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my exposition, the German Legislation which is quite natural for me and which, further, is in harmony with the legislation of other countries and frequently also with the principles of the Hudson Plan, proposed in the U. S. A. From this point of view it is necessary to show that in the U. S. A. contemporaneously with the Natural Commission for the Examination of the Cinemas, founded by the People's Institute, N. Y., a form of censorship is carried on by the producing company and based on the Code of film. Morals edited by the Hay Organization. Furthermore there are other organizations of every kind, which have similar aims, and women play an important part in the movement.
I will mention here the excellent Report represented by Mrs. Robbins Gilman, President of the Committee of Cinematography of the National Council of Women of the U. S. A., during the Congress which we held at Vienna in 1930.
Cause of Film Prohibition.
In most countries, one of the causes of a film being banned, is the fear of public order and security being menaced by the film. It is an elementary need of defence for the State, which cannot allow its interior order to be shaken by events projected on the screen, nor can it tolerate that the security of its critizens may be menaced. Experience has proved that young people are easily excited to violence and fanaticism by the examples shown in films. Amongst those needs which are imposed on the State we must quote the prohibition of films which may either diminish the prestige of the country abroad or interfere in its relations with other States. No State can allow its dignity and its national honour to be prejudiced by a film projected abroad or allow wrong ideas to be nourished by films shown to other nations. It was with justice that in 1927, at the International Congress of Cinematography in Paris, the cinema proprietors rejected all films of a provocative nature. Cinematography must be an instrument of peace and not excite discord between nations.
In many countries there is another cause of prohibition, that is the offence of religious feeling. Here the depth of the human soul is touched. Mockery of religion as well as a systematic depreciation of beliefs are always elements which hurt the believer in the most painful way, and which may excite people of different religions or religious opinions, against each other, when they should live peacefully in the same State. This is undoubtedly a cause of prohibition to which we women must adhere.
Although the producers and the censoring authorities agree on the criteria which we have mentioned above, very deep differences of opinions are to be observed concerning the banning of films with regard to ethical tendencies. The terminology of the laws which rule in the different countries the activity of censorship, remains up to the present time, very ambi