Evening star., 1932-04-16
sIsH INDEPENDENT, Dublin

r RISH INDEPENDENT, Dublin
The report of the British Board
of Film Censors signed by Mr..
4 Shortt, the president, expresses the
opinion that films have become
more and more daring and that more
drastic action will have to be taken
with regard to sex" films than has
been done in the past.
1t is stated that certain films con-
tanning various phases of immortality
and incidents which tend to bring the
institution of marriage into contempt
showed a marked increase in number.
During the year the number Of films
rejected was far higher than during
any previous year.
4 X
Victory Expected
In u. S. Dry Enforcement.
Patria, San Salvador: Loud and
long in the empire of the dollar (the
u. S. A., are the lamentations on the
one hand, and rhapsodies on the other
concerning the famous law prohibiting
the traffic in alcoholic beverages. From
the editorials and other articles in the
papers which filter through to this
country, it seems that scarcely any other
topic Is more debated and discussed.
One periodical will say that the eight
eenth amendment ought to be repealed
and nothing less, if the country is to be
delivered from the wave Of crime, cor
ruption and disorder which has attained
alarming proportions.
Commissions appointed by the Gov
ernment. and composed of judges, poll
ticians, representatives Ct the press and
others high In public life, accuse the
prohibition law of having caused the
present state of anarchy.
They say that the growing unpopular
ity of the law, and especially the
enormous profits realized by its tnfrac-
tors, have been the factors which have
built up new and lawless organizations,
capitalized with hundreds of millions of
dollars which make amenable to their
dictates judges, public prosecutors, de-
tectives and police officers. Under these
conditions, it Is asserted the extinction
of the illegal traffic has become an
effort representing something less than
an impossibility in achievement because
of the immense sums of money available
In all parts for those conSpiring against
the dry laws. This power, by suborning
the officials, purchases immunity for
criminals. robbers and the evilly dis
posed generally. all of whom the mag
mates Of this new commerce use in their
various mercantile pursuits.
1t is claimed that an arbitrary prohi-
bition law cannot change the innate
character of persons, and that those
who desire liquor will have it regardless
Of legislative denial In such circum-
stances money will assist them, for
there are always unworthy public Off
cials who will sell the trust committed
to their keeping.
But If the one cry is for annulment.
there Is another for enforcement. 1t
cannot be consistently alleged, in our
opinion, that the public is unanimously
against prohibition, or there could be
no profit in seeking to evade a law
which none approved or obeyed. No
country can boast that It IS entirely free
from corruption in offcial circles, and
when one avenue Of Illicit gain is closed.
another one is found After all, there
is little to choose as far as moral and
physical consequences are concerned,
between an open or a Surreptitious
traficking In intoxicants. II, then, the
law cannot be annulled because mil
lions still recognize this fact, then all
worthy people should stand firmly to-
gether TO see that it is enforced.
The United States, ever pioneer IN