The Washington herald., 1921-03-01
Kutz Would
Censor Film
Commissioner Airs Opin-
ion in Advance of Movie
Hearing.
BY EARLE DORSEY.

After the fashion Of its kind, the
/ District Commission will, in due
course. make known its attitude on
the matter of local movie censor
ship. a question which reached such
a ludicrous cresccndo at the District
Building yesterday afternoon. In
the meantime, it will be difficult for
even an unbiased observer of the
hubbub to comprehend the alto
Eether peculiar stand the District
Commissioners seem to have taken,
both before and after evidence
against censorship had been sub
mitted.
! A week or two before the date
| of yesterdays hearing. the Com
missioners sent out a notification of
the meeting. in which it was boldly
and clearly stated that. in the opin-
, ion of the Commissioners, the need
/ for some further regulation ''or CEN
sorship" Of the pictures appeared 20
, exist.
To an extent. most of us felt at
the time that the COMMISSIONS. Il
body not at all times hedged about
with the elaborate caution OF judi
cial terminoloEy. had merely COM
mitted a verbal ineptitude s~i ,ha,
they retained nevertheless All uprn
mind on the subject of censorship.
1t is probable, therefore. that the
| scores of anti-censorship adherents
present at the hearing went 10 the
District Building yesterday with
the idea that they stood on even
terms. so far as the Commissioners
themselves were concerned. with
the reformers.
This bliss of perfect ignorance
was permitted to endure for some
thing like the space of an hour,
during which time d. W. Griffith
stirred to a high pitch II en-
thusiasm not only the audience but
L suspect, the Commissioners them
selves from their august. presiding
calm.
At any rate, Col. Kutz. the Engi-
necr Commissioner, with a fine dis
regard for the Legislative and ju-
dicial proprieties involved. reacted
to Mr.. Grifnth's eloquence by stat
Ing, in SO many words. that the
Commissioners had already formed
an opinion on censorship at vari-
ance with that of Charles w. Darr.
the attorney for the photoplsy in
terests.
Now whether Col. Kutz spoke
merely for himself or for the fun
board is a matter of unimportance.
The fact that he clearly. unhesi-
tatlnSly and gratuttously an
nounced the Commissioners preJu-
oice in favor of censorship was not
oenled in any manner by the rest
OF the presiding board, and simply
10 make the attitude of his asso-
crates more unmistakable yet, Col.
hutz voiced the same sentiment a
second time and shortly thereafter
ieft the scene and did not return,
Notwithstanding the fact that only
minor portion of the anti-censor-
ship testimony had been submitted.
rms occurrence is anything but
inspiring to those who believe the
commissioners open minded on the
SUBJECT Of censorship. 1t is also not
forgotten that DIR. Wilbur F. Crafts.
apparently feeling ii unnecessary to
defend his case further, left the
hearing after he had testified, as
did the Rev. Dr. Lucien c. Clark,
chief prosecutor for the reform
forces.
Thus the anti-censorship ele-
ments, with a case already appar-
emily prejudiced against them. made
their defense to two-thirds of the
Board of Commissioners and with
out the opportunity to challenge
their accusers, even in the most in
formal sort of way.
The Commissioners will rule, of
course. in due time. but in the event
of = ruiiag hat savCEs. censorst r
it NAV become exceedingly difficult
for Col. Kutz and his associates 70
ysstjstN' many citizens " The Ea9i
faith of the Commissioners in this