Indianapolis Times, Volume 41, Number 279, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 April 1930 — Page 4

PAGE 4

ttO / O OJ - HOW AJFO

Movie Morals Will H. Hays, the high priest of movie morals, has handed down anew tablet of commandments. His organization, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, Inc., representing about 90 per cent of the industry, in annual meeting assembled, has rubscribed to the new rules of self-censorship. And, if the press agents are to be believed, the country's soul Is saved again and the screen will shed nothing but purity and light. Poor Hays; he has a hard time. Moses had only •.o consult Jehovah But Will is caught between his movie bosses and the bluenose censors. His solution ~eems to have been to assemble a lot of generalities :s a sop to the censor, without making them specific : lough to trouble the producers. For instance: “The use of liquor in American life shall beret ricted to the actual requirements of characterization • - plot . . . obscenity in word, gesture, reference, song, oke, or by suggestion is forbidden. Indecent or undue exposure is forbidden. That scenes of passion ■•hall not be Introduced when not essential to the plot , . etc., etc. Those rules about "use of liquor" and "scenes of passion" are obviously meaningless. As for "obscenity” and “indecent," those words may mean everything or nothing, depending on changing social customs and creeds and upon whether the individual s mind is clean or dirty In explaining his code. Hays summarizes a list of subjects which must be treated, as he says, “within the careful limits of good taste.” But there the usually wily Will gives the whole show away “Taste is a matter of education and culture and intelligence; it is the difference between the civilized and the uncivilized. That is why the play which seems most highly ‘moral’ to the puritan censor offends one of finer culture as vulgar, cheap and dishonest. “And that is why the censor with unclean mind reads his own obscenity into works of truth and beauty such as Hawthorne’s ‘Scarlet Letter.’ Hardy’s ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles,’ Tolstoy’s ‘Anna Karenina' and Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’—to mention only a few of the classics recently perverted or banned by the movie censors.” A new—and very readable —book, “Censored: The Private Life ol the Movies,” by Morris Ernst, and Pare Lorentz. gives figures for state board movie censorship throughout the country which show that of "579 feature movies reviewed in 1928, only forty-two, despite the factory precaution of the companies, passed untouched. In one or more states, forty-four were rejected, and In the remainder 2.9G0 cuts were 1 ordered.” , We believe there is nothing more obscene than censorship itself. We believe that governments have no more right to censor movies than books, plays, public speeches and newspapers. We believe the public interest and the public moral code of the day are protected adequately by the ordinary criminal statutes against Indecency and the ordinary functioning of our judicial machinery with jury trial. We wish Hays’ organization had the courage to fight the censors, instead of parroting their unclean prohibitions and then proceeding by evasion to make the whole business doubly dirty. If the American people can be trusted to govern themselves, they can be trusted to do their own movie censoring—the only kind of healthy censorship. We rather would accept the morals and taste of the American public, as registered at the box office and protected by the jury box. than the morals and taste of Hays or the censors, as set down in this latest silly code.

Prisoners of Mussolini Not a few Americans have developed a warm admiration lor Mussolini and the Fascist regime in Italy. That powerful journal, the Saturday Evening Post, has published many articles extolling the virtues of the Duce and the merits of his work. What attracts most American partisans of Mussolini is his advancement of Italy in a material sense. Public works have been improved, streets are cleaner and trains run on schedule time. Quite another side of the noble experiment of Fascism in Italy is presented in two articles on "Prisoners of Mussolini” in the North American Review. They are by Signor Francesco Fausto Nitti, nephew of the former premier. These articles suggest that Americans who enjoy our traditional rights of personal liberty and selfgovernment would not be too happy in Italy, even if they could depend upon having a train pull into the station on time. Not a few of these trains are leaded with political prisoners, who are herded off to imprisonment or deportation with not so much as a semblance of a trial—indeed, often with no specific statement of the charges lodged against the individual. On Nov 26. 1926, Mussolini promulgated the socalled "Exceptional Laws for Defense of the Nation.” The laws were enforced by an administrative tribunal which could Impose anything from a death sentence to imprisonment for a short term. In Rome r.ione, between Nov. 30 and Dec. 10. 1926. 3,000 per:ons were arrested for alleged political offenses. Signor Nitti was arrested on Dec. 2, 1926. taken to he police station and informed that he was to be sent ;o prison Inquiring as to the crime with which he as charged, he was told: "It is not essential that you should have committed . crime Nor Is it necessary that some magistrate .'.vuld issue a warrant. Youi imprisonment*is an admistrative measure.” Here in three lines is a sweeping demolition of the hole American Bill of Rights—<of all those gams for irerty which British and Americans have fought for . nee the days of the Tudors We are back in the ays of absolute monarchs. Hundteds of eminent men some of them members i the cnamber of deputies, thus were seized and rail- . jaded to prison ar.u penal colonies. Even the venerjle Prolessor Filipperi, son of Mazzini's friend and . ollaborator, and one of the most devoted of Italian Irmocrats and reformers of our time, was shipped to "tisaa and cooped up with common criminals. An imprisoned deputy protested his treatment in ihe name of parliamentary immunity, but he was met with the following rejoinder: “In a little while no deputy who is not a Fascist will be a deputy at all.” much tor the principles of representative govern:ioL Hhortiy after the appeal ance of Signor Nitti a book. • gtcape, describing these experiences in lull, the

