The VOICE (interposing). He did not say Mrs. Gilman lied; he corrected her. Miss CALDWELL. Well, that is all right. Now let us go ahead with this. I want to read what he did say in regard to hysteria: I very much regret that hysteria has been injected into this meeting in the last half hour. I do not believe that a loud voice or a bulldozing attitude on the part of this convention or on the part of outsiders who come in and put this convention to one side and then on the other will ever solve our problems. The origin of the word "hysteria" was thought to belong to woman. There is much evidence in the line of medicine that some of us men are also guilty. And then he spoke of bulldozing. Now, may I just read this much. He said: I treat the nervous and the insane. I am interested in what is causing nervousness. I am dedicated to the cause of trying to save 300,000 persons from the insane asylum. And then further he says: I want to say to you that when the roll is called and estimated, the moving picture is one of the contributors in breaking up our homes and making our life impossible, so far as nervousness and complex conflicts are concerned. As Americans we will stand by our children and if that means with the moving picture, we will send our children to that agency which will be healthful, to that in the moving picture which is good and we will stand and fight to the last ditch against those things which are producing such hellish work in morals and in insanity in our midst. When asked the question, "Do films which are highly exciting affect the nerves of children," Doctor Biven answered: No child can go before a motion picture and come away as he was when he went there. One of the most insidious, harmful, instruments that we have in our midst in causing nervousness, in causing insecurity, restlessness and fear, is the motion picture. On the other side, I will say that it can be just the reverse. It is the most potent factor we have for undoing the nervous 'system, for giving distorted ideas, whipping up a fear of emotions, for giving an attitude that is the word for the next 15 or 20 years. Some days after the conference adjourned, Mrs. Reeve, president of the national congress of the parent-teachers association, sent a telegram to Miss Binford, who was presiding during Judge Lindsey's most astonishing speech, stating that: "The executive committee which met on February 23 indorsed unanimously the resolutions passed by the fourth national moving picture conference." These resolutions are as follows: Whereas the permanency of any civilization depends on its power to transmit the best of itself to posterity; and Whereas failure to do so has wiped other nations out of existence; and Whereas motion-picture producers in the United States of America with a marvelous opportunity to preserve and transmit the finest traditions and holiest institutions of our ordered national life to future generations are instead largely exploiting the most unrepresentative of all aspects of modern society; and Whereas the motion-picture producers have signally failed to respond to requests and suggestions of forward-looking citizens that films be improved in this respect; and Whereas their failure to do so has already induced unfortunate misapprehensions of American life and ideals in other countries; and Whereas the block system of marketing theatrical films by producers is in restrain of trade and fair competition, depriving communities of even local option in the choice of films; and Whereas it is one of the stated purposes of this conference to fearlessly and honestly analyze the various motion-picture problems with the view of ascer taining facts and thereby accumulating and increasing volume of truth regarding them, removed from theory and speculation, in the interests of childhood, not only of America, but of the world: Therefore be it Resolved, That this Fourth National Motion Picture Conference recommend to universities and educational foundations that they enter upon a term of scientific research in this field in the departments of social service, psychology, and such others as they may see fit; and be it Resolved, That eminent psychiatrists, social workers, and specialists in children's ailments be urged to give unbiased consideration to the motion picture in relation to antisocial behavior in youth; and be it further Resolved, That until there is a sufficient accumulation of evidence of a scientific character to show that regulation of films for minors is undesirable, this conference declares itself as approving an adequate means of local, State, Federal, or international regulation of the motion-picture industry. (An additional statement filed by Miss Mary R. Caldwell is as follows:) Granted that Mr. Durant's record is everything that they say of it, the fact still remains that he has succeeded in putting through a bill that protects the children of Connecticut, and certainly the industry with the record of their leading producers who are teachers, schoolmasters, if you will, should be the last people to bring up moral issues, as nothing could surpass the Boston case of some of the leading producers. Mr. Pettijohn quotes from Judge Lindsey that we are preparing the path for the child, and not the child for the path. But Mr. Pettijohn fails to note that thousands of children have mothers who work; that other thousands have mothers who are careless, who use the movies for a nursery, whom teachers and social workers, the pulpit and the press are trying to awaken to their duty. It is not the child's fault but rather its misfortune to be so placed. Shall it be subjected by license granted theaters to degrading influence because of a mother who toils or the mother who does not care? Has the industry tried to educate these mothers? Has it not rather tried to confuse them with extensive propaganda from prominent but unreliable sources into thinking the picture does not exert much influence over the moral attitude of a child toward the fundamental traditions, customs, and ideals of right