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Edward Shortt

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For other people with similar names, seeEdward Short.

The Right Honourable
Edward Shortt
KC
Home Secretary
In office
14 January 1919 – 23 October 1922
Prime MinisterDavid Lloyd George
Preceded bySir George Cave
Succeeded byWilliam Bridgeman
Personal details
Born(1862-03-10)10 March 1862
Newcastle upon Tyne,England
Died10 November 1935(1935-11-10)(aged 73)
Kensington,London,England
Political partyLiberal
SpouseIsabella Stewart Scott
Alma materUniversity College, Durham(BA)

Edward Shortt,KC(10 March 1862 – 10 November 1935) was a British lawyer andLiberal Partypolitician. He served as a member ofDavid Lloyd George's cabinet, most significantly asHome Secretaryfrom 1919 to 1922.

Background and education[edit]

Shortt was born inNewcastle upon Tyneand was the son of theChurch of Englandvicar Rev. Edward Shortt ofWoodhorn,Northumberland.[1]Though born and bred in England, Shortt came from a family with roots inCounty Tyrone.[1]Shortt was educated atDurham School,where he was a King's scholar and competed for theschool boat club.[1]He continued his education at the neighbouringDurham University,where he was Lindsay scholar atUniversity Collegeand for two years competed forDurham University Boat Club.[1]He did not excel academically, taking agentleman's degreeinClassicsin 1884.[1]

Shortt had three brothers. One, Dr William Rushton Shortt, was a surgeon who acted as a Civil Surgeon to theNatal Field Forceduring theSecond Boer Warand was present at theRelief of Ladysmith.[2]However, his health having declined in South Africa, he was forced to retire early, and died in November 1913.[2]An older brother, the Rev. Joseph Rushton Shortt (1860–1919), having previously attendedExeter College, Oxford,joined the Durham University staff as a lecturer in Classics and was Bursar ofHatfield Collegefrom 1889 to 1898.[3][4]

Legal career[edit]

He was called to theBarat theMiddle Templein 1890 and practised on the North Eastern Circuit. He soon acquired a large junior practice in both civil and criminal cases, with his 'breezy personality' making him an effective advocate in front of juries.[1]His business being mostly in theNorth East,he was little known in London at this time.[1]He was appointed asRecorder(part-time judge) ofSunderlandin 1907 andtook silkin 1910.[1]

Political career[edit]

Shortt became active in politics for theLiberal Party.In 1908, Shortt was an unsuccessful candidate forNewcastle upon Tynein aby-election,losing a seat previously held by the party when theSocial Democratic Federationput up a candidate against him. However, in theJanuary 1910 electionhe was elected, and remained an MP until 1922, transferring in 1918 to the newNewcastle upon Tyne Westconstituency. Within the Liberal Party, Shortt allied withDavid Lloyd Georgein the party split which occurred between him andH. H. Asquith.When Lloyd George came to power in 1916, Shortt was soon appointed to the government.

Chief Secretary of Ireland[edit]

Shortt took an active interest in Irish affairs and became known for his frequent interventions during the debates over theThird Home Rule Bill.[1]His appointment to chair aSelect committeeto review the operation of theMilitary Service Actsproved to be the turning-point in his political career. The public hearings of this committee, with witness after witness coming forward to tell stories of medical and administrative chaos, caused a major political storm and sounded the end of the old system.[5]In August 1917 the committee produced a report whose main recommendation was the transfer of medical examinations of recruits from theWar Officeto a civilian authority.[1]This apparently impressed Lloyd George, and would lead to the advancement of Shortt's career after several years of relative obscurity in public life.[1]In May 1918, Lloyd George appointed him asChief Secretary for Ireland,at a pivotal stage in theFirst World Warand whenIrish Republicanismwas on the increase. Taking to this new role with great energy and, suspicious of anyalleged German intrigue to encourage sedition,he had 150 members ofSinn Féinarrested as a precaution.[1]

The government had also decided to introduceconscriptionin Ireland to provide more soldiers for theWestern Front,linked to support forIrish home rule,but still found that opposition to the British increased. Shortt gave his support to an unusual plan to encourage Irish soldiers to join theFrench army,while persuading theRoman Catholichierarchy in Ireland to support conscription.[6]However, both parts of the plancollapsed due to infightingwithin the government and the military establishment. Conscription was never implemented in Ireland.

Pencil sketch of Edward Shortt byReginald Grenville Eves

Home Secretary[edit]

Once the war was over, Shortt was promoted toHome Secretaryin January 1919,during the middle of a police strike.