The Indianapolis Times (A RCBIPPH.HOWARD NEWSPAPER* Uwnfil and published daily (except Sunday) by The Indianapolis Times Publishing Cos 214-220 Weat Maryland Street. Indianapolis, Ind. Price in Marion County. 2 cents a copy: elsewhere, 3 cents—delivered by carrier. 12 cents a week. BOYD GURLEY. ROY W. HOWARD. FRANK G. MORRISON. Editor President Business Manager I-HONE— Riley y>sl WEDNESDAY. APRIL 3. 1930 Member of United Presa, Scrlpps-Howard Newspaper Alliance, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Newspaper Information Service and Audit Bureau of Circulations. “Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way."

Saturday Evening Post repudiated the Duee. As to whether there was my casual connection, we shall not attempt to say. Watch Those Mergers The Railway Labor Executives’ Association, which says it represents a million and a half organized workers, properly calls attention to the interest the army of railway employes has in the various mergers going on and in prospect. The association has protested against what it says is unregulated consolidation without regard to the interests qf public or employes. It is making common cause with cities and towns along the lines, which in some instances are facing practical ruin through change of terminals, division points and shipping centers. The widespread protest against the proposed consolidation of the Great Northern and Northern Pacific is pointed out. Rail systems lose in economy and efficiency as they gain in size, says the association. Particular objection is taken to consolidations engineered by “financial manipulators” for gain, rather than by practical railroad men. The association advocates extension of the powers of the interstate commerce commission. The question of additional legislation and consolidations is before congress and no doubt will be discussed at this session. When it is the effect on the communities involved and on the workers should be given attention. It obviously is not fair to destroy a community which has grown up about a railroad by depriving it of services which citizens had every right to expect would continue. It has been charged that various projected consolidations would benefit the bankers more than the country at large. Congress would not permit this wittingly, of course, for the only value of consolidations will lie m cheaper transportation and betver service to the public generally. The public must be protected against stock-juggling and stock-watering, which will impose rather than diminish burdens. The history’ of railroad manipulations is reason enough for the exercise of unusual care. Ally-Oop! The Literary Digest straw vote shows that every state heard from thus far is wet, with the exception of Kansas. The Wichita Beacon, owned by Senator Henry J. Allen, commenting on the poll, says: "As Kansas is dry, so stays America.” So— Alabama Ohio .Maryland Arkansas Oregon Michigan Colorado Rhode Island Mississippi Oelassare Sooth Dakota Montana Florida Texas Nevada J' 1 *? 0 Vermont New Jersey Indiana Washington New York Kentucky Wisconsin North Dakota si aine .. Arizona Oklahoma Massachusetts California Pennsvlvanla Minnesota Connecticut South Carolina Missouri District of Columbia Tennessee Nebraska Georgia Itah New Hampshire Illinois Virginia New Mexico lowa West Virginia North Carolina Louisiana Wyoming you have your orders. Kansas has spoken. A Boulder Dam Joker? Announcement a week ago that agreement had been reached on Boulder Dam power contracts seems to have been premature. At that time it appeared that terms of the Boulder Dam act in regard to power generation were to be followed, after all; that the federal government would build and equip the power plant and supervise operation. Now the latest word from Los Angeles indicates an attempt to restore the plan of joint city and power company operation, a plan which would operate greatly to detriment of the city. This is not just a local controversy. It is the biggest national issue pending involving power. If private companies succeed in crippling public operation at Boulder Dam, after congress has attempted to throw every possible protection about it, then private companies probably can win any power fight in which the federal government has a part, Los Angeles and nearby cities have been putting up a great battle for their municipal freedom from power company domination. Back of them stands the law and a congress which has not altered Its opinion since that law was passed. They can and should win this fight.

