Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-21

General belief that customs oficers
are not qualified to pass Judgment on
the moral quality Of imported books is
expressed in the approval given to Sen
ate action modifying the pending tariff
measure in this respect. II Is assumed
that some new law on the subject is TO
be expected, but not as part Of the i'm
port machinery.
Voicing agreement with those who
have protested against some phases of
the censorship over literature, the
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin holds
that there has been a deal of common
sense and truth in what has been said
in protest" but 1t adds that the correc-
ton of whatever fault there may be in
the application of this clause in the
tariff law does not require the erasure of
the law and the opening of the gates.
without restriction, to whatever flood OF
commercialized indecency publisher or
promoter may care to iilf1ict upon the
country" The Bulletin adds: Ut
should be possible to exercise what Is
the essential right Of the Federal Gov
eminent to exclude from importation
printed matter which Is vicious In its
otfense against either moral or civic
fundamentals of this Nation, without
should be possible to avoid the latter
without renouncing the authority for
the former"
1T is dificult to imagine the person.
mel Of an ideal body Of censors," thinks
the Detroit Free Press. IF the purpose
of such censorship is to keep from the
young people Of the land neurotic,
erotic, pathological writings which
shock the growing mind and turn its
Something might be done aside from the
tariff bill. Both newsstands and book
stores offer cheap publications that
have not even the debatabke excuse of
honest, artistic attempt at an expression
of truth to justify their yarns of love
and romance"
In analyzing the import and object of
the Senate vote the Syracuse Herald
contends, I'VE must remember that IL
referred exclusively to the process Of
importation. No tariff license to foreign
OF States to regulate as they please the
sale of imported literature, after its
entry into our ports. Hence the Sen
ate action has little to do with the main
question Of public morality involved.
The evil of immoral literature Is one
thing; and the problem of what con-
stitutes an intelligent, reliable censor
ship is quite different"
Interpretation by the Oakland Trib-
une is that the Senate, by its action,
joins others who are interested in a sub
ject which has been debated for many
years, and can find no way out" The
Jersey City Journal offers the judg-
ment: Customs officials have already
proved themselves incapable of dis
tinguishing between works of literature
and mere obscenity, by attempting to
exclude classics more than 100 years old
They can be expected to exclude, under
the retained 'snditiOuS' eiauSa Of the
proposed tariff BILL the writings Of the
French revolutionary historians and
philosophers. They can be expected to
prevent American colleges from COL
Letting valuable historical documents"
I'VE may consider ourselves fortunate
in that Shakespeare, Boccaccio and
Fielding arrived here ahead of the free
and unlimited censorship Of everything"
suggests the Fort Worth Record-Tele-
gram, with the further comment: eff
there need be censorship Of literature,
1t should be exercised by competent
authorities on literary productions and
producers There are in the
United States. perhaps 1000 persons
wholly capable of belonging to q board
of literary censors. Needless to say,
they are not in the customs service"
THE modification Of the law need
not be taken as any indication that
unfit books will be given circulation in
this country" advises the Albany
Evening News. while the Chicago Daily
Tribune, reviewing the conditions ex-
listing under the old law. points out that
they produced such absurdities as
Aristophanes, Voltaire, Balsac. Rousseau.
etc, on the index, Q great deal Of the
classical literature of France, Italy and
Spain barred from entry. translations
into foreign languages kept out when