Evening star., 1921-02-26
DR.. CRAFTSSTARTS
UPROAR IN MEETING
Uninvited Speaker at Confer
ence on Movie Censorship
! Severely Criticised.

national reform bureau. appeared yes
terday afternoon at the regular meet
ing of the executive committee of
the Washington Chamber of Com
merce, precipitating a stormy ses-
sion The center of the storm was
DR.. Crafts, who was put to a severe
grilling by members of the commit
tee IN regard to motion picture CEN
sorship.
Following the discussion, which at
times waxed warm the committee
adopted a resolution declining to in
dorse the stand taken by DR.. Crafts.
The resolution follows:
The executive committee of the
Washington Chamber of Commerce.
after a full and free discussion of the
proposed changed regulations of NOV
ing pictures exhibited in the theaters
OF this city, is of the opinion that
regulations which now exist are suf-
ficient to protect all against harm and
bad influence and still give an oppor-
tunity for entertainment and educa-
ton"
With bag full of official looking
papers. DR.. Crafts appeared in the
committee room at the beginning of
the regular session. asking to be
heard by the committee. He had
prepared letter to the chambe
which, in part, follows:
Il note that this afternoon you are
to consider an invitation of the Dis
trict Commissioners to send repre-
SentativeS to a hearing on the QueS-
tion of further regulations of cen
sorship of motion pictures. of which
they admit there is need
Accused Of Trying to Deceive.
Il have the admissions of the lead
$r1ry fHf,xa- al
ducing companies that very objec-
tionable films of vicious and criminal
tendency have been exhibited all
over in the country in recent
months"
In this connection DR. Crafts said
that he possessed the longest tele-
gram on record-1,200 words-from a
'Mr. Hampton. president of four
moving picture companies" which
absolutely justified DIR. Crafts stand
on moving picture censorship.
snans MsnSefo rs Of hs the Aas ds
some hesitation DIR. Crafts handed it
out, and it was read aloud by Harry
King, a member of the committee.
1t was found to include scatching
condemnation of DR.. Crafts and his
stand On movie" censorship.
Robert N. Harper, former president
of the chamber, then accused Dr.
Crafts Of trying to put something
over on the committee" pointing out
that he had tried to make the tele-
gram state one thing when it most
eamphatically stated the opposite.
DR.. Crafts then produced parts of
Z magazine article which he said
were further proof of the justice of
his stand. Several members of the
committee remembered reading the
article in question in it's entirety, and
stated that 1t was nothing more than
an enlargement of the views ex-
pressed in the telegram. and was
whole-heartedly opposed to any fur
ther movie censorship.
Members of, the committee were in
dignant at the way in which DR..
Crafts presented his evidence. Fre-
quent charges that she was attempt
ing to color his evidence and slide
over things were made throughout
the time he was speaking.
"Dr. Crafts" said Mr.. King. you
say you live in Washington. that you
have lived here for twenty-five years
and expect that you will spend the
say you like Washington and think it
Is beautiful city; now. don't you
think that you can accomplish more
IL you stop villifying the Sity and its
people and instead praise the city
and it's people?"
! Crandall Upholds Motion Pictures.
Harry Crandall, owner of a chain
81 motion picture theaterS In this
city, made q brief talk. He said that
no one attempted to say that the mo-
tion picture industry and the pic
tures it produced were perfect, but
that there had been shown a steady
Improvement in the last five years.
S"Five years ago." said MIR. Crandall.
Il said that almost 25 per cent of the
movies should not be shown, but now
this figure has dwindled until there
IS only 1 per cent of the moving pic
lures made today that should not be
shown.
:%"I have instructed all the managers
of my theaters to question the pa
irons on leaving the theaters as to
whether there was anything objec-
tionable in the pictures shown. and
IL there is, I want it reported di-
rectly to me-"
1T was brought out in the commit
tees discussion that DR.. Crafts re-
ceiyes a salary of $500 per year in
6is position as head Of the interna-
tional reform bureau. He stated. how
ever, that practically all of this money
was turned back into the organiza-
ton. =.
The resolution adopted will be
olaced before the Commissioners of
the District by the following COM
mittee OF the chamber: President AL
bert Schulteis. Robert n Harper.
Harry King, William Guide and James
T. Lloyd.
OPPOSE MOVIE CENSORSHIP.