New-York tribune., 1920-12-11
Reforners Ask
Z. S. Censorship
ToPurifyFilms
Industry Is Assailed at the
international Bureau Con-
ference as a Force to
Destroy Worlds Morals
Anti-Blue Law Combine
Charge s4O,OOO,OOO Fund
to Oppose Randall Bill;
Bankers Are Involved

From The Trtoune's Washington, Bureau
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10-The Inter-
national Reform Bureau to-day went
on record as favoring a Federal censor
ship OF, motion pictures. In the dis
cussion which took. place members Of
the Jewish race, which were declared
to have control of the motion picture
industry, were severely criticized be-
cause the theatrical interests worked
against strict observance Of Sunday
as day to be devoted to religious
activities alone.
After condemning anti-Jewish propa-
ganda and persecution, resolution
was adopted by the bureau directors
appealing "to our Hebrew fellow citi-
zens not to develop prejudice among
the faithful observers of the
Christian Sunday by joining the organ
lied propaganda of theatrical interests
to commercialize the day"
Industry Must Change Control
Discussion Of the Randall bill to
create Federal censorship of motion
pictures was the occasion for declara-
tion that the film industry only can be
saved by removing it from it's present
control. The Rev. Howard Z. Clark, of
Piainiield, N. j., expressed the senti-
ments of the reform iobby on this
question.
The movies are in bad company" he
said. "The Rev James Empringham,
of Brooklyn, told me that he recently
attended luncheon of some 500 pro-
ducers and that he and his son were
the only Gentiles in the crowd. When
asked why they did not clean up their
pictures they replied that if they took
out the sexual appeal they would take
movies from those who now control it
if we want to save them at all"
Mr.. Clark charged that J. P. Morgan
Co. had underwritten the Marcus
Loew film interests for 00,000,000,
that Kuhn, Loeb & Co. were backing
the Lasky-Famous Players for another
huge sum and that it would require
strenuous work on the part of the
Christian lobby to obtain passage of
the Randall bill.
Charges $4O,OOO,OOO Slush Fund
DR.. Wilbur Fisk Crafts, superintend-
ent of the reform bureau, suppleme ent-
ed this with the assertion that $4O,-
100000 slush fund was being used in
an attempt to deefat the measure, which
is now before the House Committee on
Education.
Representative Fess, chairman of
the committee" he said, "is afraid to
report the bill out because he has re-
celved such an avalanche of letters
and kilograms protesting against it,
ma n FOR. o,,t Of cl,,eL r,,j
eve must bring just as much pres
sure to bear on him and the other mem
bers of the committee from our side.
We are getting women's clubs, Bible
classes and reform organizations every
where into line to stampede the COM
mlttee. We now have inspectors going
about the country looking at motion
pictures and they will have story
to tell Congress that will shake the
nation. We want hearing as soon as
possible"
The Rev. Mr.. Clark, who VIII come. to
Washington to address the committee
when it holds a hearing on the Randall
bill, explained just how he would revo-
lutionize the screen through the pro
posed Federal censorship.
"Childrep learn from the movies the
whole. modus operandi of criminals" :"
Mr.. Clark said "They are taught how
to steal and how to rob.
"No one was more in favor of pro-
hibition than was, but predicted that
one of the byproducts Of prohibition
would be the evil that we are now
lacing in respect to the movies When
the backrooms we're closed the pander-
ors and white slavers began to make
the moving picture houses their head
quarters"
Mr.. Clark declared that there were
being manufactured in America "pic-