Evening star., 1948-10-29
Comic Publisher
Defends Effect
On Juveniles
Prison Chief Debates
Issue at Meeting of
Women's Federation

The tendency of crime comic books
to increase or decrease juvenile de-
llnquency was debated today by q
representative of the comic book
publishing industry and the head Of
the Federal Prison System.
The debate enlivened the discus
sion period of meeting sponsored
by the General Federation of Won.
ems Clubs in the auditorium of the
National Education Association. The
session was attended by representa-.
tives Of the comic book, radio, tele-
vision and movie industries and of
organizations concerned with chill
dren.
Henry E. Schultz of the Associa-
tion of Comic Magazine Publishers.
who had opened the discussion with
the statement that his industry is
at present victim of hysteria, said
crime comics are read by adults far
more than by children. Production
OF comic magazines totals more than
1000, 900 month. he said. He said
one OF the most popular crime comics
is Crime Doesn't Pay"
The publisher of this comic Cthe
speaker explained comics no longer
are necessarily funny and the term
has become a generic one for story
strips has received more than co..
900 letters. Mr.. Schultz said. Many
OF the letters are from inmates of
prisons who have written, If we
only had access to your magazine
before we were sent here"
Code Of Ethics Held Doubtful.
James Bennett, director of the
Federal Bureau of Prisons, took is.
sue with Mr.. Schultz. He said he
had considerable doubt that a code
OF ethics, which the industry is
trying to enforce, will be effective.
Many OF the comics, he said, are
an appeal to primitive instincts of
people" He added that no one
familiar with these magazines would
contend they are character building
Instruments
Mr.. Bennett said that they have
"blue-printed crime in such a way
that 1t can be and Is initiated" He
said he could document this with
cases.
Mr.. Bennett, who is secretary Of
the criminal law section of the
American Bar Association, said, Il
am not at all convinced that these
things cannot be reached through
legislation"
Positive Stand on Ideals Urged.
Representatives of the Children's
Bureau, the United States Office of
Education and the YMCA all said
that codes of ethics for these indus
tries which reach youth in such
numbers should be positive declara-
ttons OF ideals rather than a Mega
tive list Of don't.
Mrs. Robert w. Cornelison, pres.
ldent OF the Federation of Women's
Clubs Of New Jersey. rose to ask a
question OF DR.. Arthur H. De Bra of
the Motion Picture Association. She
was riding in bus, she said, and
when it stopped in front of motion
picture marquee. she read on it,
The Bawdiest Picture I Ever Saw"
She did not have a notebook, she
explained, and she was unabls to
Jot down the name of the picture.
She wanted to know how such q
picture could be shown under the
movie industry code.
DR.. De Bra did not hesitate In
identifying the picture. He said it
was French movie entitled vol.
pone," that it was not made under
the code and it would show in only
few of the art theaters in the
larger cities.
Calls for Clean Entertainment.
/ Mrs. Leslie B. Wright, chairman
OF the legislation department of the
federation, said there had been q
lot OF talk about education and little
about entertainment.
I'VE take our children to the
circus because it's entertaining-not
educational" she said. II don't see
why these industries have to take
over the education of our children"
She said her only complaint was
that too many people in television
talk bastard English"
She concluded by saying, "Just
give us clean shows that are enter
tanning"
Mrs. j. L. Blair Buck. president Of
athe General Federation of Women's
Clubs, who was In the chair, asked
If any OF the industry representa-
tlves had any comment on that
statement.
G. Emerson Markham of the
Television Broadcasters' Association.
said, Eyes, amen"
1 NI All