THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 28, 19371
IF I WERE CENSOR
HAVE been appointed
I with dictatorial powers and I
for themselves and to trust them "CRIME:
However, we must face the facts
am absolutely sure of achieving at There are stupid people and I shall censor lightly any least one thing - unpopularity. ignorant people and people of weak play or film that makes a serious
Anyway, I propose to be frank character. Most of us are emotional study of crime. with you. Here are the views I ly immature in at least one or two start out with. In the first, in- respects. If we all grew up with stance, I don't believe in censorship our bodies, there would be no need
for censorship. -in theory
BY HENRY HARRIS
If a thing is decent in technical jargon, it is decent in plain Eng- lish.
I shall look sympathetically on deal.. objectively, books-that- sincerely, coneretely, helpfully and simply with the "facts of life" or with diseases due to sex-ignorance because of the awful wastage of
What are its causes? How can it be prevented? How can delinquents be helped to become useful citzens? By serious I don't mean unfunny. We need all the humour we can get
In films I shall ruthlessly cut out hte details and technique of crime
The constant suggesting of But the only intelligent censor- ship is the sort that puts nails in technical details tends to have a its own coffin. The censorship that mass-hypnotic effect on the very happiness and health that such young, the weak-charactered and ignorance inflicts on the com- prepares its own funeral.
At the moment, few beyond doc- And that's the sort of censorship those who feel they have a grudge munity
against society. It makes them
aware of this tragic was- readier to succumb to temptation.
Censorship is like saying "Don't" to a child. It is the negative side of Some sort of censorship is still education-very negative. Nowa- necessary-in practice. days we judge teachers and parents and leaders by the "do's" they use, not by the “dont's.” Or, better still, by the example they set.
I don't like choosing intellectual fodder and emotional refreshment I want mine to for other people.
The subjects
I shall expect to deal with-in books, films and plays are: crime, politics, religon and sex.
To my mind, the aim of intelli- gent education and leadership and government is to produce a nation of individuals who have sufficient wisdom to make a reasonable choice start.
THE
POLITICS
Apart from one thing, I shall As sex is the most difficult, let's leave politics to Public Opinion.
And that thing WAR!
with crime. ....
WORLD GOES BY By “ULYSSES”
EAR Ulysses,
DEAR
Gire up.
Kowloonite.
.
To-day's Great Statistic
tors
I shall not worry a great deal about so-called "Indecent words-
I shall ban any film or play that at any rate, in books by reputable glorifies war for the sake of war, authors, to begin with.
I shall have nothing to say where If 2bornly fanction is decent, war is treated as a disagreeable then any word representing it must necessity perhaps. Or as a catas be also. It is regrettable that the trophic social phenomenon, whose literature of to-day is often com- causes we should try to understand, pelled to use the language of me in the hope that we may one day be dicine and disease when it wishes able to prevent it..
to mention certam functions of the
I shall, with discretion, permit normally healthy individual. the filming of war horrors provided At any rate we accept the langu- the public is suitably warned, and age of the Bible and Shakespeare, see no reason to go back on some useful purpose is served. But and
for very young children.
KELIGION
I have an altogether immo- derate desire to learn to yodel Signor Mussolini was addressing without, going to Switzerland. 50,000 Sicilians at Ragusa and, in wonder if you could tell me the chea-the course of his speech, said that-
"It is universally recognised that pest way to learn?
where it takes an Italian fifteen I shall minutes to think out a problem, vituperative other peoples require a week.” for earnest belie
Our statistical department has Catholic been working madly on the problem Atheist My young lady seems most
and has just sent us a batch of Of serious responsive to even my most roman-figures they've arrived at which fierce shall. Incidentally tic approaches. Yesterday she hit ought to cheer up the Italians no me with a gramophone. What do
the representa you advise?
film or play
Dear Ulysses,
Give up-
Dear Ulysses,
--Peakite.
Although a tolerant, not to say: a kindly person, I find myself rather the exasperated by the events of past six months. Every night when
end
If Signor Mussolini - is
then the Italians are 672 times quick-witted as the British.
Makes you kinda thoughtful
**
Provided
correct,
artists have of religion.
SEX
Modest Requirements.
Mal
criticism
othing
that.
The matter of nudity I should at- tempt to leave to Public Opinion.
xperiment is worth trying.
The
I should prefer to leave the guid- ance of children in the hands their teachers and parents.
But I should certainly not allow them to see films that exemplify" criminal or anti-social behaviour.
This, though I believe that chil- dren are not usually preverted by books or films they are perverted by those who set them a bad exam- ple
This is from an arch by Helen The Well of Loneliness"
Some years ago, a novel called Warden on the Du fost family.banned because it dealt seriously my
"Known as a dreamed philo
I return to my flat I find an elder-sopher, Eugene is also knows for the first time with a very seri
ly harpist asleep in my bed.
When I rouse him he merely
Bays
"Who won the first race at Happy Valley"?" and lapses back into pro- found simmber.
I am then forced to sleep in chair. What do you advise?
-H. R.
Give up.
As In The Beginning
BD
Ithe only Du Pont satisfied with ous and widespread social problem.
twenty million dollars.”
Quite an ascetic.
Good Time Coming
the
About the same time, novel written by an eg ous author and which dealt same problem, in a cynient, frivolous manner passed the Cen- Gsor and became a best seller.
Mr. Edgar Hoover, chief of men, has been say some soothing things. He says
Now if I'm going to do any cen- soring of books on social and sexual "Not to alarm but for your problems, the books that are writ- information, there are to-day in ten with serious intention, I shall America 150,000 murderers roam-tackle last.
ing at large. Statistics show that Frankly, I see no reason why sex during the lifetime of those who-like any other aspect of life- "Ten minutes on your face-ten form our population, 200,000 per-should not be treated lightly, with with robust healthy hum- years off you age!”
sons will commit murder before they wit, Extract from article on beauty die, and more than 300,000 persons our, or with sane and constructive
will be murdered !”
Seems hardly worth while carry-
culture.
If you are thirty years old, lady,
treatment will bringing
you started you nigh
Police Deduction
the
“Beware of the mechanical flatter er," urges a writer. In other words, when the wife says, "You beauty,
for squalls.
cynicism.
What I propose to censor rigor ously is any book, play or film that treats of sex as something dirty That treats sex with a snigger and a leer:
For that is anti-social, harmful to the community, and disruptive of the morals of the young-whose pri-
"The police are s
I have just been reading an ar vilege it is to help build a better, theory that the person who strangled ticle, the title of which is a master-cleaner world. her in her fat at Bath-row, Eusten-piece of restrained under road, harboured a grudge against The heading is her."
News Item.
erstatement.
I shall not censor any book that translates into simple English....
ilable "Wars are detrimental to civilised making information
the masses -what is ordinari thought you would like to know. found in medical text books.
ons.
|
Well there you are.
Are you with
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