The Wilmington morning star., 1943-05-24
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

LOS ANGELES.-Warner Brothers and the
moving picture industry in general have been
rather free in their criticism Of the United
States Congress, of the American business
can system of government. AS one who be-
heves in freedom of expression l applaud all
this and accordingly would offer another theme
for frank exposition on the screen by these
daring and fortnight men.
In the Warner Brothers propa ganda film
based on Joseph Davies book Mission to Mos
cow they depicted the American businessman
as selfish and money-loving individual who
wanted to keep out of the war for no decent
reason but only so that he might be able to do
business with Hitler afterward. There was
nothing in the picture, produced since Pearl
Harbor, to indicate that the American busi-
neSsman has sons who are now fighting on
all the fronts unlike most of the young and
tit but draft-exempt communist unioneers
who applaud Mission to Moscow, although
could lead the Warmers by the hand to the
home OF such an American businessman near
here, himself now in the service whose Won
derful young son went down to his death in
a dive-bomber at Guadalcanal
The picture that want to suggest to Warner
Brothers is an intimate revelation of the
methods and ethics of a typical moving pic
ture company I would want one of their
typical business conferences and some scenes
showing the clever subservience of the movie
this purpose we could veraciously use couple
OF instances of indirect bribes or white politi-
Cal graft paid to favored individuals in the
form OF outlandish salaries for vague duties
and previously undiscovered talents Then
we ought to have some conferences between
these magnates and those two distinguished
guardians of labor's gains under the new
deal, Willie Bioff and George Browne For
this purpose could use some actual movie
magnates such as Joseph M. Schency and
one OF the veritable Warner Brothers.
might be induced to play a bit in this
scene myself for about four years ago legged
1T YEARLY around Hollywood trying to break
the true story of this corrupt condition to which
the movie industry was party and I have
a distinct recollection, fortified by notes TAX
en- at the time of the retcent demeanor of
those with whom I conferred One of them
was ochenck, himself since convicted twice
| on federal indictments but bargained out of
jail after four months in the Danburv Co1,n-
| Try clup, VINO assured me that everything was
| an rlght ana regular in the labor relations of
| IWentleth-Century Fox, although he had maid
ms racketeer 100000 in cash and had bought
I'LL m "a uS luxe cruise for two to South America
on the Normandie
In the trial it was represented +b.+ +b;s
tribute was extorted by Brother Bioff b1,t in.
| ashluch as the brothers Warner presume tn
take lake arbitrary attitudes in their Mission To
n,osn: nMoaeow l would take the milder liberty of
| SusseSIlas tnat there was consnira ator; n
relationship between co-equal culprits Bioff cdf
to ana g;us .ne % mdustry s would not forget either
OF Mr. Schenck to Twentieth -Cent,rv ~. S., - :,
high-priced nigh production expert, as announced I'D
1ew days ago, just by way of estab1ishina q
IN IN tne pubic mind the ethical standards of
tna1 a1 INDUSTRY which SO freely and in such gen
eldl Terms d1SparageS other ailments oe 49,
American community - "i7
~ Woulo % also play little scene with one ot
@ eme warner W. 1s Brothers. the short, blocky. fat
ba ae +e as MS ranch outside Los Angeles in which
dv 100 insists that labor relations in the in.
a fthv Sith afe pure and peaceful although it was
Warner would try to divert me me hx tt,''s sbouli Mr