The Washington times., 1920-09-14
RECTORF[AYS
vAMP MOVIES
Catholic Educator Would Bar
Suggestive Pictures From
Children.

Poor housing conditions and "vamp-
ish" moving pictures were held re-
sponsible In a great measure for ju-
venile delinquency, by Rev. J. w. r.
Mcguire, OF st. Viator College. Bour-
tonnais, Ill, in an address this morn
ing before the National Conference of
Catholic Charities, at the Catholic
University.
Chances are pretty good that the
child who Is forced to begin life in
the gutter may end II as gangster,"
he said. after denouncing the land
lords for forcing such congested con-
ditions that children in the large
cities are obliged to spend most OF
their time In the streets.
Naturally a child who Is brought
up under such unhappy conditions
does not have the same fair start in
life that the child who Is brought up
in a wholesome home atmosphere has.
Housing conditions - especially the
present congested conditions which
exist in all large cities-are RESPONSE
BILE in a great measure for the crowd
ing Of our juvenile courts"
Taking up the movie side of the
question. DR.. Mcguire said that the
movie Of today-the average movie,
that is-takes the place in the mind
OIL Inc eIndll UON thdl
given over to the reading of dime
novels.
I'VE used to forbid our children to
read these blood-and-thunder paper
back novels" he said. "And yet we
allow them to go Unfortunately to
the movies. where the question Of sex
is fauntingIy portrayed in way that
cannot but have an unwholesome ef-
feet on the small boy and the adoles-
cent.
by visiting the movies the boy Of
today becomes unduly sophisticated.
He gains knowledge beyond his years.
and in a way in which II should not
be presented. It is not surprising, in
view Of such conditions that many
of these boys later hnd their way
into the courts"
DR.. Mcguire urged regulation OF
public amusements, especially NOV
ing pictures.
"The matter can be handled local
ly by every community" he said. land
the community which fails to take
hold Of the question Is neglectng it's
duty"
The recreation work OF the Knights
Of Columbus during the war. when
DR.. Mcguire served as a chaplain was
highly praised by the speaker.
L
recreation and amusement furnished
by the knights of Columbus was
always Of q most wholesome nature"
he said.
Following the talk of DR.. Mcguire
the question of juvenile delinquency
was opened for general discussion.
The discussion was led by Patrick
Mallon, Society of st. Vincent de Paul,
Brooklyn, and the Hon George j. Car
| ew. of Youngstown.
The question OF holding confer.
ences annually instead OF biennially,
as heretofore, was discussed, but has
not been definitely decided upon.
| Should it be decided to have the an
nual conference, arrangements will
| be made to have each alternate con-
! ference in Washington, and all 9th
ers In other cities. Heretofore all
| the conferences have been held In
| Washington.
At the general meeting held last
night addresses were made by Robert
| Biggs, president of the society Of
st. Vincent de Paul, Baltimore; Ed
ward ]. Dooley. justice Of the Domes.
| tic Relations Court of Brooklyn: the
Rt. Rev. Thomas ]. Hickey, Bishop
Of Rochester and others.
This evening an interesting pro
gram will be given, one of the prin-
cipal features of which will be a
discussion Of the disappearance OF
girls in large cities by Miss Teresa
r. O'Donohue. president of the
League of Catholic Women and secre.
tary OF the Association Of Catholic
| Charities New York.