living. Judge Lindsey is quoted many times because of his juvenile court fame. Everyone should read Judge Lindsey's article in Physical Culture Magazine, May 1925 and enough is said about Judge Lindsey. I wanted to bring in my letter to our "Y" secretary in regard to George I. Zerung's refusal to go on the educational screen because Mrs. Merriam was on the staff and because she had exposed the National Board of Review, stating that they used the names of prominent people on this board to protect pictures that were being contested in the court as unfit to be shown, thereby implying that the Chicago censorship board was finiky. I wanted to tell that Mr. Zehrung is (or was) secretary-treasurer of the Screen Advertisers and that pressure would be easy to bring on the educational screen. I think we can not stress too strongly this fact and the fact that Miss Rich did the same thing in regard to the names of the People's Institute, and did it right to the committee on education in the face of that condemning evidence of the Navy report on motion pictures. Colonel Joy, I think, also sank his voice very low after his statement regarding the producer of Three Weeks and indicated that Flaming Youth was also produced by a small, weak company. Flaming Youth was produced by one of the strongest companies in the Hays group-First National, I think. In this picture we have the heroine reading Black Oxen with a title something like this: "She is reading objectionable literature." Black Oxen was filmed by the same company and here again we see the heroine reading a book, this time Flaming Youth. Thus 15,000,000 youths who daily attend the movies are encouraged to read these two most objectionable books. Could the situation be worse? Again we find Colonel Joy telling different members of the committee that he was in the war. We find industry's representatives telling of the generous use of the screen for the Government during the war, with the impression that the Government owes them some consideration now. Shall the Government pay this debt with the moral depletion of our youth? The industry, including Colonel Joy as a part of it, were not the only people during the war who rendered service. Thousands of women sewed in Red Cross centers from 10 a. m. to 4 and 5 p. m. They bought their own yarn and knit scarfs and sweaters on the street cars and in the trains as they went to and from their work. They also knit every night and when the dreadful epidemic of influenza spread over our land they volunteered nursing both day and night, never sparing themselves till the dreaded disease overtook them, some of them even paying the great penalty, life itself. I do not know a woman anywhere who would degrade this service and the memory of it by asking the Government any special privileges, least of all the privilege of exploiting its children and youth. The Fox organization has purchased film rights of Summer Bachelors, a new story by Warner Fabian, author of Flaming Youth. It will first appear in the May issue of McClure's which is now a Hearst property. Later, it will be serialized in a number of prominent newspapers throughout the country. Fox will make it in the fall and release it early in 1927. It is known that several other important producing companies were bidding for the rights. (The Film Daily, Friday, May 7, 1926, pp. 1 and 4.) The CHAIRMAN. Now, before the committee adjourns, your side of the case is in, except rebuttal, Canon Chase? Canon CHASE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Now, Mr. Pettijohn, we want to work toward your convenience, so that you may have full opportunity to be heard. I was just wondering how long-and I want you to have such time as you wish-about how long you would want. Mr. PETTIJOHN. Of course, that depends upon the interruptions. It is hard to say how many interruptions there will be. Basing it upon the theory that there are interruptions, I can probably finish between 9.30 and 12. The CHAIRMAN. Very well, if it is agreeable to the committee we will proceed along those lines, and of course if you have not finished we will find some future time, or a sufficient time for you to be heard. Mr. PETTIJOHN. That is very good, Mr. Chairman. We will try our best to get through. We will not take up any unnecessary time, and for the people who have gone home we will submit their written statements. The CHAIRMAN. That is satisfactory, and that will be understood on both sides. If there is some one who has had to leave-I do not know whether you have any such or not, but I want both sides to have full opportunity to put in their case. So if it is agreeable to the committee, we will start at 9.30 in the morning. Mr. FLETCHER. Have we time now to hear Mr. Pettijohn? The CHAIRMAN. I do not know whether Mr. Pettijohn wants to go on for just a short time. Mr. PETTIJOHN. I would like to say this, that there have been some rather meaty things said here this afternoon, and I would like to have an opportunity to study these notes just a bit to-night, in view of some of the charges that have been made here, that I consider very important to the industry and the people in it. The CHAIRMAN. We will adjourn then until 9.30 to-morrow morning. (Whereupon, at 5 o'clock p. m. the committee adjourned until 9.30 a. m. Saturday, April 17, 1926.) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, The committee met at 9.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. Daniel A. Reed (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. Unless there is objection we will proceed now and hear Mr. Connolly. STATEMENT OF JACK S. CONNOLLY, WASHINGTON, D. C. Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, there have been quite a few statements made here about the quality of motion pictures that have been sold to the Navy and their effect on the sailors, and in that connection I want to read an official statement issued by the Bureau of Navigation concerning motion pictures. This statement was issued on February 2, 1826, and is as follows: Both the battle and scouting fleets which are now moving into position for the winter maneuvers are equipped with the finest collection of motion-picture films of any fleet in the world. While the Navy has a collection of 2,600 films, valued at $600,000, which it keeps in circulation on all its vessels, special efforts were made for two months before the fleet sailed to obtain the latest and best films, and 75 new ones were obtained. The Admiral Robinson, Commander in Chief of the Fleet, in a message to the department said he desired to emphasize the importance of motion pictures for the recreation and education of the men particularly while at sea. pictures furnished the fleet, he added, were considered well above the average in quality and were one of the most important means of insuring the contentment of the personnel. Based upon reports from all commanding officers in the fleet, the Bureau of Navigation estimates that as a factor contributing to the recreation and contentment of the men, motion pictures have a value of 42.6 per cent, athletics 26.4 per cent, libraries 15 per cent, and all other factors 16 per cent. Ordinarily the Navy buys from 25 to 30 new pictures a month under a special arrangement with the producers who provide them practically and usually in advance of their release in the United States. To exercise every care in the selection of the films before they are bought, they are passed upon by a naval officer at New York and then sent to Washington for the approval of the Bureau of Navigation. It has been found that not 1 in 50 of the pictures passed upon in Washington have had to be clipped in any way because of questionable features. That is an official statement by the Bureau of Navigation. Mr. CONNOLLY. No, madam; it is a press release that was issued by the Bureau of Navigation on February 2, 1926. The Secretary of Commerce, Mr. Hoover, has been criticized by the proponents of the bill because he asked Congress for an appropriation of $26,000 for the purpose of establishing a unit in the specialties division of the Department of Commerce to handle motion-picture problems under a division chief, having the same status of 17 other commodity divisions of the bureau. Let me tell you the facts. The motion-picture industry ranks in the first seven industries of the United States from the point of view of capital investment and production, and its interest in the foreign field, based on proportion of export to production, is greater than that of nine other representatives now represented in the department by divisions. The actual value of our motion-picture exports are greater than five of these. The American motion picture has been built to keep down the price of admission in its theaters because of its absolute dependence on its overseas market. Between 25 and 30 per cent of the entire gross revenues of American producers comes from foreign fields. If this revenue were cut off or curtailed seriously the whole industry would face bankruptcy. If it were cut off or curtailed, the admission prices would necessarily have to go up. The objections of the foreign governments to American motion pictures are not because of the moral tone of our pictures, but because of the fact that we are promoting American trade in foreign countries. The domination of American motion pictures in the markets of the world has been not only a financial benefit to the industry itself, but, unlike any other industry, it has also proved a powerful factor in stimulating foreign sales of other commodities as well. The value of motion pictures as an advertising force is only just becoming appreciated and its worth in this line is still underestimated. There is no question but that our feature films act as an indirect and intangible but nevertheless a powerful selling agent for American clothes, shoes, automobiles, furniture, office equipment, and a variety of other products which form a part of the scene in American entertainment films shown abroad. These have proved the indirect agents to purchase on the part of foreigners who patronize American pictures to such an extent that our commercial rivals, notably Great Britain, are beginning to regard the continued and almost exclusive showings of American "movies " in their dominions as a menace to their trade. To quote two or three examples of this, the London Morning Post of February 10, 1925, states that Americanization of the world by the film has passed beyond the realm of possibility and is steadily becoming an accomplished fact. Thus, there has been a demand from the Near East for clothes, boots, and shoes cut in American style, the reason being the influence of the American film. Similarly, the treadle sewing machine suddenly leapt into popularity in China as a direct result of its appearing in an American picture. Furthermore, many sections of the world are forced to believe that American locomotives, architecture, automob.les, and a variety of other objects are the last word" in up-to-date excellence, and this ever growing effect is bound to cause injury to British industry and commerce. This same paper under date of November 15, 1923, believed thatIf the United States abolished its diplomatic and consular services, kept its ships in harbor, and its tourists at home, and retired from the world's markets, its problems, its towns, its roads, its motor cars, and its counting houses would still be familiar in the uttermost corners of the earth. The January 29, 1925, issue of the Yorkshire Post reports that British makers of clothing have had to alter their styles to meet the demand for clothes modeled on those worn by American heroes in motion pictures. It furthermore cites the example of the American sewing-machine firm which received a number of orders from Java and Sumatra as a result of an American motion picture which showed one of the characters sewing on a machine made by this firm. That is why they want to keep out the American motion pictures, and it is not on account of any moral feature. Mr. FLETCHER. Why does objection come from Americans in foreign lands? |