Evening star., 1928-01-09
Film Censorship Urged.
Strict Federal Supervision De.
clared Needed to Protect Youth.

To the Editor of The Star:
Because you believe in being fair and
in the freedom of the press. feel con-
fident that you will give me space in
which to reply to your editorial crit
icism OF my statement that motion pic
lures, when not properly regulated are
a school of crime and a menace to
world peace.
Your criticism, based upon a very
brief newspaper report. assumes that I
mentioned Hickman. the brutal young
murderer. as proof of my statement
l used him as an illustration of the
statement OF an eminent psycholog: st
who agrees with me as to the demoral-
izing effects Of evil pictures upon the
young. He says the thrills OF the mo-
ton picture stimulate discharges OF the
cndocrine glands and weaken the child
so that he becomes subject to the sug-
gestiOns OF the films These suggestions
lie dormant for while, but later. when
called into action by some similar set OF
circumstances. leap into the child's con-
sciousneSs dominate his activities aid
impcl him almost irrcSist!bly into crime
In the debate in New York City. calle1
attention, not merely to Hickman
statement that he attended motion pic
lures daily. but that though he said
he was not insane, he felt somehow
impelled to commit his crimes.
May cite few of the reasons which
indicate that many people realize th-
evil effects of motion pictures upon
children? The League OF Nations III.
1924 called the International Film Con-
gress at the suggestion of its Depart
ment of Child Welfare. to safeguard the
children from evil motion pictures At
that congress. in September, 1925. Judge
Roliet of the Children's Court of Paris
in behalf of the Child Welfare Depart
ment of the League of Nations. pre-
sented resolution that in each nation
Offices for control Or preliminary CEN
eorship should be established to preven.
exhibitions of demoraiiz.ng films.
In July. 1925. tho international Prison
Congress III London adopted resolutions
calling upon all nations more strictly to
enact and enforce national censorship
laws and to enter into International
agreements for the protection of young
people from the evil in certain motion
pictures.
Six States. including New York.
Pennsylvania and Ohio. and l40 cities
and towns have so-called censorship
laws TO protect the young and no State
has yet repealed its censorship law.
In 1917. Mr.. T. P. O'Connor. the
president of the British Board of Film
Censors. whose salary is paid by the
movie industry. made a protest TO the
trade against the large number OF crime
films. In 1925, ne renewed his protest
and said:
This question OF crime as a main
theme for films has been further ac-
ccntuated of late by tendency to pre-
sent stories in which sympathy is en-
listed for the criminals and in which
they are made out to be either the VIC
Tins OF unavoidable circumstances or
OF early environment and as such 10 bc
held more or less irresponsible for
their social delinqucncies. There is an
almost invarlable tendency in such
films to hold up the recognized author
i;y OF the law either to odium or 10
r:d;cule, a procedure OF which the con-
slant repetition cannot b. considered 10
be in the best interests of society"
Edward A. Ross. professor Of sociology
at the University of Wisconsin, IN 1925.
said:
Never has there been a generation
so much in revols against their elder
In my judgment this psychic reyoi.
springs chiefly from the motion films.
with some aid from the automobile.
We have a generation OF sex-ezcitec,
sel.-aSsertiye. selI-coniccnt and parent
critical. There can b. no doubt iha.
the arrival OF overrlaster.ng Sc. desire
IN the boys life has b2en ansedatec b.
at least two or three wears. thanks TO
stimulation from the films
A brief glance AZ the film estimates
in the Educational Screen. reviewed b.
board of fair-minded persons. will
convince most people tha. motion PIC
lures are not improving morally. "A
prominent Aim pcrSoaagc recently said
that there is hymn of hate IN every
nation against American motion pic
lures. The King has just aSssnted 10
th1 British film quota Law recently en-
acted agairS, the American films, aaf
France. Italy and Germany are consid-
ering similar laws. This Is no; due
merely 10 jcaious- a. the business
which American pictures iindouh, edls
draw away from oshc- nations tc
America but 10 the fact tina, they as
sumo that what they see IN the til,rs
represents American life. They see
there grade O! morals much beion
their own and reSen; the Idea that tac;l
people shall be brought dogn 10 that
level
America ought 10 feel responsible FOR
The character of the films which she
sends abroad, BY = Fedora! supervision
such As she eXeyls over the railroads
radio and meat business she could send
motion pictures abroad which would
change the hostile feelings against It's
into admiration and applause
WM SHEAFE CHASE.
Superintendent Of the In;crna-
ttonAf yafnrss. xN~s4ernstoC