Evening star., 1925-10-01
NAUGHTY NEW YORK
.BtAMES THE WEST.
Visitors Best Patrons Of
Spicy Plays, Is Retort to
Methodists' Criticism.
BY ROWLAND WOOD. ]

By the Consolidated Press. .'.-- S|34
NEW YORK. October New
York wouldn't be New York II It
weren't for the West.
This retort, patterned along the lines
of the old song You Made Me What
am Today" sums up this city's re-
action to the question propounded by
the board Of temperance, prohibition
and public morals of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. which sets forth
that THE West wants to know III
New York Is a menace"
The Methodist, board, asserting in
formation has come to it's hand that
New York is launching on the naked
est, most profane and blasphemous
theatrical season in history, and that
this demonstration Is accompanied by
an ever growing publication Of in
decent magazines and novels. warns
the metropolis that -'if it has the
safety Of its. own future in mind" it
Will mend itsway and do it quickly.
To which New York in general. and
broadway in particular, replies We're
doing very. nicely, thank you" g,
Even. John s. Sumner, secretary of
the New York Society for the Sup.
preston of Vice. who spends all his
time tracking sin to its lair, thinks
the West, If it's attitude is reflected
by the Methodist>bo is unduly wor
Iied about naughty New York.
Points to Western Cities.
New York, as a city, is no worse
than dozens of other cities Of the
country" ebines Mr.. Sumner. "It Is
true that some of the stage exhibitions
given here are worse than those given
in other cities, but 1t also seems to be
true, as the theatrical people say, that
the most risque Of the productions are
patronized largely by visitors from
other sections Of the country"
LAS for indecent publications. it Is
true that New York has some 80 or
40 that might we'll be toned down. but
the situation in this respect seems to
be getting better instead Of worse.
Two of the worst offenders recently
have been forced to suspend pubfica-
ton and the others are easing up
little. But New York doesn't seerhr to
be much worse than the rest OF the
country In this respect. Similar pub.
licationS appear In. Chicago, Min
neapolis, Cleveland and in various
Pacific coast cities, New York
publishes more because 1t is a bigger
publishing center" :
Along Broadway there is little dis
position to question that the current
theatrical season will be spiced with
numerous undreSs plays and with a
number in which cuss words flow
thick and fast.
But it's all-or almost all--the
Vests fault. Hear Earl Carroll, one
of the most daring of the younger
producers, who went to jail recently
rather than yield point when he was
arrested for displaying allegedly OBJ
scene pictures on the outside of his
theater, depicting what would be seen
in the flesh inside: n ~
Holds Nudity an Advance.
II do not think there is any need
for alarm on the part of the public,
as to the nudity or obscenity of plays
any more this season than any other
season. Nudity does not mean i'm
omrality. 1t simply means that the
world and the public is advancing.
For long tfnie Europe has counte-
na.nced Widespread and Wholesale dis.
play of. the person Right now German
scientists are advocating such d pro-
cedure as a health measure. But
aside from the modeSty, prudery or
moral status of the question, I do not
think the New York producers are
going to shock the public any more
than they want to be shocked. We
depend upon the public for our liveii-
hood and success"
And that, with variations, is how
most Of New York looks at the situa-
ton. New York is out frankly to get
the money. And just so long as there
is a. demand for naughtiness. whether
it come from East, West, North or
South, that demand is going to be
supplied.