NEW YORK'S PLAYS

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18920, 8 February 1927, Page 9

NEW YORK'S PLAYS

POLICE CENSORSHIP THREATENED.

HIGH PERCENTAGE DECLARED

SALACIOUS

IST CABLE—PBIS3 A6SOCIATIOy—COFVT.IGHT.) (AUSTEALtAN AND S.I CABLE ASSCCIATIO:. - .)

NEW YORK, February 6

A: used by the announcement of a forthcoming production which it was openly advertised dealt with a subject usually treated only in medical books, Police Commissioner McLaughlin stated he would send patrolmen to all objectionable plays and arrest members of the casts and managers outri s'it. . , . , Polite censorship is promised to 101!ow upon a season usually prolific m salacious dramas, against which there have been strong public protests. Strenuous effort** have been made to have managers introduce a self-imposed censorship, following the failure of the so-called "play jury" system, under which a group of unnamed citizens visited theatres, with managers agreeing to withdraw any play they (kernel objectionable. The juries proved ton lenient, onlv one play beinp condemned. Attempts' to have managers choose a censor from among themselves also failed. Complaints are made that of some 60 productions now current, at least nno-third are sn'neious and beyond tho bounds of decency.