The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-02-15
Smut Traffic
Is Worst Evil
Among Youths
Joint Action OF Parents
And Congress Urged To
Combat Growing Evils

NEW YORK -(NC)- Home
front and Congressional action TO
halt what the author calls a worse
traffic among American children
than the narcotics trade-distribu
tion of obscene pictures-is urged
in an article in the latest issue of
Information, monthly published by
the Paulist Fathers here.
The Rev. James A. McVann, C.
S.P., of st. Paufs College, Wash
ington, D. c., in a well-rounded
study of how this flood of porno-
graphy violates the natural law
and what can be done about 1t,
said purveyors of illicit literature
are sending their prospectuses to
children ranging from 8-year-olds
tC collegians. One purveyor sends
out from 10000 to $4,000 circulars
a day.
AS a first step to combat this
evil, he called on individuals and
organizations to write their Con
gresham or Senators to urge pass
age of HR $3.50, a bill designed to
stop dealers in pornography from
sending out further matter while
they are on trial for a previous
offense. This measure is now be-
fore a House Post Office and Civil
Service subcommittee, headed by
Rep. Frank M. Karsten of Mis-
souri,.
On the home front, where Fa-
ther McVann says post office Off
cialS feel ''the most telling effort
can be made" in keeping unclean
literature from children, the au-
thor proposes these steps:
/. Parents must impress on their
children to consult with them be-
fore writing away for things ad-
vertiSed even in respectable news
papers.
2. When children are canvaSsed
by obscene advertisers, parents
should at once file complaint
with the Inspector at the local
post office, enclosing the incrim-
mating literature.
3. All concerned with educa-
tion--teachers, principals, school
boards, parent-teacher groups
should insist with municipal and
state authorities that local laws
against obscene literature be en-
forced. All States except New
Mexico have such laws. They also
should insist that close tabs be
kept in the schools to find child
rem who peddle for the major dis
tributors.
4. The same educational groups
should write periodic letters to
the newspapers, calling on the
Federal courts to deal sharply
with smut dealers who use the
mails. Judges and prosecutors
will attend to their work when
they sense a strong public opinion
against fancy Jurisprudence and
law enforcement" Father McVann
declared.
5. Parish Decency Committee
members should visit drugstores
and newstands, asking them not
to display or sell to children.
comics that are contrary to the
code of the National Organization
for Decent Literature. Cooperating
dealers are given a committee
placard to display. School children
and their parents are urged not
to patronize stores which do not
display the committees sign.
| Father McVann said that while
the law is clear in forbidding use
of the mails for obscene matter
dealers in pornography "are a
persistent tribe; though arrested
time and again, they pay their fine
and start up again" He explained
that with a slim equipment the
profits are enormous, and they
count on a fast gain before the
law overtakes them again." Post
Office officials have special file