The New York herald., 1922-08-05
Expects to Start Forming
His Jury Committee of
Experts Soon.
AUTHORS REFUSE SCHEME
G. p. Putnam Opposes Literary
Birth Control Interfering
With the BOokmen.

Neither publishers nor authors APP
prove of voluntary censorship OF
manuscripts as proposed yesterday by
John S. Sumner. secretary of the New
York Society for the Suppression OF
Vice.
Mr.. Sumner hopes to form a manu-
script jury composed of twenty or
thirty representative citizens who will
act for literature in the same capacity
that Will II. Hays does for the films
and Judge Kenesaw NJ. Landis does for
baseball. The plan was pretty gen.
orally characterized as "nonsensical,"
as described by leading publisher.
Mr.. Sumner said he had written to
some thirty publishers regarding CEN
sorship, and that he had received re-
plies from about two dozen. Some
were in favor Of such jury, few
were willing to serve on it. while four
or five replied that they did not con-
slider the plan at all practicable.
''The matter is now before the cxecu-
tive committees of both the Authors
League and the National Book Pub
lishers Association said Mr.. Sumner.
We expect soon to take mp the ques-
tion of forming the committee. 1t
should represent the public and should
rot necessarily have as members either
publishers or authors. / should sug-
gest that il be composed OF doctors.
lawyers. aienists. psycho-analysts,
-,..sa 1ts ,,I 20
tives of other professions, making il a
group of persons in whom the public
would have confidence.
This committee would read all manu-
scrips and decide on which should be
accepted by publishers. The censor
ship idea is really more for the writer's
than the publishers, as ii would guide
authors away. from unacceptable pro-
ductions.'
Censorship Already Working.
John Hiltman. president OF II. Apple
ton & Co.. publishers. said the National
Association of Book Publishers had o
committee on censorship and that IL
worked with the authors lie added:
This committee also sees that no
unfavorablc action affecting publishers
and publications Is taken by any or
ganization il such can be prevented.
and II watches the legislative program
and reports back TO the general COM
mittee.
"As for MIR. Summers idea, it is not
feasible. Every publisher must use his
conscience regarding what he publishes
and be responsible Individually for
everything that he publishes. II is i'm
possible for publisher In my opinion.
TO consider submitting q manuscript
hat 10 oft IN lfr.a* ion
to any board of ccnsors Cor their sp-
provai."
"Responstbility ON Publisher"
George Palmer Putnam. publisher,
said he was unaware that the censor
ship committee Of the National Book
Publishers Association. OF which he Is
a member, had taken any such action
as indicated by Mr.. sumner. and added
emphatically his opposition to the
scheme for creating any supreme au-
thority OF censorship for publishers on
the ground that it IA unworkable, un-
necessary and unwise. lie said:
THE publishers are. or at least should
be. capable OF judging the decency of
their own output. The proposition Of
submitting manuscripts in advance OF
publication TO any committee. whose
advance o. X. must be secured. is to
me preposterous.
Literary contSception Of the brand
suggested seems TO me fully as un-
moral as the physiological contraccp-
tion to which the professional censors
seem 50 much opposed. Truly it would
be terribly dangerous variety of birth
control. this supervision of what manu-
script may and may not be allowed to
live. even before its literary birth.
"To find the residuary legatees OF An
thony Comstoca in the same prohibitory
boat, as IL were with DIR. Marie Slopes
and Margaret Sanger might be amusing
IL in this case II were not so serious. Sc
rious not in the likelihood OF any such
scheme ever proving acceptable or work.
able. but serious as an evidence Of a
mental viewpoint / wonder II much OF
the Bible ever could have been published
IL first IL had 10 pass such supercen-
sorship, as is now suggested; or Boo
caccio, or Rabelais. or Victor Hugo. or
de Maupassant. much ol Shakespeare,
Congreyc Cervantes. And 10 come
slightly more up TO date, George Moore,
Thomas Hardy and such generally me-
ritorious literary creations a. Erik
Dorm Three Soldiers and dozen other
modern titles