Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-23

Peace Foundation, attending the In
ternational Peace Congress at Berne.
Switzerland and also giving much time
to the International City plan, meet
ing and working with the leaders of
the Orld-peace movement. This work
was OF course interrupted by the
breaking out of the great war, which
in itself is teaching the great les
son of peace.
Returning to America he began
work on an Encyclopaedia of Interna-
tionalism and also lectured on inter-
national subjects.
With the coming of the war" said
Mir. Ledoux. 4 began to war on war
And it became nay work to seek out
and use the most effective weapon
found it TO be Public Opinion. Now,
, how to reach it The press is doing
occurred to me that the great work
could be done by the films, through
the eye.
Then | studied the films / put in
weeks with the manufacturers, learn
ing all the details of securing the
stories and making the pictures. Next
studied the exchange men or the
distributors, learning how the pictures
We're sent about on their long trips
and to what sections. Then came the
study Of the exhibitors or the theatre
managers. That was a puzzler.
When my subject was preached they
gave me the laugh. Had l a lecture
with my reels? A lecture was turned
down. l received no encouragement
Then l tried another tack. Learn
ing the average days receipts. I'd buy
the house for certain days They
laughed, but sold and / won out They
now com;lain-or one did-that l was
spelling the public's taste oh, no,
said l. I'm elevating the public's
taste. not spelling it.
You note the word l use with my
exhibition-Cinemafor The cinema
for the pictures and forum for a place
of gathering for discussion. l hope
in time that the idea will grow to
an extent That all great subjects will
be so treated and l believe it will
| because il is the greatest, easiest and
best educational means now before us
and its power and limitations are I'M
known"
There is no doubling the fact that
cinematography has become a tremen-
dous power for good or evil. 1t is pres
entity forming the heart and mind of our
people-nay, even the very soul of the
nation. Whittier are these-lnind. heart
and soul-going is a deep problem Of the
moment AS 1 asked recently in the
presentation of Sienkiewitzs master
piece, Quo Tadis?
Yes, QUO vadis? Whittier art thou
going, mine people?
Drifting along and along in cinema
Biography. OF this there is no doubt. A
deep study of the subject at headouar-
tiers, New York, and later contact with
the exhibitors and the public has con.
vinced me of this. Yes. ! repeat, we are
drifting, and there is the danger.
This explains my ringing of the
alarm.
AS with the forums Of early Roman
history. there will come-there must
come change These forums, in their
primitive idea and original signification,
were merely open spaces surrounded BY
buildings and porticos. There were no
less than Ii Of these forums. Later.
through public demands. these were con-
verified into market places and used for
public assemblies and the administration
OF justice. The more celebrated Of these
was the Forum Romanum, which ever
fascinated me on my visits to Rome.
80 with the moving picture theatres
the popular forums Of today. Many of
these are purely ornamental. but a large
proportion are merely open-yes, very
wide open space for the accumulation Of
films.
''These-good and bad-are. leaving
their deep impression upon the passing
proletariat. Their improvement and gen.
eral epuration is one of the great pro-