Evening star., 1940-12-01

being sold here, according TO COM
Stull Of the Federation Of Citizens
Association has renewed the war
against ne offensive periodicals and
plans " present q list Of the rnaga-
zines TO District Attorney Edward
M. Curran.
In addition TO this protest action
Mr.. Stull said he had received tele-
phone complaints from citizens, most
Of them women.
Previous campaigns In 1928, 1925
and 1885 were able TO cite the in
terest and cooperation Of the Dis
trict attorney in varying degrees.
and In general the result was q
Temporary curb on the sale and
availability Of the obscene literature
for a short while only.
Present Statute.
The present statute forbids the
sale, giving away, exhibition or even
possession with intent to sell, give
away or exhibit "any obscene, lewd
or indecent" matter. Violators are
liable to a maximum OF one year In
prison and $500 fine.
1t would appear that the effect OF
the legislation would depend upon
the Interpretation placed on thi-
language by the enforcement agen-
cies. That is, Just how far a maga-
zine or publication can 60 without
being obscene, lewd or indecent"
For example, In the most recent
campaign conducted by another
newspaper in 1885, an assistant Dis
trict Attorney was assigned to make
a check Of stores allegedly selling
salacious publications. The investi-
gator bought and bought magazines
and settled down to a 24-hour
perusal Of them. At the end Of this
period, according to the reports, he
indicated his opinion that while in
many cases the stories were sugges-
tive it was doubtful whether they
were obscene, lewd or indecent
within the legal Interpretation.
The chief objection this particulsr
investigator found, according to the
story, was to certain advertisements
and suggestive illustrations in the
total of 81 magazines and IA books
which he perused in the 24-hour
study.
All investigations have shown the
availability of such literature to
school children through being sold
at nearby stores. In 1925 Star re-
porter canvassing some newsstands
in the District found extensive
stocks Of suggestive magazines near
Central High. The 1885 survey
decade later-showed such publica-
tions for sale near Central, McKin-
ley and Eastern High Schools.
Campaign of 1925.
Perhaps the most vigorous cam
paign by citizens was waged in 1925
and '26. A citizens committee worked
in close cooperation with the press
and the then District Attorney Pey-
ton Gordon, now on the District
bench. The Chief of Police, Mai.
Edwin D. Hesse, ordered all precinct
commanders to have their best men
alert to violators. But even then.
though the guilty merchants prom
ised to stop selling the Objectionable
material, check a month after the
campaign subsidized in 1925 found
them again In circulation.
Another example Of the difficulty
of drawing the line on what 1;
salacious literature was the con-
demnation by Representative Blari-
ton in 1886 of social study on boy
and Girl Tramps of America" The
Texan described the publication as
"vile, indecent and blasphemous'
but sociologists hailed it as q fine
piece Of work. The book indicated
that girls on the road regard prosti-
tuition as matter Of course.
|. According to q local professor oi
sociology who used the book In his
class: THE book does describe some
things which might be interpreted
as immoral but a scientist canno,
shut his eyes tc facts on that &C.
count" The book was available tc
adults in the public library.
There are those who believe that
the cry for a drive against salaciou.
literature may break again soon or
the floor Of the Federation.