PROBLEM OF IMMORAL BOOKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3898, 27 November 1928, Page 38

PROBLEM OF IMMORAL BOOKS.

“MUST BE SOME LIMIT.” HOME SECRETARY AND ACTION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, October 19. “ It may possibly be in the near future I shall have to deal with immoral and disgusting books. For instance, I have to deal with immoral, disgusting behaviour in our parks and public places. I have to deal at times with plays and kineinas, though I have no real power in this respect.” This declaration was made by the Home Secretary in* an address to the London Diocesan Council of Youth at the Central Hall, Westminster. “ The Home Secretary is a man who is exposed to every kimf M attack,” Sir William Joynson-Hicks continued, “ and he gets it pretty often. I am attacked on the one hand by all those people who put freedom of speech and thought and writing before everything else in the world, as if there wore freedom in God’s world to pollute the young generation growing up. “ There must be some limit to the freedom of what a man may write or speak in this great country of ours. That freedom, in my view, must he determined by the question whether what is written or spoken makes one of the least of these little ones offend.” Sir William said that only if the Secretary of State had behind him the forces of the Christian churches was he able to deal with his problems fearlessly and honestly. He referred to the great work which the police were doing to assist them in their task, and said that they had very difficult times.