REASON

LORD BALFOUR’S .simple funeral was a beautiful climax of a great career. For fifty years he stood in the forefront of England's public life and had he wished it for his funeral, infantry would have marched, cavalry would have clattered, brass bands would have crashed, and cannon would have boomed around the world-wide empire, but this statesman, with the modesty and sense of true greatness, asked only a simple service in the village of his birth. * * a One is grieved to learn that Mellie Dunham, Maine’s venerable fiddler who played for Henry Ford, lost his cid violin when his home burned. It reminds one of the tradition that one day as Thomas Jefferson rode homeward horseback, one of his slaves ran to meet him saying: “The house burned, Marse Jefferson, but we saved the furniture.” whereupon Jefferson asked: “Did you save my fiddle?” The old slave shook his head and Jefferson said: “I would lather have that fiddle than everything else in the house!” a a a THOSE seven hundred marines coming home from steamy Nicaragua doubtless wonder what their next scurvy assignment will be. The marines are the guinea pigs of the national defense: we try everything on them. a a a Representative Cable of Ohio has introduced s bill in congress to establish parity of citizenship between men and women, which recalls the toast of the late Joseph Choate after women were given the ballot: •Here's to woman, once our superior—but now our equal!” * a a Regardless of the facts in the case, this story from Africa that the prince of Wales manifested utter indifference when charged by a mad bull elephant will make him strong with the cmpir^ Had the prince only had enough presence of mind to bite off the elephants head, they would have deDosed his father and given him the throne. an* ADVANCED students of criminal jurisprudence please will note that while Doheny was acquitted, though the supreme court blistered him when it set aside his oil lease. John Llspenard of North Yon&wanria, N. Y.. has just been sent up lor ten years for stealing two chickens. *

