The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-09
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN, Director.
Washington, ID. c..
REvIvING THE WAR SPIRIT.

washington, u. u, rep. o-1hS
motion picture industry has come to
Washington and asked for patriotic
work to do. 1t has expressed the
opinion that there is need of patri-
otto morale in these trying days OF
reorganization, no less than there was
need of it during. the waft 1t mss
volunteered to help create that mo-
rale Its services haye been accepted,
and the first evidence of its work is to
appear during this, the week Of the
celebration of the anniversary OF the
birth of Lincoln.
Back in December c. G. PettiJohn,
associated with the Selznick Pictures,
led a group of volunteer producers TO
Washington He laid his case before
Mai RAYMOND w. Pullman, ex-jour-
nalist and chief of police, and asked
guidance toward governmental CO
operation Major Pullman ran the
gamut of governmental agencies to
find one interested in the morale OIL
the people and soon found his man.
Franklin K Lane, secretary of in
terror, had organized gospel OF
Americanization. 1t had begun with
the idea of reaching out for those I'M
migrants who had failed to fuse into
the body polite, who had proven
themselves Stag at the smelter, and
working them over into useful nation
building material. Now Americaniza-
toin has broadened its scope; it has
come to mean the teaching of an APP
probation of our form of government,
and the development of wholesome
support of it among our entire citizen
ship.
Secretary Lane called a conference
of the big men in the motion picture
business Zukor, Griffith, Brady,
Selznick, Fox. Friend, Hess, Elliott,
Rowland. Powers, and others came to
Washington for a conference They
all volunteered for service. They
wanted, however, some official sane
ton. They wanted to do this work
upon the invitation of the government
The Americanization campaign was
unofficial. They wanted official in
vitation and authorization
A dinner was given them in Wash
ington at which Vice President Mar
shall was an official guest. There
also attended Senator william s. Ken
Won, chairman of the committee of
education of the senate, and investi-
gator of the conditions back of the
steel strike. Representative Simeon
D. Tess, chairman of the house COM
nittee on education, was also present.
AS n result of this dinner a joint
meeting of the two committees on
education of congress was called for
that very evening. These committees
extended the invitation to the motion
resolution:
BE it resolved. that it is the sense
of a joint committee on education of
the senate and the house that the mo-
ton picture industry of the United
States be requested to do all that is
in it's power to upbuild and strengthen
| the spirit of Americanism within our
people,"
Following this action a committee
was appointed to carry the spirit of
| the resolution into actual operation.
| On that committee were Franklin K.
Lane, representing the federal govern
ment: Raymond W. Pullman, repre-
senting municipalities: Adolph Zukor,
representing motion picture producers;
Lewis J. Selznick,4 representing the
distributors; Harry Crandan, repre-
senting the exhibitors. and William
A. Brady president of the National
Association of the Motion Picture In
dusty.
| On January IL there was held in
New York a meeting to discuss ways
and means and outline a campaign.
1t was pointed out that the two patri-
otto occasions of the near future were
| the birthday anniversaries of Lincoln
and Washington. Here was an OPP
portunity for an immediate beginning
Was it possible to produce a Lincoln
picture in time for distribution and
exhibition on February ~? Gould
a scenario be secured, company
chosen, the picture filmed, the film
manufactured and distributed in less
than a~month.
The Selznick organization under
took ito deliver the goods. Within
forty eight hours the picture was be.
ing filmed. In two weeks it was com
plete and shown in the office of Secre-
tary Lane in Washingtn. Lewis Aller
Browne. a newspaper man, selected al
episode from the life of Lincoln. ant
converted it into a scenario over night
A clubman who denounced his gov.
eminent is shown the error of hi!
ways. in THE Land of Opportunity
by an old waiter who tells the story
of Lincoln and the time he broke hi
campaign schedule to defend a friend
less boy who was accused of murder
The distributors worked with n,
less speed to reach every corner of tn,
and in time for Lincoln week Nov
the exhibitors are busy arrangin.
their programs for the holiday. AL
America will, on the twelfth. see tn,
first evidence of this move of tn,
motion picture world to improve tn
morale of the people. The exhibitor
will accentuate the occasion with pa
, triotic music, with speeches by mem
bers of the American Legion, an,
other patriots.
1t is hoped that all who see this frs
:, picture in the series will feel a create
love of country, and will show NOR
appreciation of that land that toda,
. possesses more than a hundred mil
lion people-the best educated, bes
; fed, best clothed people in all tn
world.
! The present plan is the produetio,
of one and two reel pictures by al
the leading companies, merely sub
sidiary. They will not be propaganda
or educational films which experience
has shown are SO difficult to poplar
: ize. They will be dramatizations o
fundamental ideas of government
l .dramatizations that have all the gri
of romance and accomplishment.
The producers and distributors wi
make no money out of them, and the
! will be sold far below the ordinar
1 market for such films in order tina
5 their circulation may be increased
The producers and distributors wi
repay themselves the cost of manu-
facture and distribution. and what