On the issue of the fate ofenemy aliens who had been detained on the outbreak of war,he resisted demands made byCharles Yatein February 1919 that all foreign waiters on strike should be immediately deported, arguing that 'the fact that an alien takes part in a strike in company with British subjects of the same occupation is not alone a sufficient reason for his deportation'.[7]Shortt oversaw the deportation of the Estonian anarchistEduard Sõrmus,the so-called 'Red Violinist', who was ultimately removed from the country on 15 February 1919.[8]

In a November 1919 meeting with representatives from theBoard of Deputies of British JewsShortt rejected their proposals for an appeal to a judge in chambers prior to the making of a deportation order, arguing that the necessity of tacklingpolitical subversivesin the aftermath of the Great War depended on the government holding on to what he described as 'abnormal' powers.[9]He also reprievedRonald True,who had been condemned to death for murder, after finding the issue of his sanity in doubt. He was unpopular with some people in Parliament because of his regional partiality: tending to appoint barristers from the North East to many top posts.[6]

Shortt was in favour of denying entry toMormonmissionaries, with the Home Office believing such a policy would prove unpopular with the public.[10]Malcolm R. Thorp has suggested that Shortt's position as Recorder of Sunderland before he entered parliament may have influenced his feelings, as Sunderland experienced anti-Mormon riots in 1912, which Shortt presumably witnessed.[10]These experiences could have convinced him that a more generous policy towards theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintswould have prompted renewed violence.[10]

WhenLloyd George's coalition governmentfell in October 1922 in the aftermath of theCarlton Club meeting,he realised his Cabinet career was effectively over and stood down from Parliament.

Career after Parliament[edit]

He subsequently held a number of official posts, including the chairmanship of the committees on the rating of machinery, trusts, heavy motor traffic, and the investigation into the Agricultural Marketing Act.[11]

In November 1929, Shortt was appointed as second President of theBritish Board of Film Censors(BBFC) succeedingT.P. O'Connor.[12]This was an odd appointment as Shortt had no real interest and actively disliked sound films, and was also known to be critical ofHollywood.[6]

The Board had been set up by the film industry and had no statutory role (local councils being technically responsible for judging who could see a film) but in practice its rulings were always obeyed. In March 1930 the BBFC rejectedHer Unborn Childafter a viewing by Shortt.[13]This was the first time that the BBFC had been presented with a film that depicted the act of childbirth, and the decision to reject was never reversed.[13]At the time, educational bodies were keen to exploit theemergence of sound films in Europewith serious scientific films. After academic pressure, Shortt would soften his position later that year and the BBFC would become more open to such productions.[13]One beneficiary was the 1927 German filmNature and Love.[13]

Shortt, however, generally followed previous policy of a highly restrictive licensing. In the Board's report for 1931, he outlined his concern about the increasing number of films dealing with sexual topics, and promised further restrictions. In 1932 he rejected theTod BrowningfilmFreaks,a ban that would not be lifted until 1963.[14]The following year he had to contend withIsland of Lost Soulsby the American directorErle C. Kenton,which had already caused some controversy in the US over its alleged portrayal ofcruelty to animals.Consequently, Shortt was concerned enough to view the film himself instead of one of his censors, and he imposed a ban throughout the country.[15]He banned 120 films in five years and in 1932 ordered cuts to 382, a record number; one of which wasRed-Headed Woman,starringJean Harlow.He also introduced the'H' rating(for horror), which was the origin of the laterX rated film.[6]

Shortt was very upfront about thepower of cinema to shape public opinion:

There is in our hands as citizens an instrument to mould the minds of the young, to mould the mind of the adolescent, and to create great and good and noble citizens for our future. There is the instrument right to our hands. If we control it, if we work public opinion up to the pitch of controlling it properly, there is a great future for our old country, and I cannot understand why with our united cooperation, we should not finally attain to that perfect ideal.[16]

In the last year of his life he founded the security firmNightwatch Services,which would later develop intoSecuricor.[17]His company was one of the first specialist security firms to be established in the modern era, and provided guarding services.[18]

Assessment[edit]

Shortt was described byJohn Maynard KeynesinThe Economic Consequences of the Peaceas 'a capable but obstinate man too much bound to preconceived opinions', thoughMichael Bentleywryly notes that such qualities may have been useful in his position as President of the BBFC.[19][20]

He was 'sociable, good-humoured and well-meaning', remembered affectionately as 'Teddie' in his native Newcastle, though very much shaped by his traditional 19th century education and experience.[21]Liberal in politics, he was paternalistic in matters of human behaviour, art, and entertainment.[21]

