Evening star., 1925-05-15
DEALERS REMOVE
LEWD MAGAZINES
Take Down 10 Definitely
Banned-FeW Keep Others
as Bad on Sale.

gan to clear from their sheIves from
TO 10 magazines that have been de-
clared indecent and obscene" by Dis
trict Attorney Peyton Gordon and
which the Police Department was
ordered to notify all distributors would
bring immediate prosecutions should
any attempt be made to sell them.
Every precinct in Washington was
supplied with a list of these publica-
tlons late yesterday, and policemen
formally notified the dealers on their
beats of the prosecutors decision. In
VestlSauon today revealed large piles
OF these publication in the rear of the
stores ready for shipment back to
thelr points of origin at the earliest
possible minute.
Some Dealers Chagrined.
Deep chagrin over the police ban
on their wares was admitted hy
NUMBER or newSdealerS, however. who
seemed 10 express the sentiments of
majority of the others by their
uhanlmity. In half a dozen instances
dealers frankly told a reporter for
Inc Star, who called to ask their
views on the campaign. that they
most certainly would not follow the
ADVICE of Maj. Gordon and act as their
own cenSors in the future.
hen the police tell me that a
uelnlte magazine is unlawful | will
remove 1t from my place of business;
all others l intend to sell as I have in
the past, and they can arrest me if
they care to" one dealer declared. Il
don know what is lawful and what
isn I. That's the police departments
business; selling magazines is mine.
| tH c+;,.l
ness. L hope they bring a test case
into court"
Follows Gordon Ruling.
Investigation of that particular
stand, to which the dealer made no
objection whatever. revealed that, al
though the proprietor had removed
the publications definitely banned by
the district attorney, there remained
a dozen or more others that were just
as Objectionable as. if not more so
than, the ones that had been with
drawn from public consumption.
These, the dealer said, would remain
on display for sale
Another dealer, who displays within
a block of one of the city's largest
high schools a score or more of
laScivious publications, declared he
had removed the magazines the police
not set out to censor the others. They
remained hanging in fun view, and
most of them catered directly to the
youthful trade with which that news
stand in particular is surrounded every
noon and afternoon.
How can I tell what's in them?"
asked the dealer. Maybe I can't read.
1 sell near-beer, too Suppose the
brewer slipped in a bottle or two of
t1tFf 10 tn FOL ha
law would hold me responsible for
the distributor did? | don't
think it should. | can't pull the cap
off and taste every bottle of beer in
my store TO make sure it wouldn't
make me drunk, can I?''
Puts Action Up to Dealer.
District Attorney Gordon and As
sistant District Attorney Given plain
ly declared several days ago. however,
that it is up to the newdealers to
clean up their own houses. II they
don't, 1t was promised, prosecutions
will be swift and the Criminal Court
will be asked to assume the role of
censor for the protection of pubI<
decency and youthful morality. Two
more days of grace remain before the
promised action will begin.
In the meantime the Office of the
prosecutor and The Star have received
many letters commenting them for
their fight to rid Washington of
lascivious literature and obscene art"
One of the letters written to the
prosecutors office came from one of
the best known sculptors in Wash
ington. He warmly praised both the
law enforcement division of the Gov
ernment and The Star, and heartily
agreed that the figures used to illus
Z rot a Of hn ri
tainly are not art when presented
under such conditions.
Appeal to Emotion Made.
The sculptor declared that the ed
itors of some of the publications make
no serious pretense of presenting
them as objects of art, but merely
wish to appeal to the emotions of
young boys and girls. Should either
the prosecutor or The Star, he con-
cluded, ever need him to take the wit
ness stand and repeat his statements
under oath he would be only too glad
of the opportunity.
At it's regular meeting last night
the Parent-Teacher Association of
Columbia Junior High School adopted
condemning magazines
and other publications harmful to
high school boys and girls" Strict
of the law for the sup
preston of lascivious literature was
demanded by number of speakers.
In addition, the following letter was
received by The Star today from
Ernest II. Van Fossan, chairman of the
law and legislative committee of the
Washington Federation of Churches:
"On behalf of the committee on law
and legislation of the Washington Fed
Grafton of Churches, l desire to com
mend most heartily the fine stand
taken by The Evening Star in cooper
alton with the police and the district
attorneys office to prevent the sale
and distribution of indecent magazines
and other publications in the District
of Columbia. This is a fight in which
there can be no middle ground. No
rightminded person can, with knowl-
edge of the facts. disagree with the
stand you have taken.
I'VE wish you every success and as
sure you of our desire to cooperate
with you in every way"
33 PICTURE SALE INDICTMENTS.
ii Girls Who Posed Are Sought by