Rv FREDERICK LANDIS

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

M. E. Tracy SAYS: When It Comes to Disregarding the Material Trappings of Glory, No People Have Gone Farther Than the Russians. AS a general proposition, the moving picture industry is to be congratulated on its new code of ethics and practices. A code of some kind is made necessary not only because of the influence this industry exercises on public emotions, opinions and beliefs, but because it is under centralized control. The theater of filmland represents organized, rather than individual, expression, and creates a situation in which opportunity to spread propaganda overshadows the right of unrestrained utterance. Those in command show wisdom in recognizing their responsibilities in such way as should forestall the necessity of censorship. non Claudius H. Huston Is reported as unwilling to resign under fire. Denby and Wilbur were reported to feel the same way when the oil scandal first broke out, but changed their minds shortly afterward. It Is the size of the fire that counts. Most of us can .stand a little, but that does not prove what will happen when things get warm, especially for our friends. No doubt Huston visualizes the impending Democratic attack as his severest trial, but just wait until the Republicans begin to lay down a barrage of alarms. no n Cooiidge Buys an Estate THE Coolidges step out with the purchase of a $40,000 estate in Northampton. Mass. The lady who sold it to them has no cause to worry. They are not the kind who buy, unless they are able to pay cash. When elected Vice-President of United States Mr. Cooiidge occupied one-half a duplex house, for which he paid $35 a month. When he retired from the presidency he and Mrs. Cooiidge went back to that same house. Some people have ridiculed this as evidencing an exaggerated case of thrift complex. Others have regarded it as a fine example of modesty. After all. why should a man strut just because he has been President, or can buy a flivver without signing notes? MOM Calvin Cooiidge has come to be the great American exemplifier of thrift and silence, yet when compared to Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator, he resembles nothing so distinctly as a garrulous spendthrift. Stalin, though head of the most talkative party on earth, never has given a public interview. More surprising still, he has no hobbies, no particular form of recreation, no all-important game to rid his mind of worry. Stalin does not even fish. And when it comes to living quarters, Stalin can give that half of a duplex house In Northampton the handicap of two beds, a flight of stairs and a furnace and still win, for he. his wife, and two boys occupy an apartment of only three rooms: * n ss Soviet Scoffs at Glory WHEN it comes to disregard of the material trappings of glory, no people on earth ever have gone farther than the leaders of Soviet Russia. Lenin, Trotsky. Zinovieff, Stalin and the rest have put up with living conditions which the average American laborer would call tough. The sacrifices they have made in this respect, and that the majority of Russians have made, for that matter, speak of nothing so vividly as the ardor and enthusiasm which dominate the Communist movement. Those who describe this movement as a religion are not exaggerating. Though claiming to be materialistic in purpose, it is controlled by Just such a spirit of blind emotion as drove the followers of Mohammed across the western world and the Christian crusaders to Palestine. v o m Another Peril Lurks THIS spirit, which inspires millions to work for their bed and board, represents more than a philosophical divergence. Where other people demand a wage that will provide something besides the bare necessities of life, the Russian masses appear willing to toil for the mere prospect of putting their doctrines and beliefs into effect. The result is that they can produce and sell things at a price which will annihilate competition if they have the hardihood to keep it up. Two hundred fifty thousand ’r.rs of Russian anthracite coal have been delivered on American docks at- a dollar less a ton than the market price of Pennsylvania anthracite. If the Russian miners are willing to go on indefinitely at 17 cents a day, and if other Russian workers are willing to show a like devotion in other fields, they will give us something more serious to think about than the abstract dogmas of Communism.

Daily Thought

Behold that which I have seen; it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the snn all the days of his life.—Ecclesiastes 5:18. BUM Pleasure has its time; so too has wisdom. Make love in thy youth, and in old age attend to thy salvation.—Voltaire. Is the elevation of Lake Michigan greater than that of Lake Erie? Lake Michigan has an elevation of 581 feet above sea le*’el and Lake Erie is 573 feet.

Now That New York Has an Air Police Force!

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Science Familiar With Germ Army

BY DR. MORRIS FISHBEIN Editor Journal of the American Medical Association and of Hygeia, the Health Magazine. THERE still are people who use the words “germ theory,” indicating of course that they are not familiar with the fact that germs can be demonstrated as certainly as any of the material things in life. Since the time of Pasteur it has been recognized that germs are associated with the causation of disease, with changes in food products, with various commercial processes and in fact with almost every aspect of our daily existence. The numbers and varieties of the geims that have been discovered are in the thousands and for each of them the bacteriologists have been able to define certain characteristics that make it as individual as the races of man. The average man and particularly the physician is interested scientifically in the character of the germ, but he is far more concerned with what the germ can do in the

IT SEEMS TO ME

WORKING in New York alone, this column, with the aid of a large number of volunteer assistants, managed to get job- for sev-enty-five jobless people last week. Originally the campaign started under the slogan of “Give a Job Till June.” We felt that even temporary measures might be extremely useful if a business revival is lurking just around the corner. Fortunately many of the situations obtained are of a more permanent nature, but wc are still urging Individuals and corporations to go even to the length of creating jobs for the time being. There is no reason why this can not be done in every city in the United States. One distinguished New York woman wrote to us to say that she wanted two people for a small country place fifty miles from New York. The man must know how to repair and operate a motor boat and his wife was to cook. If we could supply just the right people we felt that it would help the give a job till June campaign. But the requirements were rather difficult. You can look through a great many letters and find no cook who has married a motorboat man. “I’ve got plenty of cooks here,” complained our office manager, “and a whole slew of men who know motorboats, but they’re all separate applications.” Then up spoke Miss D., most ingenious member of the staff. "All we’ve got to do,” she said, “is to get one of the cooks to marry one of the marine engineers.” “And that isn’t asking so much,”

