Rock Island Argus., 1920-01-03

fans all over the country are NOW
being urged by the movie industry
To write to their senators ana ask
them. Tor the love Of Nike. to ratify'
tho peace treaty. and ratify It now.
.If you don't know your sens-
tor,s name. ask your nesghbor or
telephone your local newspaper,
the manager Of a large movie the
atre told his audience here the other
day, "but get your message OF
right away"
Meantime, the supply OF white
paper is rapidly becoming exhaust
! ed BY members Of the industry IN
sending frantic demands to Wash
ington for an early ratification,
ana as for telegraph blanks, So
MANY have been. devoted to this
nurnose recently that there are
scarcely any left for New Year
Fluctuations.
/ From this you may gather that
there is something important going
on between the treaty and the
movie business, but doubtless you
lare still wondering how such o
situation could affect the movie fan'
lit does in only this way: II the
treaty is not ratified pretty soon
the moving picture industry Is 60.
| int to be so hard hit that it VIII
have to pass the blow on to tns
movie theatres, and the movie the.
atres will have to recover from II
by charging higher admlssio.
nrices. So will a failure to ratify
the treaty take money out OF tne
pocket Of everybody who goes tt
the moves. A.,
The price Of admission to tn
movies however, the producers say
has not risen in proportion to othe
nrices since the war. Now tner'
arc advance rumoss that. If certain
conditions are not ameiiora.e'
within the next couple OF months
the movie as an amusement Will D.
as expensive as the average the
iatrical show. 1t is dire threat
Surely congress will be stou!
hearted to Withstand the mot1ol
l
picture patrons.
The conditions thus limited at ar
principally in Europe. Europe ma
stopped importing films from tn
United States, because its rate Q
money exchange is so disturbe
that it cannot afford to do SO. he
r Gently, the pound sterling droppe
|, to a value below 81, while the iran
), ,declined to little over half II
: normal value. Naturally. with 1t
purchasing power SO Handicapped
:, and with its credit sadly limitet
Europe is buying only the dlret
necessities of life, or the raw MI
Q terials from which to manufacluf
n them, While admitting itself to .
rayenous for amusement, it Is stolt
ally refusing to buy it until To
rte of money exchange assumes Il
normal equilibrium. -,
. This cannot happen until I'll
limited States ratities the pea;
d treaty, thereby ending the unre'
land uncertainty existing in Euroa
~ which is keeping it poor and eau
ling American bankers to be me
h cautious in the matter OF loans.
Although it is mot common
~ known. the American film busine'
is has. for several years, been depen
ing upon Europe for most OF l
t. biz psuflts. When the war starte
the established producers OF n
st ton pictu-es were recovering on
Te the costs of their productions
this country, while the profits can
l from Europe. Or, as the NOV
Re men themselves describe it, Euro
was velvet.
With the war, conditions imnae
nd lately became so chaotic and mon
m SO tight in the belligerent cou
tries that there was sudden ce
sation in the purchase OF Americ
films, which hit many Of our olde
w movie firms hard.
l Later, however, the whole OF We
rinh Europe, went amusemel
mad. The people who stayed
VET home had to have it in order
sr- keep their mental balance and !
cure temporary forgetfulness fri
the awful tragedies eEsulfing the
ne At the same time, the amGseme
'ut industries of Europe soon ceas
re- production on account of the sea,
ity of man-power and the necess
for converting every factory into
no war plant. France, Italy, Gr'
ed Britain and Germany all stopr
ad manufacturing films, so that
Of while the only source Of sup
er- left to meet the tremendous ,
sts mand was in America.
The American movie manuf;