Show Films Under Federal LawT Law I T THE IE I-IE national association of the motion picture industry in- in i- i has contended that far censorship censorship censor censor- always so fa as a ship or any other form for of regulation is concerned molion mo- mo mo lion ton picture f films ms should be bo classified the same samo as newspapers newspapers news news- papers books hooks or printed picures pictures It I has Inns contended that inasmuch as the constitution of the United States State prohibited pro pro- pro hibit d Congress from passing pasing an any law abridging the right of free fre speech or of the press that motion pictures are ae just another form of expression expresion of ideas idea and anti would have been included e in the constitutional guarantee if they hey had been invented i ente at the the time tine the constitution was wr written ten Under the terms terms of time the bill hi introduced by Congressman Congress Congress- man Walsh of Massachusetts and m which ha has ha passed pad the House of Representatives the tile viewpoint of the motion moton men is recognized to the extent that motion pic- pic tures ar are placed in the thc same same category as printed mat mat- mat ter er Tho The bill bi prohibits the the transmission through the mails mais or otherwise of indecent films by amending the penal laws by adding the words motion picture picure films to the list of or articles which are aro prohibited prohibit from I carriage by carrier from state to another common carier one state or through the mails mais and which bleh already include indecent printed pictures picture and literature This means that the law laW will il treat the motion picture films the same as it treats newspapers ne m magazines and books books All l of them are ae entitled to transmission if they are unobjectionable but not otherwise There are arc in ever every cry state local laws prohibiting the sale of indecent or obscene pictures or books and persons violating the law can be he punished The Time same laws cnn cart be he Ide made to apply and in il many of the states arc are now no made to apply to moLion motion mo- mo Lion tion pictures picture Tile The motion moton picture men do not object to this regulation but have cont contended that there was nomore no nomore nomore more necessity or reason for censoring moton motion picture picure films before production than there is for censoring newspapers m magazines or books boks prior to publication I The Tho rl Walsh bill bil if it becomes a law would seem to t b bear r rout out this tills contention x |