The New York herald., 1922-01-30
Theatrical Folk Ready With
Plan to Avert Danger Of
State Censorship.
WOMEN COMPEL ACTION
Panels to Be Drawn in VOlun-
tary Movement to Raise
Standard of Morality.


Two women went before the big
men of the movies about six years
ago and said to them:
Gentlemen, clean up your business
o. we will see that it is cleaned up for
YOU"
The big men of the movies, amused
but little impatient over the in
trusion of mere women in their really
important affairs. replied:
How can you say such things? We
are clean enough for all practical pur-
poses, so or 80 per cent. clean, or
something like that. Anyway. we
know what we are about, and isn't a
woman's place in the homer"
So the big men OF the movies went
their way and the two women went
their way, and the result was the film
censorship.
This is recalled neither as an anecdote
ror as parable. but as a powerful in
stance of history repeating itself, for
the same two women. Mrs. Herbert J..
Glover of SAT Madison street, Brooklyn,
and Mrs. Clarence Waterman Of ITO
East Seventeenth street. Brooklyn. are
now saying to the big men Of the speak
ing stage-producing managers. play
vrights and actors---exactly what they
said to the movie kings" some years
ago.
Work to Forestall Censorship.
This time, however. their advice and
wHrnfng are taken SO seriously that al
ready there is nearly ready plan for
the voluntary censorship of the spoken
drama. which Is one OF the most interest
ing and important reform ideas in many
:cars. The speaking stage. remembering
vhat happened TO the movies when the
movies declined TO go to the dry clean
si's, Is setting about zealously with
representatives of religious societies,
welfare organizations and good citizen
ship committees to build up a voluntary
censorship that will save II from the
dreaded bogeyman, the official State con-
sor.
The first news Of the plan. received
by THE NEW YORK HERALD yesterday,
contains these basic ideas:
1. Since the theatcr Is public insti-
tuition. of immense influence morally and
educationally. It must accept a measure
OF public. IL not governmental, super
vision; therefore,
?. City officials. the Mayor, the Police
Commissioner and the Commissioner OF
Licenses. shall join with the theatrical
interests and with representative lay citi-
zcns in selecting a panel of either ESQ OF
500 persons qualified by good citizenship,
reputable standing and intelligence.
8. Whenever the decency of any play
shall be questioned a jury of twelve shall
he drawn by chance from this panel,
shall attend the play and shall decide by
three -fourths vote whether the play shall
nc cxonerated, condemned or revised.
4. The theatrical interests, producers.
t'ramatists and actors shall agree to ac-
cept withou. contest the decision of the
Jury.
Movement Long Under Way.
While Mrs. Waterman and Mrs. Glover
have played energetic parts In bringing
this plan closc to adoption, they have
had indispensable help on the part Of
several men intensely concerned with
the regeneration of the theatre. An i'm
portant part of the work has been done
by The Better Shows Movement. whose
!. Mcclure. head OF the Catholic The
stcr Movement w. G. Boyle. representing
the Young Mems Christian Association .
Ice !. Levinger of the Young Mems He
brew Association, Mrs. Glover and John
s. Sumner. head of the New York So
clcty for the Suppression of Vice.
IA The better shows movement began In
the autumn of 1919, while the movie
censorship. campaign was on. and by
1920 II was under full headway. In the
autumn Of 1920 general and executive
committees were appointed to reach one
OF two alternatives The publication OF
the spoken stage voluntarily by the the
ater interests involved or by criminal
prosecution and the establishment of an
offical censorship.
The first meeting with the theater in
terests was held I'm the spring OF 1921.
but nothing of note. was accomplished
until the autumn, when the stage peo-
pie generally detected the censorship
shadow over them. They remembered
what happened 10 the films after the
warning by Mrs. Waterman and Mrs.
Glover. Recently. therefore, in a series
OF meetings with the Better Public
Shows Movement executive committee
the theater interests have indicated al
most eager willingness to go as far as
they we're asked to go. Their leader in
this awakening has been owen Davis,
playwright.
Leaders I'm the Campaign.
Tho plan mentioned has been worked
cut by representatives OF the Producing
Ma n rera' Aaco.0iat tfop tpcfudfpo ~, a rIo q