The Washington times., 1916-01-18

como 10 believe that the dissatisfaction
Win tho movies Is not so strong az
jcople would have you think. the
country ls suffering from movie nys-
country Is nOt seriously wrought w
over Il.
The passing Of this bill ts not going
TO AID anything to your regulations az
moral educators and to the mOrai eGu-
cation of the country
'ou know as well as | that the ma
1ority of pictures are clean, and the
passage of this bill condemns the NOV
ing picture manufacturers on. the race
4 go to the movies and | senC my
children; and / get from them wnat
they have seen, and know the cnar-
icter of the moving pictures has I'M
proved, Moving picture mon know that
good picture Is good investment. :"
examples of his idea of how the NOV
ing pictures can best be regulated
through public opinion vas that OF the
Anti Defamation League which pro-
Hebrew that once were feature OF
the films. He said that through a
species of boycott against certain nlms,
the manufacturers desisted from their
caricatures of that type
"You can't differentiate between news
paper pictures and pictures of the same
event on the films" he said, II beneve
the problems of morals per Sc belong
" tue COQlInunllY anu llOl 10 NOIlkEtbHs
He said also that the voluntary CEN
sorship of the national board seems bet
ter to him than Governmental censor
ship by politically appointed quintet
of men who were in the business ror
rat salaries"
Would Multiply Boards.
"The passage OF this bill would only
multiply boards" declared ]. w. Binder,
who is leading the fight OF the motion
picture men against the bill
when this bill had been introduced,
l asked this specific question of Gov
ernors Capper Of Kansas and Brum-
baugh of Pennsylvania, both States that
have State censor boards: II the Fed
eral Government enacts a censorship
law covering motion pictures would your
State accept its findings and abolish
your local board?"
IF the Federal Government censors
pictures in line with Kansas ideas, the
legislature might repeal the State law.
At present Kansas cannot accept rulings
OF outside boards, wired Governor Cap
per.
Pennsylvania prefers to maintain
its own censorship of motion pictures.
Is the answer made by Governor Brum-
baugh.
Helen Varick Boswell. of New York
city, chairman of the committee on Ed
Women's Clubs Of the United states,
and president of the Women's Forum OF
New York city, said:
This commission would be forced to
sit on one horn or another of a dilemma.
Either it would be so liberal that the
persons creating II would rebel or 1t
would be so narrow that States, cities
and towns would laugh II out of court.
II is impossible to criticise films both for
the mature and the immature. Chill
eren's pictures must be selected and ex-
hibited under positive, constructive
plans and not by censorship. The pa
rents of the land have shlrked their
duty. heretofore, and have given a fool
lsh liberty to their children. 1t is their
responsibility. not that OF the nation,
TO formulate safeguards
Blames the Parents.
Mrs. Howard S. Cans. president OF the
Federation for Child Study of New
York, said:
Parents have been criminally negli-
gent in their attitude toward motion
pictures. There is no short cut or trans
ference of responsibility. The same
thought which has been given to chill
dren's plays in the theater, to the liter
aturC of youth, and to the games of
childhood must be given by parents to
harnessing and using the motion picture
giants"
From the Edison laboratory of
Orange, MI, came the following terse
telegram:
I'VE are opposed to the principle OF
all Governmental censorships."
Rev Thomas Dixon, jr., noted author
writes: "If l write a book no censor
ship board asks to see the proofs. II |
convert the same ideas to O play ana
keep within the bounds Of decency pro-
vided by the common law no censor can
interpose his Il forbid Get rid of this
censorship bugaboo and let the motion
picture realize the brilliant future be-
fore it,"
David Horsey. Of Los Angeles, Cal,
telegraphs: II protest vigorously
against the tearing down or hampering
of the wonderful work being carried for
ward by motion pictures through pro-
fessional reformers who will no doubt
carry their reform ideas into the next
world when they go and sit around crit
lcising the quality OF the coal instead