Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-08-19
INDECENT POsTALs
TABOOEO IN MAILS
Far Away Ones Will No More Receive
"Spicy" Reminders of Loved
Ones Thoughtfulness.

Recent rulings of the postal depart
ment regarding the sending of lurid
and immoral postal cards through the
mails, brought a question to Postmast-
er James H. McClintock yesterday.
Are there any immoral postal cards
going through the Phoenix office"
He thought a moment before reply
ing, and then said:
| Why, no. not many indecent ones
but some of them are mighty foolish"
The sending of lurid postal cards
through the mails will hereafter be pro
hibited by order of the postal depart
ment. An example will be made Of
anyone detected at it, and strict
4 watch will be maintained for viOlators
of the law in this respect. Not only
will the authorities prosecute the send
ers of such trash through the mails,
but they will conduct rigid investiga-
ton into the sources from which the
improper cards come.
Persons arrested for the offense will
be prosecuted under section 49S of the
postal laws and regulations. A par
ticularlv severe restriction will be ex-
ercised in the coast cities, where the
picture post card business flourishes
it does, perhaps, in no other part of
the United State. Concerning the ac-
| tivities of the postmasters in Los Ang-
eles, the Times said recently:
The determination of the postmaster
to put a stop to the traffic was ne
cessitated by the discovery of a re-
markable number of lurid and indie
cent pOstals in the mails. The more
glazing ones were confiscated but the
censoring requires so much time that
an end will be put to the matter in a
more vigorous way. Many Of the ques-
tionable cards are of French manufac-
ture They are usually emblaZoned
with the undraped figures of beautiful
women.
Occasionally suggestive boudoir
scenes are pictured in high tints on
the cards. Some are accompanied by
few lines of vulgar and coarse poet
ry.
Information has reached the author
tiles that clearing house for indecent
postal cards is maintained by a Syrian
on North Main street How the for
eigner manages to get possession of the
suggestive cards is a mysterv. but il
is believed they are smuggled into the
country and sent him through an ''un-
derground route" known only to low
types Of his kind.
Officers are making the rounds Of
local postal card stands and invcstigat-
ing the stock on display. If the cards
found are Of a character that might
be termed suggestive, the arrest Of the
proprietor will follow.
The following is a copy of the notice
sent out by the postmaster TO put an
end to the sale or mailing OF nOxious
postals.
Postcards that are obscene. improp
erly suggestive or calculated to reflect
upon the character or conduct of the
addressee are unavailable under Section
49S. postal laws and regulations, as
amended by section 212 of the criminal
code: and ii is regarded as highly I'M
proper for persons in the postal service
to sell or offer for sale cards which. if
placed in the mails. must be withdrawn
az unavailable.
1T is Objectionable also for such cards
to be displayed or sold in a room in
which a postoffice or postoffice station
is located and the sale of unavailable
cards in a room used wholly or in part
for a postoffice or station will be con-
sidered cause for the removal of the
postal business therefrom.
Postal employees are expected to eX-
ercise vigilance in this respect. as well
as enforcing the instructions contained
in paragraph IS, page 62, annual postal
guide"