The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-14
BATTLE OPENED FOR
U. s. MOVIE CENSORS
DR.. w. +. Crafts Offers Evil
dence to Show Pictures Are
Harmful to Young.
FILM MEN ALSO HEARD

WARRINGTON. Jan. 13.-A fight over
the proposal made by the Hughes bill to
create a Federal board to censor NOV
ing picture films began before the House
Committee on Education tonight. The
bill is opposed by agents OF the Aim
makers and advocated by representatives
Of churches. welfare societies and edu-
cational associations.
The committee decided to hold six
night sessions In order that full oppor-
tunity may be given to opponents and
proponents of Federal censorship to ex-
press their views.
Advocates Of Federal censorship were
led by the Rev. Dr. Wilbur r. Crafts.
head Of the International Reform Bu-
reau. lie declared there was public de-
mand for Government scrutiny Of films.
Or. Crafts said
The necessity for censorship is be-
yond question. The pictures now in
neighborhood playhouses are unwhole-
some In their effects upon the youthful
mind
west NtrRtnta Evidence.
To prove that more censorship liz re-
uuired Dr. Crafts read a letter from
NJ. i. Shawkey. state Superintendent of
Education Of West Virginia. in which
a survey OF the programme presented
on the principal streets Of Wheeling for
a month was thus summarized:
Good n not bad pictures. rs per
cent. bad and very bad, rs per cent. :
cigarettes were shown in IS per cent.
drink In 80 per cent. gunplay and
murder In SO per cent"
In this letter was embodied a pros
pectus from a moving picture concern
In which tho president Of one Of the
Aim companies gave a straight from
the shoulder talk" in part al follows:
Several weeks e l published a
straight from the shoulder talk entitled
Which Dc You Want?' asking the ex-
hibitors to state whether they preferred
clean. wholesome pictures or smutty
ones. Instead Of finding that 95 pei
! cent. favored clean pictures l discovered
that at least half and maybe so per
cent. wanted the pictures to be 'risoue,
which Is a French way Of saying
| 'smutty.'
"Exhibitors who favored this kind OF
pictures stated quite frankly that while
they would personally prefer clean
GUM NV - h''s ,'N
more willing To- pay money to see an of
color play han a decent one"
Film Men Reply.
Film editors, manufacturers exhibi'
tors and their allies occupied the sec
| ond half OF the evening session with ar
guments In behalf Of free expression
In pictures no less han In the press
| They favored voluntary or State or To-
| cal censorship as preferable to Federal
censorship. The National Board OF
Censorship" Of New York. through rep
r~escntatives, opposed the bill.
The arguments made against the
measure were In brief that conditions
in the business are improving and thai
the Aim makers are continually striving
for better things in the production OF
pictures.
Tomorrow night the Aim makers and
advocates OF censorship will oYer more
evidence. Saturday night Mrs. John NJ
Culher,son will speak for women's or
g~anizations In support OF the bill
Canon William =. Chase of Brooklyn
will appear as an advocate OF the meas
ure on Monday.
The Hughes bill authorizes the Pres
ident to appoint a censorship board OF
Ave members II Is proposed TO cloih'
II with power 10 reject or approve pie
lures. those rejected to he denied us'
OF Interstate commerce or the, mails