Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-17
SEEKING DEFINITION
OF OBSCENE BOOKS
Customs Service Wants Rul-
ing on Literature After
Barring Classic.

A definition OF "ODScene literature
which will not depend on the per
sonal equation is sought by the
United States Customs Service which
liz charged with barring from the
United States Objectionable books
and asaZines.
A few weeks ago considerable con.
troversy resulted when the collector
ut the port OF New York refused en-
trance to a de luxe but un ,Xpurgated
edition Of the Decameron of Bocca-
clio. although similar editions had
been admitted previously and the col
lection of stories is admitted univer-
sally to he one of the masterpieces
Of the worlds literature. Several
firms of American publishers and
book distributors raised the question
of the competence of the Government
to bar a recognized classic, even II II
did contain passages hardly suitable
for the general reading OF children.
New Classification Expected.
AS a result of this controversy
O. brief is being prepared by attorneys
for the publishers and a counter brief
bv the Customs Service from the con.
sideration of which something more
tangible for the guidance Of port col
lectors is expected to result. Customs
officials here admit that it is a trouble
some question which they wish TO
have solved in a liberal and broad
minded way.
The first Judge of the admissability
of a publication Is the port collector.
IL he rules adversely the case may
be appealed to Washington where the
book is read and final decision rem
dered. During the past year there has
been a considerable increase OF lewd
reading matter published in France
and England which has sought ad-
mission to the United States. To j.
B. Corridor of the Customs Service
falls task Of reading and passing
on all the appealed cases. The final
judgement is rendered by Frank Dow,
assistant commissioner. but he mere.
ly abideS by Mr.. Corridon's decision.
Mr.. Corridor Is 'hard-boiled" at the
task. He strives, he says, to place
himself in the position of a high
school boy or girl in making his
judgements and not rely on the i'm.
preston which the book would make
on himself. He seeks for no hidden
meaning. Subtitle suggestion which
might be found by the use Of some
ingenuity in Interpretation is not con.
sidered. The only passages which
affect the judgment are those the
meaning of which is so obvious that
any person of normal intelligence
would understand them.
Follow Court Decision.
The present definition of obscene
literature followed Is that given in a
decision of Supreme Justice Harlan
In 1916 in the case OF RoSen VS..
10 xryft fandC
to corrupt and deprave the morals OF
those whose minds are open to such
impressions and into whose hands
the publication may fall" This is
in line with an English decision in the
case Of the Queen VS.. Hecklin which
has long served as precedent Tor
the Anglo-Saxon world.
This, Mr.. Corridor admits, gives
the censor considerable leeway. There
IS no question Of literary excellence
or OF the general tenor OF the book
and all these problems must be weigh.
ed by the individual who must make
the judgement. For instance, Mr..
Corridor says, there Is no doubt but
that certain passages in the Bible and
in Shakespeare might easily come
under the law, but there is a general
agrc ment that these will not be held
up. So far as possible the classics
are spared, although some unexpur.
gated editions which are unquestion.
ably filthy in places, afford fine ques-
tions.
There is no such tenderness for re-
cent fiction. II there is any question
the book il given the benefit OF the
doubt, but IL there are passages which
would have strong tendency to de-
brave the minds of the young, the
book is banned. The Customs Service
works in close cooperation with the
Post Office Department.. The two
services never have disagreed in their
Judgment Of a book.
j Medical Books Banned.
Even medical books are not i'm
mune. If the nature OF the publica-
ton is such that it is unlikely to get
into the hands of other than pro-
fessioLal men It Is passed without
question. But some French publish.
ers Of late have hidden under the dis,
guise of medical treatises books OBJ
Viously not designed for doctors but
for the general reader.
Mr.. Corridors desk In piled with
material which has been appealed and
he showed approximately 20 cases
of Boston alone recently for which
no appeal was made.
In one recent case young man
who described himself as a former
Washington newspaper reporter wrote
q book of undisguised filth. falling
to find a publisher in tho United
Stats, had the matter printed in
France. 1t was held up promptly at
the Port of New York.
Dealers Cooperate.
Rock dealers az a. rule, Mr.. Corrt'
don said, are willing to cooperate.
They do not Intentionally try to food
the United States with obscene litera-
ture and seldom question a judgment
once it has been rendered.
"The Government has a great deal
Of power in this respect" Mr.. CORR
don said. but there is no intent to
use it harshly. We try to apply the