SALACIOUS PLAYS.

Wairarapa Age, 8 February 1927, Page 7

SALACIOUS PLAYS.

POLICE ACTION IN NEW YORK. VAIN APPEAL TO MANAGERS. NEW YORK, February 6. Aroused by the announcement of the forthcoming production of a play, which, as openly advertised, dealt with a subject usually treated only in medical books, Police Commissioner McLaughlin announced that he would send xjatrolmen to all objectionable plays, and arrest the casts and the managers outright. The police censorship promised’ will follow upon a season unusually prolific ia salacious dramas against which there have been strong public protests. Strenuous efforts have been made to have managers introduce a self-imposed censorship, following the failure of the socalled ‘ ‘ play jury system, ’ ’ under which a group of unnamed citizens visited theatres, with the managers agreeing to withdraw any play they deemed objectionable. The juries proved too lenient, only one play being condemned. Attempts to have the managers choose a censor from among themselves also failed. Complaints have been made that out of some sixty productions now current at least a third was salacious beyond the bounds of decency.—(A. and N.Z.).

A FORCE FOR PURITY. PARIS, February 6. Arrested for the sixth time for attacking bookstalls in front of Folies Eergere and tearing up magazines containing pictures of nudes, a parish priest of Bethleem accompanied a gendarme whom the bookstall-keeper summoned. The priest explained that he intended to force the authorities to realise the existence scandalous publications. He added that the law called on all citizens to denounce offences against the social order. Thus far the law has taken the priest less serieusly than he has taken the law. He was again discharged with a caution. —(Sydney “Sun.”).