The New York herald., 1921-01-09
WILD WEST FILMS
BLAMED FOR LADS
CRIMES IN PARIS
JuvenileDelinQuents,L Large
ly Increased, Said to Have
Got Cues in Movies.
IMPORT BAN is PROPOSED
Belgian Plan Of Barring Per-
sons Under 16 From Cinemas
Is Discussed.

Special Cable to THE NEW fORh tEhALp'
Copyright, 1921, by THE New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Paris, Jan. 3.
American motion picture films in
which cowboys with smoking re-
volvers. and of course the inevitable
siren with morals as doubtful as her
fatal beauty. excite the imaginative
French youths to commit crimes are
being vigorously condemned by lead
ing French judges, who profess to be
alarmed by tho unprecedented In
crease in Juvenile delinquencies in the
last few months. In seeking the cause
for these bloodthirsty inspirations the
court officers have questioned hum
dreds of embryonic criminals, accord
ing to Henri Rollet, a juvenile court
official, who says that in nine cases
out of ten they explain how the
thought occurred to them by describ-
ing Wild West dramas Of the type
which long ago disappeared from
American screens but which are be-
ing imported by French movie man
ayers more extensively than ever.
Not only Is the Ministry of Justice get
ting anxious about this. but the Ministry
of Public Instruction, thanked by agents
of the Ministry of Commerce and LABOR
leaders. is pointing out that unless
strong prohibitory measures are under
taken Immediately France will lose con-
troll of it's youngsters as well as assist In
the downfall of the French cinema pro-
ducing profession, whose art cannot
hope to compete with the scenes OF blood
and fire which the American films offer
to easily inspired youthful minds"
Hardly a day passes now without
some mere infant trying to emulate
American movie heroes. One group
Known as "The Black Sweaters" not only
managed to rob a score OF homes and
stores in a. Paris suburb, but attained
remarkable proficiency in opening safes
and cutting windows which, Ii Is con-
tended only months of constant study OF
cinema details could have developed.
Ind Attacks Mother With Bottle.
Another case was that of a fourteen
year-old son Of a respectable working
family who tried TO murder his sleeping
mother with wine bottle. When ques-
toned by the Judge he confessed that ne
had seen an American actor applauded
for the same crime.
Formerly the sessions of the Juvenile
court had not a great deal more than
800 young criminals to deal with. but
to-day more than 1.400 delinquents are
awaiting disposition in one court. French
social workers, however. are pointing out
that all the blame Is not to be attributed
TO the American films. as 1t Is n fact that
In the four years OF the war French
youths Of the age requiring the closest
parental control were allowed to run
wild while the fathers were in the
trenches and the mothers in munition
factories.
But sufficient evidence seems accumu-
lating to predict the, early institution OF
a more rigid censorship on imported
films along the lines of the censorship
already established by the Minister OF
the Beaux Arts, which will not permit
the production here of film plays wherein
sensational crimes and moral deficiencies
are the outstanding arguments for their
existence.
For the present French officials are
Inclined to follow the example of Bal
gium, where youths under 16. even
when accompanied by parents. are not
permitted to attend cinemas. Judge
LarOQueS outlined tne NieW VI riSh~h
jurists as follows:
"It must be admitted that the cinema
has great possibilities as an educational
instrument, but 1t also must be admitted
that It has a tendency to impress de-
tails of crimes upon the imagination.
That the cinema instructs in bad as well
as In good proves logically That tnere
are faults In the arrangement OF pro-
grammes. and that all factors appealing
10 such imaginative types should oo
eliminated"
Calls 1t Course i'm Burglary.
NJ. Rollet has supplemented Judge
Laroquess Interpretation by caus.c
denunciation of American film produc-
tions, which he says teach how to force
locks, open safes and put on gloves to
avoid leaving finger prints" French pro-
ducers. he adds, merit encouragement. as
they are working for the elimination OF
such scenes, thus purifying the cinema
as far as France Is concerned to a re-
markable extent"
The director of the cinema division OF
the Beaux Arts, who at one time was
manager of one of the State theatres,
the Odeon, secs a social danger In the
fact that young minds so open to ex-
ccptional impressions that not the slight
est detail escapes retention are more
deeply impressed by scenes acted in the
cinema than if the same events were
embodied in the text of yellow backed
tales of adventure. Certain scenes are
no more healthful for adults than for
adolescents. Therefore we are recon-
mending all French producers to seek
saner topics OF interest II they wish the
cooperation of the Government"
The Ministry suggests that cinema
theatres arrange special programmes
carly In the evenings for young people.
who should then be prevented from at
tending later performances, where more
experienced minds will be able to thrill
themselves by watching American ia
vorites as well as French competitors as
they roll out five reels of passionately
heated love scenes. The Ministry. never
theless. sees that the only real way to
bring purity to the cinema Is by giving
moro protection and ENCOURAGEMENT to
tho French film industry and by bar
ring foreign crime inducing dramas.