The Washington times., 1931-09-08

for making or showing moving pictures depicting
gangs gangster life glorificaton of crime and the
criminal classes, the evils of gang life and crime
criminals, in any way having to do with the depic
ton of gangs gangster life and criminals" Like Crom
well, Senator Crawford is for Thorough
No Hypocrisy
The bill is phrased so as to circumven those crafty
producers who put on thrilling gangster picture and
then, by tacking electrocution ride at the
very end, pretend that they only trying to show
that crime doesn't pay. But in order to accomplish
this the Senator has to. throw out of the window the
great instructive and moral power of the pctures he
has cancel the evils of gangdom because he wants to
strike out the gorification of gangs. is pity but
its ground the bill is complete, logical and
totally useless.
foresee thousands of big words used in the argu-
ment this bill: Crime, Evil, Freedom of Speech,
American Liberty Sanctity of Human Life and make
the heretical suggestion that pay attention to
them, using little words instead and thinking about
the proposal without any general principles whatever
If could pretend to live in absolute vacuum, into
which trace of ideas filtered; if we
conscious of rights and traditions if forget
the vgilantes and "the right of the people to bear
arms'-we might get somewhere
Babies and Liberty
The simple truth is that nine Americans out of ten
would cheerfuly sacrifice the rights of the movies in
order to prevent the sacrifice of the life of child
dealstic attitude do not know Bring down to cases.
Say "Your childs life side gangster pictures
the other" and the choice is foreordained. We have
been bulled out of most of rights anyhow in the
past Is years by governments and lobbies and prop
agandiss and criminals; would cheerfuly surrender
another if could prevent the appearance of
other murderer. z. 49,. .u
Art, Life, Bunk
The full-toned opposition to the bill will point out
that it specifically refuses to the right to the
truth it denies to art the privilege of dealing with actual
fact The result will be that crime will riot around
the picture houses in which sit trembling while
look at andwhe confections not fit for 6year-old
children, romance and pap, sweetness and Hght-with
murder and injustice all about Our minds filled
with these mixtures, will become incompetent
to deal with any reality.
That is good argument too but it omits important
details The gangser takie does not present fact; it
presents fiction It srs the emotions without touching
the mind; it is meeting, not council of war.
Combine Shakespeare Bazac and Roger Babson and the
movie they would produce would still be Justification
of life.
Crying in the Dark
I dislike Senator Crawford's bill intensely but
afraid there is only argument against it, and that
is not likely to be popular; the bill is undgnified
and unmany; it is the cry of grown frightened
by boqey in the dark-and not such dreadful dark
at that, only the semobscurity of the movie house
that when senator takes office ne also takes
him to think clearly and to act with couragein that
order To shut down the gangster movies without shut
ting down the gangster himself is abdicaton of the
peculiar privilege of human beings-which is to think
I Gangdom is disease and gang murder is hysteria A
good doctor will slap hystercal patient but he will
slap calmly he will not go into fit himself. The attack
the gangand picture is hysteria 1t is the ancient
trick of conceang symptom and driving in the disease
And incidentally it would put end to the only good
pictures made in years. minor point, but good one
until proof brought forward that these pictures actually
have inspired murder.
Jealous Women?
few days ago published letter from woman who
wanted horsewhppng restored in order to preserve the
sanctity of marriage An Englishwoman resident in
Tudor City, makes this comment: .~.
"Since the Yates and Fujimura cases have had so
much publicity I have read in several newspapers
letters in which assert that the indignation ex
pressed by with regard to their scarlet sisters
merely indicates fear and envy You are wrong m
lords sane weIbaanced woman ever fears envies
a mistress of men, j..
y grant you that in general men are more generous,
tolerant and less apt to fly off at tangent over such
aIIars sO having given you much credit, try and
read between the lines of the letters of the