Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-02-02
film CENSORSHIP
BILL BEING URGED
INTERNATIONAL REFORM W..
REAU HAS ASKED FOR
IMMEDIATE ACTION.
by n. T. JONES.
Staff Correspondent

washington, u. G, Feb. 1.-The IN
ternatlonal Reform Bwau N urging
congress to pass the Fe6Tal film cen
sorship bill Because Of the shor,ncrs
OF the session II Ia unlikely that such
n ban can be- enacted into law before this
congress adjournS. ~ the next con.
gress. however. the international re-
form Bureau will make big drive TO
put through the legislation. Other
agencies for The moral uplift are allied
with the international Reform Bureau
IN the crusade TO secure a Federal film
law, the most prominent being the
Methodist Hoatd a. Temperance, Pro
hibltion. and Public Morals The head
Of the movement is DR.. Wilbur II
Crafts. superintendent 81 the Inter.
national Reform Bureau. Dr. Crafts
d n rcformcr. pare excellence. II IN
said he has conducted more than one
hundred hearings on reform hills q va
fious kinds before congr, ssional com
mittees In the Inst % years.
The House Committee on Education
has favorably reported the FEDERAL
film censorship bill. The necessity q
regulation Of motion pictures II mp.
parent. accoriing 10 the report The
film people Themselves. or NJ least most
Of the bes, and largest producers, favor
regulation. This has been acknnwlcdg.
I'd by a large majority of the film man.
ufacsurers by their voluntary suhniS
sion Of their films to unofficial boards
for approval That the public demands
this regulation IL demonstrated by the
scrupuious regularity with which the
producers exhibit such approval at the
end 81 each picture.
The vicious picture brings the larg
or return 20 exhibitor and producer
because Il gets the money Of the regr
lar customer and the sensation seeker
also This state of affairs constitutes
q temptation hard 10 resist. and, In fact.
the production ~ vicious pictures IL
constantly increasing Just because they
are more promitable II the industry
y o. endure. II decent people are 20
Stay IN the business. this cancer must
he cut out. A federal regulatory com.
mission should prove n fearless sur
eeon. and w therefore favor such Q
commission.
This statement Of conditions Is made
IN the hrsef fiietFwith the committee
by the legal representatives Of four 81
the ten manufacturers who produce 90
per cent Of the motion pictures in the
United States. and by the legal repre-
sentatlves 81 car a. the largest dis.
tributors OF mc;li pictures In this
country.
This hill IN N mes, support a
the leading ia'r..i .i4d religious or.
Ksnixations az the Nation. A similar
hin was unanimously reported 20 the
HOUSE in the last Congress.
With the Acknowledgement OF the
need q regulation both by the motion
psccurs interests and the public they
serre, the question arises as 20 what
shan b. the regulation and who shall
do the regulating. The National Board
Of Reviews nj New York City il COM
poeed Of representatives OF varicut
moral and civic organizations. The
expenses % this hard are paid by
sumo Of the heading mOtlon-picture In
terssts. and II has no LEGAL authority.
At the request o. the manufacturers
this hoard rssses upon the pictures. II
l. estimated that more than IS per cent
Of all pictures produced In this country
are passed upon by this unofficial
hnaFd.
In addition 20 this voluntary hoard
tlserc are numerous official censors
both States and municipal. The estab
iishment a such large numbers. Of
there local boards. which are rapidly
increasing. clearly demonstrates the
inadcquacy OF the so-callcd National
Board Of Review, which by It's very I'M
official character can not exercise e.
fertiye supervision over IS per cent
az all pictures. siill there would re-
main 6 per cent which could b. Inn
moral and unfit 10 b. shown. II y only
fair 10 assume that thosd pictures
which are most Objectionable win no,
voluntarily b. submitted for review. An
unofficial board (Which has not the
rlrht 10 exhminssI0o per cent 81 the
pictures l. in reality not q hoard II
regulation but n board % rcoommen.
dation and approval. As matter OF
fact. evidence before the committee
dlscloses that a very considerable per
csnthge of the pictures approved ny
the unofficial hard are declared by
the iocAi boards unfit for exhibition.
A Statement submitted 10 the Con.
EressionaI Committee. signed by al.
torneys of the five largest and best
known film producers. says, IN part
Unfortunately the public IL not yet
discriminating and goes TO see both had
and good. which are usually 10 be
fonnd upon the weekly program Of the
saf1ie theater. SIN more unfortunately.
the vicious picturcr brings the larger
return 20 exhibitor and producer, b..
cause u gets the money q the regular
customer and the sensation seeker
also. This state az affairs constitute
a temptation hard 20 reSis; and IN fact
the production 81 vicious pictures Il
constantly increasing Just because they
are more profitable