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202 MOTION PICTURE COMMISSION. Mr. ScHECHTER. Ill answering that proposition I refer to the custom followed in Russia at present where all newspapers are cen- sored. I would rather have the newspapers of this country, and I dare say every niember of the committee would rather have news- papers which are net censored than the censored newspapers of Kussia. In this country if a man puts out an article Avhich is lihelous, he is accountable to the law for it. and may be proceeded against because of its publication. Mr. i^LATT. Why is a thing immoral in one place and moral in another? Mr. ScHECHTER. That is the point exactly. We say that you ought not to let some one man or boy judge in advance whether a thing is moral or inimoral. There are a great many different types of people in this country. There are 48 States. Each State may have different views upon a particular subject. It is not as if Ave had one set of laws for all of the States, and we say that no censors could officially pass upon pictures which would meet the views of all of the com- munities in the United States. The CriAiR^iAN. Still you have this unofficial board that passes on these matters? Ml'. ScHECHTER. Ycs; because we lune found the board to be fair smd reasonably intelligent in their opinions. But if any attempt was made to convert such a board into a purely political organization, with all the evils liable to flow therefrom, its decisions would com- mand the support neither of the public nor of the film producers. Mr. Aberco.ahue. But u!*^ler the present plan if a thing is immoral it may be exhibited to a million people before you could stop it. Mr. Schechter. There are sufficient laws on the statute books to- day to stop the exhibition of immoral pictures, and I do not under- stand that any immoral pictures are being produced. As I explained, the picture, "The inside of the white-slave traffic," was exhibited one day, and even before its exhibiticni the police gave n(^tice to the producers warning them not to })r()duce it, under penalty. Notwith- standing sucli notificalioiK the j)r()ducer attempted to exhibit it, and upon its first exhibition lie vras arrested and the exhibition of the picture was immediately stoi)ped. Mr. Abercrombie. I understand tliese i)ictines are shown all over the country on the same day. Mr. Schechter. " The inside of the wliile-slave tradic " was never exhibited outside of the city of Xew York. I pointed out that only four })ictures have been mentioned here as objectit)nable. The pic- ture last named was one of them. Mr. Abercrombie. Do you mean to say the National Board of Cen- sorshij) has thrown out only fmir pictures during the course of its ex- istence i Mr. Schechter. I don't say that : I say that only four pictures have been mentioned b.ere by the proponents of the bill as objectionable. Dr. Crafts. May I protest against that statement, IMr. Chairman? T \\ant to enter a i>rotest that that statement is not correct. Mr. Towner. 1 want to call your attention to the fact that—what proportion are thrown out by the National Board of Censorship—is ^hat figure given anywdiere? Dr. Crafts, About 15 per cent in Chicago.