Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-25
Attack on Movies
Made at Assembly
Of Presbyterians
Speaker Waving Letter From
Bill Hart Charges Film
Interests Ridicule
Ministry.
by tho Associated Press.

Des Moines, Ia. May 24.--Waving
a letter from William (BilD Hart
two-gun motion picture star. in the
faces OF 800 Presbyterian commits
sioners OF the l34,n general assembly
here yesterday afternoon. Rev. DR..
Gustav Brieglcb Of Pasadena, charg-
cd that film interests are ridiculing
Protestant pastors in their pictures in
retaliation for the censorship cam
paign being conducted against them
by Protestant denominations.
Hart's letter was in reply TO one
from the California pastor protesting
against a picture in which a pastor
is portrayed as robbing a stage
coach in order to complete the con-
struction OF a small church. The
grim hero of the studios" who is
himself the author of the scenario
III question:. replied to the criticism
that he admires "a man brove enough
TO go ahead with his good work al
though it involves robbing a stage
coach"
Saved From Nose.
Later in the picture the pastor is
caught by posse and Hart saves
him from hanging only by cutting
the ropes with well-directed shot
from his trusty pistol.
SHOW me a film which ridicules
or insults Catholic priest or Jew
ish rabbi in this manner" shouted
DR.. Briegleb. Their insults are aim
ed at us. Twice Briegleb's speaking
time was extended by vote of gener-
al assembly. The attack on motion
pictures made by the committee on
temperance and moral welfare in
its report earlier in the day, gave
only hint of the storm which burst
when DR.. Briegleb took the platform.
Boycott of theaters showing OBJ
jectionable films, and national CEN
sorship at the point of production,
based upon a federal law, were urged
by the resolution adopted.
Approve Anti-Lynch Bill.
Approval of the Dyer anti-lynch-
ing bill, now before the senate, was
expressed in a resolution adopted at
the instance of the standing commit
tee on freedmen, submitted by DR..
Thomas B, Harris of Englewood,
N. J.
Urgent need of a larger number
of candidates for the ministry was
asserted by the standing commit
tee on theological seninaries.
The following nominations were
made to fill vacancies in the member
ship of the permanent judicial COM
mission, to serve from 1922 to 1925:
Rev. Gustavus A. Hubert, Balti-
more; Matthew F. Smith, Indianapo-
lis; Harry Noble Wilson, St. Paul;
Judge c. Ross Hume, Anadarko,
Okl, and Robert Young, Los Ange-
les. Elections will be held Thurs
day morning.
Friction in university religious ex-
tension work was revealed by a reso-
luton issued by DR.. Wallace Rad
cliffe, Washington, D. c., referring
to conditions which have arisen in
connection with 'our task at state
universities prejudicial to the devel-
opmerlt of our work-for example,
incompatibiities between workers,
unsatisfactory conditions in local
churches and policies in connection
with the sale and erection Of build
ings.
Appointment of three ministers
and two elders as committe to in
vestigate these conditions, to report
to the 1923 general assembly, was
authorized.
Wants Tobacco Abandoned.
Need for adults to give up tobacco,
profanity, rouge and other weakness
es as an example to youngsters was
voiced by Miss Maud M. Aldrich,
field worker of the board of temper
ance and moral welfare.
The presence Of prohibition laws
on the statute books does not mean
that the liquor traffic will succumb
without vigilance on the part Of law
abiding citizens, Dr.. Charles Scan
lon, general secretary of the commit
tee on temperance and moral welfare,
said, adding that the presence of the
ten commandments in the decalogue
does not make their enforcement
automatic,