Times Readers Voice Views

Editor Times —At a recent convention of the Anti-Saloon League in Detroit, a prominent prohibition leader said: "We urge upon the temperance forces of every state the imperative necessity of reviving the teaching of scientific (sic!) temperance in the public schools, with due regard to those scientific processes and well-established rules which belor~ to public education.” This is a foggy breath of words. What does the chap mean? Who ever heard of “scientific” temperance? Does he mean prohibition? Every man who knows the meaning of words knows there is* no place for temperance in prohibition philosophy; for in order that there may be temperance, there must be liquor on which to exercise temperance and there is no place for liquor in the prohibition scheme. Scientific temperance! Scientific rubbish! Before the man talks of s-ience. let him learn the meanings of words. CHARLES HOOPER, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho,

way of making him ill or making him feel better, of producing fermented liquors, or in other ways changing the conditions of human life. Few people realize that Pasteur discovered the germ primarily because he was interested in the i problems of fermentation. He arI gued that the germs do not arise ! spontaneously, but that they dej veloped by process of reproduction I as do other forms of life. He related the living organisms to ; fermentation and was able by these studies to be of great value to one of the leading industries of France. One of his first series of waitings j in this field was on the diseases of wines and beers and the things that cause them to turn to vinegar and the methods of preventing such changes. After he had completed these studies he was asked to look into the disease which was ruining the ; silkworm industry in the south of i France.

HEYWOOD by BROUN

she added. “After all, they’ve only got to stick together until June.” ss st ss Complains npHOMAS STONEWALL JACKson of New York writes to complain about the amount of space this column has given to the subject of unemployment. “When I first came to your city, from Tennessee, thirty years ago,” he writes, “we had unemployment, bread lines and pitiful conditions, but not till now has so much publicity been given these unfortunate circumstances—first by Socialists, Communists, or Reds, or Bolsheviks or whatever one cares to dub them.” If it is Socialism to have a hearty desire to try and get jobs for the jobless, then I am a Socialist. And if it is Communism, I’m that, too. Or any kind of Red which Jackson cares to call me. He says there w-as anguish thirty years ago, even though not much was said about it. And there is anguish now. Evidently the policy of walking softly and carrying a tight mouth and a tight heart has not worked out with eminent success. Maybe we have been growing up and by now have reached an age in

|y\ fellowship cf j 7 Daluj / lenten Devotion \ Wednesday, April 2 EXALTING THE VALLEYS Read Isaiah 40:1-8. Memory verse: “Every valley shall be exalted.” (Isaiah 40:4.) MEDITATION Life is a cross-country journey. It lies over valley and hill. Isaiah says that every valley shall be exalted and every' mountain and hill shall be made low. The order of the phrases may indicate that valleys furnish the greatest problems Men are not much intimidated by mountains. There is a challenge in the mountains that stirs one’s spirit It is the valleys that discourage. If we can only get our problem or difficulty into such shape that it will challenge us, as a mountain challenges we can usually handle it. To conquer a valley, exalt it, make a hill out of it, and then climb the hill. PRAYER O thou, through whom we are more than conquerors, help us to face this day without fear. May every difficulty that arises be a summons to our spirits to disclose* the vast divine resources that thou has put within us. To him that overcometh thou dost give the crown of life. Amen.

From this investigation the next step was a study of the organism that caused anthrax and killed animals. Asa result of these studies, Pasteur laid the groundwork for all our modem knowledge of the way in which vaccines or attenuated collections of germs can help the human body resist disease. He revealed methods of inoculating animals with the organism in order to study disease. He brought into common use methods of controlling anthrax, chicken cholera and hydrophobia. He founded the modem science of preventive medicine and of bacteriology and laid the basis for most of our modern civilization. Previous to the time of Pasteur, progress, was slow, because mankind was constantly in fear of great plagues and epidemics of disease. Pasteur was perhaps the greatest benefactor that man ever has had: he freed man largely from the fear of disease.

