Evening star., 1947-02-21
Letters to The Star
Readers Doubt Radio Censorship
Can Be Done at Home
o the Editor of The star

Can Be Done at Home
To the Editor of The Star:
Your readers are indebted to Harry
Macarthur on two counts. First, for
his very fine description and explana-
ton OF the proper use of the two knobs
in plain view on the front of any radio
receiver" which he reminds us are "the
most effective controls of all radio
broadcasting."
We are also indebted to Mr.. Mac
Arthur for the answer to question
people have been asking for years:
who listens to q radio program like
that?" If there are radio listeners with
an 10 as low as he assumes they have
in his article, For Radio Listeners"
then he has answered this $64 question
very satisfactorily.
The "would-be censors," to whom Mr.
Macarthur refers, are not individual
parents concerned entirely with the well
| fare of their own children. He can be
sure that a parent who is intelligent
enough to "see in some radio programs
a great danger and a contribution to
| juvenile delinquency" is already making
| good use of those two little knobs.
However, Mr.. Macarthur seems to have
| overlooked the fact that there is little
or no supervision concerning radio pro-
grams in many homes.
"It may be true" Mr.. Macarthur
states, that some radio programs tend
| to contribute to juvenile delinquency
| by tales of crime and violence, even if
the d. A. always wins" But he be-
lieves these programs should be dealt
with first in the home rather than in
the broadcasting studio" If there are
radio programs that contribute to
juvenile delinquency, they should be.
stopped at their source, the broadcast
ing studio, and I do not see how there
can be any argument about that.
Mr.. Macarthur states that behind
every program on the air there is some
one who thinks that it belongs there"
There are lot of people in the world,
and not all Of them think alike. That
is why we have to have laws, regula-
tions and restrictions governing the con-
duct Of all people. There are some
ones" who think 1t right to speed, or
to drive while under the influence of
liquor. More than 900 of these some
ones" lost their licenses during the
month Of January. We have law,
strictly enforced which prohibits the
sale Of alcoholic beverages to teenage
boys and girls. We have a law which
prohibits the sale of certain drugs
to individuals unless prescribed by
doctor. These laws were made nec-
essary because the someone's" who
have different ideas concerning drugs
and liquors.
Every one has a right to think as
he pleases, to listen to whatever kind
of radio program he enjoys. But
society has a definite obligation and
responsibility towards its youth; So
ciety has the right and the duty to
protect its teenage boys and girls from
harmful crime propaganda that is be-
ing broadcast. E. K. NJ.
To the Editor of The Star:
The censorship of radio crime pro-
grams suggested by Harry Macarthur
is not so easy to do as he would have
us think. A mother cannot have her
children under her control all the time
Children are not knobs
Mr.. Macarthur says, Behind every
program on the air there is someone
who thinks that it belongs there.n
That is silly argument. There is
someone who thinks that he has
perfect right to get drunk and drive
a car, regardless of the fact that he
might kill person.
The mothers are trying to prevent
juvenile delinquency. It.seems such a
little thing to clean UP radio programs,
books and magazines.
Let's help develop healthy minds. 1t
is a good business proposition, If
nothing else. L. A. B.
Grants Impressions of Lincoln
To the Editor Of The Star:
This quotation from the Civil War
Diary of Acting Masters Mate Laurence
Bradford of the Federal gunboat Har-
court, is contemporary with the paint
ing of "The Peacemakers" recently
acquired by President Truman: "City
Point April 4th 0865 Tuesday. Have
been engaged the last few days in tend
ing on the Flagship. Steaming up to
Dutch Gap, etc. This morning started
for Richmond in company with the
the Flagship Malvern carrying the
pennant Of Admiral Porter, and the
steamer River Queen, which had the
President on board. Arrived at Rich
mond about 8 o'clock
The gunboat led the way as a pro-
lection against torpedoes or mines en-
dangering the River Queen.
Another item bearing on that mo-
mentous week is before me-penciled
notes marked: "Genl. Grants remarks
concerning Pres. Lincoln, 1865 (Spring):
I believe he was the best man that
ever lived. In fact don't believe
consider he was one of the ablest men,
if not the ablest Intellectually that ever
filled the chair Private conversation:
Grant Of Lincoln: He came down to
the Front as simply as any citizen
would with no questions to ask about
military movement
The latter remark undoubtedly refers
to the visit to City Point.
I understand that the above CONVEX
sation was with Frederick N. Knapp,
Chief of Special Relief of the Sanitary
roy,,roicciOp Ho opd hic u,ife uera rid