Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-11
Film Censors
Not Answer,
johnson Says
Difficult TO Determine
Propaganda

~ "Sa o' oohASNoAN
TT ISN'T easy for this column
L to support a position of Mr..
Willkie. 1t did that once and
now like the famous mouse
caught in a cheese-baited trap,
when offered cheese as diet by
its captor, that mouse didn't
want any more cheese"
But after all, this column
isn't about Mr.. Willkie. 1t is
about cause he is defending
against an investigation of the
motion picture and perhaps the
radio industry to learn il they
are publishing propaganda to
get us into war.
The first difficulty is 10 define
the word propaganda" and the
second is that whatever they are
publishing is plain for the whole
of our people to see and hear
daily and millions OF them do
see and hear il.
They have the evidence of
their own senses and il doesn't
require legislative investigS-
tion 10 tell them whether il is
war propaganda TO try 10 be
more whether il con-
tlnuously plays up the case for
American Intervention or not.
zach person must be his own
- Judge of that. As far as 1
am concerned. l think il does,
or at least has tendency in
that direction. But suppose il
does. then what are we going
10 do about il? That. in my
opinion is the real vice of the
so-called investigation.
The moment a move Is made
to curtail freedom in expression
of the printed. the spoken or
the visualized word. we begin
10 lose the essential basis of de-
mocracy - freedom of opinion.
debate and expression.
If there were some sinister
force, whether in public or pri-
vate hands, which had the
power TO shut off all expression
on one side Of an argument and
10 falsify or distort all express
sion on the other side, there
would be something TO rave
about.
But such is not the case here
We have always NE press and
throughout this war. while pages
OF editorials and commentators
have argued these questions in
the hot zeal of advocacy, pro and
con- have yet to hear even
charge that the news reports OF
almost all the press have not
been factual and coldly objective
10 a degree remarkable in the
history or wars and uneQualed
anywhere else on earth.
! A s FAR as the radio Is con-
"A cerned, while it seems TO
me that most news" COM
mentators take little trouble 10
conceal their pro-war bias, yet.
with the exception of few
ridiculous "prognoSticatorS," |
haven't observed any Of them i'm
the act Of playing fast and
loose with the truth in their
daily or hourly newscasting.
How could they2 They are
dependent on the press services
and, while they give us informa-
ton a few hours in advance. the
printed news columns would al
most Immediately refute any at
tempt to violate or distort the
truth. Also il seems 10 me that
/ hear as many anti-war as pro-
war radio speeches.
While | have rarely requested
II. | have never been refused
radio time in my life. have had
plenty Of il and / am as far
! from agreement with the ex-
IRENE interventionists as I am
with the extreme isolationists.
MOST of the complaints about
Nl the movies attack fiction
films. Doubtless some of them
do distort actual conditions. All
OF them are addressed 10 the
emotions.
Like Uncle Toms Cabin" this
could be some incitation 10 war.
But they are plainly labeled
fiction-which is the reverse of
! truth.
People are so stuffed with
the eXaggerationS of Hollywood
that il is doubtful whether any
1941 Uncle Toms Cabin"
either on the screen or between
the covers Of a book. could
stampede this nation. Even if
that were possible the American
answer can't be censorship.
After all the millions of words
and feet of film, the people of
this country are between 10
per cent and 80 per cent opposed
10 unnecessary bloody involve
ment'in this war except in the
interest of realistic American
\ defense.
Distributed by King Features synd, Inc
Reproduction in whole or In part
I strictly prohibited.
CII..