Ideals and opinions expressed In this column are those ot jne of America’s most interesting writers and are prrseated without regard to their agreement or disagreement with the editorial attitude ol this paper.—The Editor.

which it is possible to look facts right in the face and call them by their first names. 808 Censorship THE office force got started on a discussion of what character In fiction each of us would take out to dinner if he had his choice. Most of the men spoke for Becky Sharpe, although there were scat- ' 'red bids for Thais here and there. I’d put in a hard day and when it came my turn to choose I answered Little Eva from “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Fortunately somebody arked me why, and I was able to answer, “because she probably would have to go home early.’’ With the rapid development of the talking picture new opportunities are being opened up for censorship. So far this important profession has been carried on very largely by blessed and earnest amateurs. It seems to me that we ought to teach our censors. I don’t mean just to read and write, because many of them can do that already. It is my notion that they stand in need of the higher education. There could even be a college of censorship. I’ve got a cheer ready for them at such times as good old C. C. meets some rival on the gridiron. It runs. “Carnal I Yell. , , . I Yell Carnal.” (Copyright. 1930. by Thf Times'

A Banking Connection Based on Vision and Confidence in Equal Parts Washington Bank&Trust Go. 255 r W. 'Washington St. *

APRIL 2, 19 m

! SCIENCE n 1 BY DAVID DIETZ Early Arctic Voyages Ended in Tragedy. With Scores Yielding Their Lives cm Expeditions. THE first phase of modrwi Arctic exploration, while a story of | noble and high courage, is essentially a tragedy. The grim cold of the polar ice pack usually was victorious. Only one ot these early explorer met with a large measure of victory. Sir George Narcs. the British j explorer, attained farther north | than any previous explorer. He returned home with both his ships. He and his men, however, suffered vere hardships and several of them j died during the course of the exj pedition. j Disaster again overtook those who j immediately followed Nares. Let us briefly summarize the first phase of Arctic explorations. It began with the voyage of Sir John Franklin, British explorer, who started out on June 11, 1847, with the Erebus and Terror to sail the Northwest Passage. He paid with r,;v. life. Subsequently all of the 194 souls i in his expedition perished. Captain Charles F. H: 11. American explorer, set sail in June, 1871, in the Polaris, with a crew of thirtythree. He reached latitude 82 degrees 11 minutes. On Nov. 8. however, he died of apoplexy. The ship subsequently was crushed badly and some of the men were cut. off from the ship and left drift-. ing on an ice hummock. Both the men on the ice and the men in the ship were rescued by whalers after great hardships. 1 H a De Long SIR GEORGE NARES, British set out on May 29, 18(5, with the Alert and Discovery, the first steamships to be used in polar exploration. He penetrated to latitude 82 degrees 14 minutes with the Alert. A party which then left the Alert and proceeded with dogsleds, reached latitude 83 degrees 20 minutes 26 seconds. In 1879 George Washington De Long, American explorer, set out in the Jeanette. On Sept. 5 the ship was caught in the polar Ice pack and held prisoner. For two years, the ship drifted helplessly with the ice. On June 13, 1881, the grinding movements of the ice crushed the ship and it sank. The members ot the expedition put to sea in three small boats which the Jeanette had carried. One was swallowed by the sea. The others landed on the Siberian coast at the mouth of the Lena River. Here De Long and Ids men died of starvation. ts st ts Greely IN 1881, the government of the United States agreed to join with a number of European governments in establishing a ring of circumpolar stations to make simultaneous meteorological and other scientific observations. Lieutenant Adolphus Washington Greely, an American army officer; was sent to establish an American station at Lady Franklin bay. He set sail in the Proteus, a steamship which had been equipped with a heavy iron pole to help it ran. its way through the drift ice. Greely picked a base for the expedition to the north of Discovery bay, the place where Sir George Nares’ ship, the Discovery, had spent j the winter of 1876. Greely established an observing station on land which was christened Ft. Conger. A frame house was built and provisions and instruments moved into it. On Aug. 18 the Proteus started back home, leaving Greely and his men at Ft. Conger. The winter proved extremely severe. In the spring, exploring expeditions were sent out in various directions, one party going north, reached the point to which Sir George Nares had brought the Alert A relief steamer was expected before the second winter set in, but none arrived. In the spring, Greely decided to start south in some small boats. Soon the small boats w’ere frozen in the Ice. However, they were drifting toward Cape Sabine where Nares had left a large store of supplies. They reached Cape Sabine and spent the next winter there. Gradually the supplies gave out and the expedition faced starvation. Relief did not reach them until June 23, 1884, when Captain Schley, commanding the Thetis, reached them. Only Greely and six of his men were still alive.