Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-10-20
PRODUCER SAYS
CENSORSHIP OF
MOVIES CRIME
Tells Parent-Teacher Body
That Which Shackles
Wrong.
SCREEN FREEDOM ASKED

LOCALIZED censorship was scored
severely by DR.. Samuel Atkinson of the
National Association of Motion Picture
Producers, in his talk at the opening
business session of the State convention
Of the Parent Teacher Association today
In the Palm Room Of the Claypool Hotel.
1.-The most damnable- crime today is
censorship" declared DIR. Atkinson,
whether in education, literature, press
or motion pictures. Anything that for
bids US, shackles, enslaves US is wrong.
LOCALIZED motion picture censorship is
not helping you or US in this age.
Thomas Dixon, Jr., brought his mes
sage before the people in the pulpit, on
the lecture platform and in book form
absolutely unshackled, but the moment it
was sent forth as a photOplay, The Birth
Of a Nation he could not get a showing
without spending $4,000 owing to this
censorship.
MOVIES HELD ADVANCED
STAGE OF PRINTING.
when We have conditions like this, I
count IL un-American and a terrible con-
ditiOn Of affairs that will whip US if al
lowed to continue. 1t is contrary to the
Constitution of the United States-motion
pictures are merely a constinuatiOn, an
advanced stage Of printing, and pictures
DC given the same 1ESGOOul DIS tue
press
Would you permit your newspaper
editors to be forced to take their edI-
torials to police headquarters to be
passed upon before being printed?
Secondly it is immoral that legalized
censorship puts one person in charge,
that one person to select what a whole
population of people should see For in
stance a board of censors in California
%
lem film and finally when it was sifted
down, the reason for the refusal was due
20 the fact that the moral value of the
play was so similar with the experiences
of q woman on the board, that she re-
fused to sanction 1t. 1t showed up GER
tain sides Of society that, while true, she
did not want exploited. 1t was a purely
personal reason, but she was keeping the
world from seeing this valuable life pic
lure for personal dislike. 1t is illogical
too, for one person views a picture
through his own eyes, no person can look
ut a picture with the same viewpoint as
another and can not decide fairly what
affect It will have upon another.
Lack of uniformity is also another
objectionable point In one State it will
be considered all right for picture to be
shown and perhaps IN the neighboring
State the board will not permit Its show
Ahe" IL q PANNuAN 10 SouQ AOA OAS CldAc
public, it Is good for anOther's or vice
versa"
REPORTS MADE BY
LOCAL PRESIDENTS.
Preceding DR.. Atkinson's talk reports
were givens by local presidents of the
parent-teacher clubs over the state, to-
gether with talks by district and county
chairmen. Mrs. Ferd Lucas national
and State chairman or better films, also
talked on the national plan OF better
films, and Mrs. David Ross of the In
diana Indorsers of Photoplay, talked on
the work in the State and how the in
dorsing plan was steadily gaining
recognition over the State. The morning
session was in the hands of the In
dorseFs Of Photoplay. Mrs. Hence Orme,
State chairman Of the association, pre-
sided
This afternoon a round table diseHs-s
sion on Health occupied the program,
ave minute talks being made by Dr.
John Hurry, secretary State board OF
health; DR.. Frederick Henshaw, dean of
Indiana Dental College; DR.. Alfred Henry.
president Of the Indiana Tuberculosis
Association; DIR. c. H AIcCaskey, throat
and nose specialist and Miss Ina Caski1,
supervising nurse State board of health
Tonight an address is to be made by
Richard Lieber, director of conservation
OF Indiana, and John Napier Dyer, past
vice president International Rotary Clubs
The session in the morning is to be closed
and educational discussion will COM
pose the program tomorrow afternoon. A
banquet tomorrow evening in the Riley
room of the ClaypoOl will conclude the
convention events.
MRS. ROYAL McCLAIN
STATE TREASURER
Mrs. Royal McClain has been named by
Mrs. Hence Orme, president Of the State
Parent Teacher Association as treasurer
Of the organization to succeed Mrs. W. o.
Granger Of FIT Wayne, who recently re-
signed.
1t has been decided that Indiana will
be divided into ten departments next
year, including departments on better
films child welfare, day citizenship, edu-
cation, home economics, literature, press
and publicity, recreation, rural life and
ways and means.
L. n. Hines, president of the State
Normal, will head the department Of edu-
cation, assisted by DIR. Rudolph Acher.
Prof J. L. McBrien of the State Normal
School, will have charge of the rural life
department and Prof Merry /. Mathews
! OF Purdue University viii direct the home
economics section.
number of organizations Of the State
have planned to cooperate with the
ISOLATION this season, including the in
diana Child Welfare Association, Indiana
League Of Women Voters, Indiana In
dorsers Of Photoplay, Indiana University
Indiana State Normal School. Indiana
tuberculosis Associat ton, Indiana State
hoard Of health, Indiana State board of
charities, Indiana department of instruc-
ton, Indiana department of school at
tendance, Indiana State fire marshaIs
department, and the Indiana State
Teachers Association.