Evening star., 1925-05-24
MAGAZINE BARRED
BY POSTAL CHIEFS
War on Obscenity Leads to
Prohibition on Issues for
Two Months.

While District Attorney Peyton Cor
don is preparing list of additional
magazines that are to be banned from
sale In Washington, officials of the
Post once Department announced
late yesterday that the May and June
issues Of another popular priced pub
lication are being withheld from the
mails as obscene.
Although a large number of maya
zines have been declared unavailable in
the past, this is the first definite ac-
ton taken by the postal authorities to
assist the officials of various cities
that have begun campaigns TO rid
their news stands OF obscene art
and lascivious literature since the re-
cent fight begun.
These campaigns have disclosed
that numerous magazines are con-
tinually being barred from the mails
only to find their way to the news
dealers via express companies and
other channels. Although the Post
Oftlce inspectors declare 1t Is just as
unlawful to ship forbidden publica-
tions through any interstate COM
merce, they are more or less unable
to prevent this traffic.
Difficulty in Surveillance.
Before they can go TO an express
company aud order a publica ton
banned. they must first have definite
Information that ii is being accepted
for shipment and proof that il has
been ruled violation of the law. To
keep a constant watch over the ex-
press offices would necessitate large
forces of men and considera BILE legal
arguments.
Constant watch over the circulation
or indecent magazines through the
mails is being maintained, however,
and this vigil is to be redoubled with
the inauguration of the campaigns In
cities throughout the country The
postal authorities have ct out to give
the municipal officials every assist.
ance they can to make the fight sue.
cessful and already these efforts are
beginning to show their effect.
News dealers in Washington have
one more week of grace. Then Dis
trict Attorney Gordon proposes to ,Iis.
continue the role of censors. Il task he
accepted at the request OF the Gealets,
and begin vigorous prosecutions No
mercy is to be shown, he declared.
Cases to Be Pushed.
BY the 1st of June. Maj. Gordon
declared, every honest dealer will
have been given an opportunity of
understanding what the law includes
under the terms of indecent. lewd and
obscene. Those found continuing the
sale of Objectionable publications after
that day are to be brought to imme-
diate trial.
Maj. Gordon has in his office about
25 more magazines. Some of them he
has already decided TO be obscene
within the meaning of the law. One
of them is the same magazine, it is
said, that has been barred from the
mails by the postmaster at Chicago
The prosecutor will not announce the
final list, however, until it is com.
plete, which is expected about the
middle of the coming week.
1t is possible that the police de-
partment will be asked to assign a
detail of men to devote their atten-
tions exclusively to the inspection of
newssta nds. These men would be
carefully instructed what the prose
cutor believes to be indecent in the
matter of art" and literature. They
would be instructed to purchase cop.
les Of such magazines from the news
stands and bring them to Maj. Cor
don's office.
No Doubt of Outcome.
Warrants would then be issued for
the offending dealers and they would
be brought to trial. There Is no doubt
in the mind of the district attorney as
to what the Criminal Court would do
after the present term of grace has
expired.
Maj. Gordon would have at his dis
posal a retinue of some of the best
known artists in America who are
willing to testify that the figures that
are being paraded under the guise of
art and no more representative Of art
than "a snake is of lofty ideals"
The laws governing the sale of such
magazines in the District and those
controlling their passage through the
mails are broad in their scope and
clear in their intent. They prohibit
anything that might offend public
morals, and both the postal authori
ties and the prosecuting attorneys OF
many cities are now working together
TO see that both are rigidiy enforced
Such a campaign, 1t Is said, will soor
rid the country of these publications