New-York tribune., 1921-04-01
Film Censor
Bill Slated to
Pass at Albany
Miller Refuses to Modify
Stand Despite Storm of
Protest From Movie Men:
Leaders Pledge Full Aid
More Blue Laws, Say Foes
Governor Asserts It's Needed
in Interests of Decency:
Hypocrisy Owners Say

FROM Stdf Correspondent
ALBANY, March S1.-Taking their
cue from Governor Miller, who believes
state motion picture censorship is nee
essary to stop the screening of obscene
films, legislative leaders stand pre-
pared to throw their full force back of
the Lusk-Clayton bill creating state
motion picture censorship commission
The fight over the plan to put mo-
ton pictures under state supervision
Is assuming wide proportions Repre-
sentatives Of producers and exhibitors
are pleading their cause in person, and
st the same time the legislators are
deluged with letters and kilograms
from motion picture fans in their
home districts.
Against Compromise
Governor Miller said to-day that he
realizes that there Is situation in
the motion picture industry which
needs treatment. He said he has had
interviews with persons representing
both sides of the controversy and add
ed that the more he looked into the
subject the frmer he was in his be-
lief that something must be done. He
was asked if he is disposed to regard
some of the compromise suggestions as
acceptable, or if he believed that a
comprehensive censorship was neces-
sary.
Il do not see any way to regulate it
except by censorship" he replied. "Of
course, the word censorship does not
have good ring. We have all sorts Of
censorship now. You cannot send lewd
things through the mail. If you do you
tentiary. That is a censorship of a
kind. You cannot publish obscene lit
erature. Then there is always the
question what is obscene. The question
gets down to the personal equation.
No Attack on Liberty
$50 there is nothing new or start
ling about censorship, but of course, it
is possible when you suggest censorship
to get up and indulge in great flights
of oratory in behalf of liberty. No
body intends to abridge liberty, l am
sure, of press or of speech or Of as
semblage. Those are three faunda
mental things to be preserved. But
liberty doesn't mean license, and there
is such thing as maintaining de-
cency."
lQe MOLlOU plCluIt liltSASSCS w iiOS
agree with the Governor. In a state
ment issued to-day Sidney S. Cohen,
president of the Motion Picture The
ater Owners of New York State, de-
clares that the bill is but an out
cropping of the "Blue Law" craze,
which, he says, is very common dis
ease in the body polite.
"The deep-seated trouble" he said,
sis a desire on the part of the people
who feel a moral conviction to regulate
their neighbors, but the world is never
The only way that it will be made bet
ter is by influence. 1t is not the pur--
pose of law to improve the morals OF
the people. It's purpose should be to
establish order and to prevent crime.
What ideals the people have depend
more upon the life of the people them
selves, their work and their play, than
upon any regulators that they have.
Says Graft Will Result
"No good over came of censorship.
1t is essentially iniquitous. Its resu T.
will be graft and dissatisfaction. What
begins in bigotry flowers in hypocrisy.
AS a matter of fact, the motion plcJ IS
can be depended upon to purify them
selves. The public will purify them.
The people are sound. They are moral
and decent, and anything tnat is con-
sistently indecent will not be popular.
"While the lawmakers may have the
legal right to establish board empow-
cred to say what pictures may or may
not be presented to the public, they
will institute either q farce or an
abuse, or perhaps both, if they attempt
to do so. The opportunity for display
of diocy and favortism and for indul
gence in graft and blackmail among
members of such a board would be in
finite.
Serve Notice on Producers
"We serve notice on all producers
that we want clean and wholesome
pictures, and we do not want unclean
or sensational exhibitions. We want
the public to make the distinction be-
tween the producer and the theater
owner. We, the theater owners, make
no pictures; they do. We oppose cen
sorship on the ground of true Ameri-
canism. Is it all greed, hypocrisy or
other motives that inspire the oppo-
nents? In conclusion, if the agitator
succeeds, the general public must pay
tLa coo+ that ~apcCrchiD entails -