas (1954). A Diary with Letters 1931-19050. London: Oxford University Press. p. 19., William Inge was to give a BBC talk on being a Dictator. Does a transcript exist? Thank you, DuncanHill (talk) 08:56, 1 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Probably does somewhere. It was noted in newspapers NY Times, Windsor Star, Sarasota Herald, Capital Journal Oregon, (Have no access to them at the moment, they may have more data) The Daily Worker has this quote : "I should, in the guise of a dictator, take drastic steps to disarm Russia. Otherwise the civilization of Europe and Asia may be destroyed by a new series of Tartar invasions. I am quite serious in thinking that the Russian Army is going to be a terrible force.”, which of course met with their disapproval.

Seems to have been a popular genre at the time. Philip M. Coupland- Voices from Nowhere: Utopianism in British Political Culture 1929-1945, Warwick Ph. D. thesis lists the following works on the topic from the age's luminaries. (page 59): Vernon Bartlett, If I Were Dictator (1935), St. John Greer Ervine, If I Were Dictator (1934), Julian Huxley, If I Were Dictator (1934); C. E. M. Joad, The Dictator Resigns (1936); James Maxton, If I Were Dictator (1935), Lord Dunsany, If I Were Dictator: The Pronouncements of the Grand Macaroni (1934), FitzRoy Somerset, 4th Baron Raglan, If I Were Dictator (1935); Dick Sheppard (priest), If I Were Dictator (1935). James Leatham, If I Were Dictator: Ten Commandments of Social Reconstruction (Turriff, 1930), Elise Kay Gresswell, When Yvonne Was Dictator (1935). Most in a series of Methuen books.

The same idea was rampant in the USA too, with a 1931-32 series in The Nation.[1]

The Aga Khan III also made a If I were Dictator radio speech in 1931 - so Inge's was probably part of a series.John Z (talk)

@John Z: Thank you - I've got the NYT article - it's not a complete transcript (for example, it does not include the comment about Russia quoted above). It does include the abolition of the House of Commons and its replacement by a Senate of elderly men "representing interests, not numbers". The Aga Khan speech was reported in The Listener, which would have been likely to publish transcripts of others in the series. The Listener archives are on Gale, but I do not have access. DuncanHill (talk) 10:45, 5 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Seems like that is the best bet. The Listener v.6 no.143-155 1931 at hathitrust [2] gets hits for dictator inge, so it is likely there. Hathitrust and worldcat should lead to a nearby library with it, which seems to be the next step.John Z (talk) 06:40, 6 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]