Evening star., 1943-11-06

Varga girls are habit forming and
that attorneys for the magazine
have spent three weeks trying to
get the United States Government
used to the habit was made today
by Federal counsel as both sides
made their final arguments before
Post Office Board.
Only Calvin Hassell, Federal at
torney. didn't say girls. He said
"wenches," which probably is mail
able, because Mr.. Hassell works for
the Post Office and ought to know.
Mr.. Hassell said many unpleasant
things about the magazine. includ-
ing the charge that it was "a trail
blazer in pandering to pruriency,"
before he concluded his plea that
Esquire be deprived of its second
class mailing privileges with this:
Counsel for ESquire) has tried
to accuStOm us to these Varga
wenches and other Objectionable
matter. You can get accustomed to
anything If you 60 over it often
enough, and I think that's what
counsel was trying to do"
Bromley Denies Attempt.
Bruce Bromley, chief attorney for
the publication, said this wasn't so.
He said the Varga girls remained
so consistently on display during
the past three weeks because thev
represented the Governments prin-
cipal objection to Esquire and be-
cause he wanted the AZ witnesses
who appeared for both sides to make
up their own minds as to the purity
OF Mr., Vargas pictures.
The Post Office attorney said Es-
ouire had been "a most troublesome
publication since 1886 or 1897 when
1t was first found necessary to rule
out several issues Again in No
Vember and December, 194O he ex-
planned, certain matter in Esquire
was held to be unavailable.
Mr.. HaSSell read a parody on The
Night Before ChristmaS,' which he
said the outraged Post Office made
the magazine take out of its Decem-
Der, 1910, issue before the depart
ment would allow the publication to
be mailed. He said the verse was
filthy and indecent with its con-
notations."
Then, for l9 months, the Post Of
flee decided to precursor ESQUIRE
ana other publications, Mr.. HaSsell
said. but this scheme finally had to
be abandoned in May of last year
because it was taking up too much
time. Mr.. Bromley maintained that
the kind Of material in the mag
azlne's IL issues cited by the Post
Once was of exactly the same char
acter as that which the Post Office
examined during the year and half
OF precensorShip and that there had
been no objections then.
Deplores "Pinups.
1T makes me wonder" the ESQUIRE
attorney said. whether some out
side, sinister force has induced them
Cthe Government to reverse their
position"
The Government counsel went on
to say that the reason Esquire car
rled some material which was un-
QueStlonably decent was that the
public can only stand so much of
this prurient matter He deplored
the fact that soldiers have shown
tendency to paste up the Varga
girl in their barracks and said this
proved that they got some sexual
enjoyment" from them.
Mr.. Bromley contended that the
magazine should not be Judged as
TO its effect on any particular class
Of society but on its effect on an
average human being-the reason
able man" He pointed out that the
Government complained of 80 items
on 1000 pages in the IL issues and
that of these features so were ap-
proved by one or more Government
witnesses.
OF 38 witnesses introduced by
us, he said, not a single item was
characterized as obscene. These
witnesses ranged from the presi-
dent of Smith College down to Con-
gresham White-well, I can't put it
that way-to the most humble"
Cites Record.
He said Esquire has never been
prosecuted under any criminal
statute for obscenity during the 10
years it has been in existence.
After arguments are completed.
the board, headed by Walter
Myers, Fourth Assistant Postmast-
er General, will make recon-
mendation to Ramsey S. Black.
Third Assistant Postmaster General
Mr.. Black will make the final de-
cision. Just how the First and Sec