The New York herald., 1922-06-30
Senator, in Film
attack, Declares
for Censorship
Myers of Montana Says Pro-
ducers Have Flaunted the
Sensual and Prurient.
Special Dispatch 20 TIE NEW York HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
WaShinUfan ID. G.. June %. I


New York Herald Bureau,
Washington. ID. c., June 20. J
The character of moving pictures now
being displayed and of screen actors
formed the subject of severely critical
speech by Senator Henry l.. Myers
Mont, Dem.l in the Senate to-day.
He demanded the passage of Federal
censorship law and intimated that VIII
II. Hays, former Postmaster-General,
had been employed by the moving pic
ture producers to kill the censorship
movement Senator Myers has two CEN
sorship bills before the Senate.
After discussing various reports that
the motion picture producers want to in
fiuence politics OF high and low degree.
and the speculation incident TO the em-
ployment OF Mr.. Hays. Senator Myers
read a newspaper story that the former
Postmaster-General was to improve the
tone of the pictures.
From that article" he said. at would
appear that MIR. Hays employment is
in part at least, to improve the moral
tone of pictures. l hope that may be the
principal, the entire scope of his duties
and employment. Undoubtedly there Is
sad need for such improvement.
THE motion picture is great inven-
tion and has become a powerful factor
for good or bad. 1t may educate young
people in the ways of good citizenship
or in the ways of dissoluteness, ex-
travagance, wickedness and crime," the
Senator continued.
Those who own and control the In
dustry seem to have been of the opinion
that the sensual, the sordid, the prurient,
the phases of fast life, the ways of ex-
travagance, the risque, the paths of
shady life drew the greatest attendance
and coined for them the most money,
and apparently they have been out to
get the coin, no matter what the effect
upon the public. young or old. and when
thoughtful people have suggested or ad-
vocated official censorship in the in
terest of good citizenship and wholesome
morals the owners of the industry have
resented IT.
"In effect they have declared that 1t
was nobodys business other than theirs,
that If people did not like their shows
they could stay away. In that they are
mistaken.
"The industry has gone so far In de-
flying public sentiment and has been so
fragrant in its abuse Of its privileges
that q PUBIC sentiment lot CenSOTSnip
has been aroused which will not be
Crooked. When we look to the source OF
the moving pictures. the material for
them, We need not wonder that many
of the pictures are pernicious. The pic
lures are largely furnished by such
characters as Fatty Arbuckle of un-
savory fame, notorious and scandalous
debauchery and drunken orgies, one OF
which. attended by many stars" re-
suited in the death of Virginia Rappe,
star artist; William Desmond Taylor.
murdered for some mysterious cause :
one Valentino. now figuring as star
character in divorce sensations: many
others of like character might be men
toned.
"At Hollywood Is a colony OF these
people, where debauchery. drunkenness.
ribaldry, dissipation. free love. seem to
be conspicuous. Many of these "stars."
Z. Is reported, were formerly bar tenders.
butcher boys. variety actors and ac-
tresses. who may have earned $40 or $50
a week. some of whom 1t Is said arc
now paid something like $4,000 month
or more. and they do not know what to
DO with their wealth. extracted from
poor people in large part. except TO