The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-06-05
THE NATIONS CAPITAL is
CLEANING UP
Washington Sets Country An Ex-
ample By Going After I'm
clean Literature, Shows
and Prize-fighting
From Board of Temperance
and Public Morals

and Public Morals
The District Attorney OF Washing
ton has served notice upon dealers
who have been offending by the cir
curlation of unclean magazines that
| they must eliminate from their
stands every magazine which is of
! fensive to the law. The manager OF
one the theatefs which has special
ed in obscene dialogue has been ar
rested and is to have his day IN
court, complaint having been made
| by representatives OF various public
organizations. The District Attor-
ney has also served notice on the
men responsible for the recent prize
fight exhibitions in the Washington
Auditorium that the law against
prize-fgfting in the District OF
Columbia will be strictly enforced.
Magazines which frequently con.
| tain material of an improper char
acter may often be recognized by the
nature of their titles. Publications
| which advertise poppy stories Oh
| that they contain secrets" real
istic" stories or confessions should
I be subjected to close scrutiny by the
authorities. Magazines which are al
leged to be published in the interests
of artists or models, which carry in
| their titles the suggestion OF Follies
| or Frolics, or profess to contain
| realistic descriptions of married life
may be perfectly proper but sus
picion that theYare not is advisable
| A few of the magazines dealing with
the motion picture world, even some
which SEEM to specialize on sex ar.
not always5so innocent as might b
thought Allegedly humorous mag
| azines of pocket size, magazine.
which have names smacking O.
Greenwich Village or Bohemianism
are not worth watching by person.
Interested in protecting the com
munity. Some magazines are OBJ
jectionable because of the sugges
tive nudity Of their pictures or be
cause of their advertisements which
offer the suggestion that the device.
advertised will bring about abortion
or which advertise IF n h ;.
pictures. 80
In the District of Columbia, tn.
Commissioners have the power unde
n To- IN hA
theaters which offend against pub
lie decency. This weapon is il
resistable.
The most revolving feature of a
of these offenses against the com
munity is the hypocrisy involved
Improper literature and improper
theatrical exhibitions are called
art" One might believe that art
consists Of nothing but filth. Prize
lighting is called " boxing" The at
titude of the offenders is well il
Illustrated by the contention OF the
Washington promoters of prize
lighting. The law in Washington
forbids any encounter between MAJ
and man whether with bare fists OF
with gloves. or between man and
bull, or other animal, for which any
money is paid or prize given or
which anything is bet. wagered, o,
20 see which any admission fee i
charged, directly or indirectly. The
War Department has been permit
ting prize-fighting on the Govern
ment reservations in the District OF
Columbia, and encouraged by the
Immunity of these exhibitions 9
group of men organized so-calleG
Club" which, however, it seems has
no club house, no reading rooms, nc
tennis courts, or golf links or swim
ming pools, which, indeed, SEEM
to be solely 'engrossed in having
athletic nights" which nights are
featured solely by fistic combats
between professional prize-tighters
Admission fees, it is said, are not
charged to these performances
One must become club member, >
paying a certain amount OF none,
for which he receives ticket bear
ing a coupon good for certain
seat on a certain night for certain
prize-fight. The humbuggery OF this
sort of thing is offensive to all in
stincts Of sincerity. The prize
| lighters who participate are men
] who would not fight under any cir