Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-11
Friday, February II, 1921.


censorship but think the public
through its various welfare organiza-
tions should be able to compel the
producers 10 observe the require
ments, while others, some of the pro-
ducers, say that the public must as
sumo all the responsibility.
The question is now receiving wide
discussion throughout the country.
Propaganda is plentiful Mr.. HamD-
ton, one Of the producers, is out i'm
letter to Rev. Wilbur +. Crafts pro-
testing against censorship and blue
laws. He declares that the produc-
ers arc public servants. 1--WE are
ready" he says land willing to use
our producing facilities to make none
but clean pictures and our theatres
are willing to exhibit none but clean
pictures--if and when the public tells
us it wants this class of product"
A logical inference from this is that
if the public want indecency the pro-
ducers are ready to give it to them.
presumably first experimenting to
ascertain which may appeal to the
public, the decent or indecent. Being
falIible they might conclude from
seeing crowd of gawks watching
for a hosiery display on the street
corner of windy day that men gen.
orally would be willing to indulge in
that sort Of diversion, an altogether
erroneous conclusion.
1t may be recalled the liquor inter-
ests were told several years ago by
some of the more far-seeing among
them that unless they reformed the
saloons the public would eventually
take the matter in hand. The public
did. and we see what has happened to
the saloons and the liquor interests.
They pandered to criminality and to-
day are stamped as outlaws and
criminals themselves. The moving
picture producer, the manager who
thinks solely of dividends. who takes
the ground that he will give the pub
lie what it will best pay for Is on
thin ice. If he has the good sense to
recognize the well-established fact
that the public wants decency, well
and good. If. on the contrary, he
concludes nastiness is what the
=, people as a whole want, basing his
conclusion on the run of some indie
cent thing that has brought out the
crowd. he is headed for trouble. II
ne contrives to drug" the product
with evil suggestion with which he
hopes to delude the decent and IT'LL
late the appetite Of the indecent he is
most dangerous Of all panders.
The moving picture has become
one Of the most powerful of all agen-
Cies affecting the public mind. It
makes for decency or indecency, for
good taste or bad taste, for whole
some or unwholesome results. Know
ing this, every seeker after propa-
sanda seeks to use it. The producer
is tried and tempted. and he should
meet this ordeal with due sense of
the great responsibility resting on
him. This he is not likely to do un-
Tess he becomes conscious of popular
support The public owes it to him
as wen as to itself. How may it
meet this obligation.
Censorship is dubious resort.
That ought to be plain from past ex-
perience, first with the drama and
later with the cinema. Censorship
leaves much to be desired and ac-
complishes little. Indeed 1t is plain,
80 much SO that little resort is had
10 that method Of regulation wher-
ever public sentiment has shown a.
live interest in what is being pro-
duced. 1t is simply phase of let
ting George do it" at best, and
George needs watching as much as
does anyone. Accordingly it would
seem proper to urge on the public its
responsibility in the matter and on
the producers the fact that unless
they conform to good ethics and good
taste they are injuring what may be
- noble enterprise.
Among the many welfare organi-
cations which are giving considera-
ton to this very important matter is
the National Catholic Welfare Coun-
Gil. It is sending out its propaganda
announcing that it will shortly SUBJ
nit for the consideration and action
.of the Catholic organizations of the
country a concrete plan OF procedure;
that 1t stands ready to cooperate
with other organizations having SINH
Lar aims and purposes: that it con-
,siders one of the most urgent
problems Of the day tosbe "the re-
Mobilization Of the movies Produc-
ers that don't heed these signs are
worse than blind. Good Judgment
would conclude it the part of wisdom
not to leave the matter wholly to the
public but first to fix their own
standards where they belong, and
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