Personal life[edit]

Shortt married Isabella Stewart Scott, who had been born inValparaiso,Chileto British parents. They had one son, Lieutenant William Edward Dudley Shortt, who was killed on 12 October 1917 while serving as a junior officer with theScots Guardsat theBattle of Passchendaele.[22]He also had three daughters, includingDoreen Ingrams.His old university, Durham, conferred the honorary degree ofDCLupon him in 1920.[11]

Shortt was an activefreemasonand was a member of University of Durham Lodge no. 3030, a London-based masonic lodge formed for alumni of Durham University.[23]He served as Worshipful Master of the lodge in 1919 and again in 1926 and 1927.[23]

He died on 10 November 1935 at his home in London, 140 Oakwood Court inKensingtonat the age of 73. His obituary inThe Timesdescribed the cause of death asblood poisoningafterinfluenza.[1]

At the time of his death he was President ofDen Norske Klub.[24]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdefghijklm"Obituary: Mr. Edward Shortt, K. C.".The Times.11 November 1935. p. 14.
  2. ^ab"Deaths".Durham University Journal.21(6): 141. 14 February 1914.
  3. ^"Durham University Calendar 1912-13".Durham University (Special Collections).p. 382.Retrieved4 August2019.
  4. ^"Durham University Calendar 1919-20".Durham University (Special Collections).p. 810.Retrieved4 August2019.
  5. ^Winter, J. M. (1986).The Great War and the British People.Macmillan. p. 51.Retrieved8 August2019.
  6. ^abcd"The Home Secretaries (6): Edward Shortt".RGS History.14 November 2017.Retrieved4 August2019.
  7. ^"FOREIGN WAITERS (DEPORTATION). (Hansard, 13 February 1919)".Historic Hansard.Parliament of the United Kingdom. 13 February 1919.
  8. ^"RUSSIAN SUBJECTS (DEPORTATION). (Hansard, 19 February 1919)".Historic Hansard.19 February 1919.
  9. ^Bonner, David (2007).Executive Measures, Terrorism and National Security: Have the Rules of the Game Changed?.Ashgate. p. 118.Retrieved8 August2019.
  10. ^abcThorp, Malcolm R. (1979). "The British Government and the Mormon Question, 1910-1922".Journal of Church and State.21(2): 316.doi:10.1093/jcs/21.2.305.ISSN0021-969X.JSTOR23915804.
  11. ^abMarc Brodie (2004)."Shortt, Edward (1862–1935)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/36078.Retrieved12 August2019.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  12. ^"Film Censor".The Times.22 November 1929. p. 14.
  13. ^abcdRobertson, James C. (1989).The Hidden Cinema: British film censorship in action, 1913–1975(2005 ed.). Taylor & Francis. p. 37.Retrieved8 August2019.
  14. ^Robertson, p. 52
  15. ^Robertson, p. 57
  16. ^Richards, Jeffrey (2010).The Age of the Dream Palace: Cinema and Society in 1930s Britain.I. B. Tauris. p.103.ISBN9781848851221.
  17. ^Group 4's Danes to swoop on SecuricorThe Times, 1 February 2004
  18. ^Gill, Martin, ed. (2014).The Handbook of Security(2nd ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. p. 30.Retrieved8 August2019.
  19. ^Keynes, John Maynard (1919).The Economic Consequences of the Peace.Macmillan. pp. 127–128.Retrieved8 August2019.
  20. ^Bentley, Michael (1977).The Liberal Mind 1914–1929.Cambridge University Press. p. 74.Retrieved8 August2019.
  21. ^abWhetstone, David (20 March 2012)."Insight: UK film censor Edward Shortt".The Journal.Retrieved8 August2019.
  22. ^"Mr. Edward Short, K.C.".The Times.12 November 1935. p. 16.
  23. ^ab"About Us & History".University of Durham Lodge No. 3030.Retrieved21 May2020.
  24. ^"Friends Across the North Sea".The Times.19 June 1935. p. 8.

External links[edit]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of ParliamentforNewcastle-upon-Tyne
Jan 1910–1918
With:Walter Hudson 		constituency abolished
New constituency Member of ParliamentforNewcastle upon Tyne West
1918–1922 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Chief Secretary for Ireland
1918–1919 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Home Secretary
1919–1922 		Succeeded by
Media offices
Preceded by President of theBritish Board of Film Censors
1929–1935 		Succeeded by
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