THE NEW PLAGUE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 26, 1 October 1913, Page 5

THE NEW PLAGUE.

(CINEMATOGRAPH EVILS.

NOTABLE FACTS FOR PARENTS.

The kinematograph is so new a thing that one is surprised to find how widespread already are the evils associated with it and to which heed must be urgently given. A STARTLING CIRCULAR. A circular signed by Cardinal Bourne, the Bishop of Birmingham, the Rev. F. B. Meyer, Sir Albert Rollit, the Earl of Meath, Mr Janies A. Yoxall, M.P., and the head masters of Eton, Winchester, and Rugby relating to the use of the kinematograph in education .has been sent out to the local educational authorities of the United Kingdom. , The circular gives some startling evidence of the present evils of the unrestricted use of the kinc-mato-graph in several countries. It also points out what is being done in these countries to regulate it, and it hopes that the “observations relating to the use and the abuse of the kinematograph will be seriously considered by your education authority, and that this may lead to the entire removal of the apparatus from that position of injurious influence on morals and education in which its unlicensed exercise has placed it, and to ,its establishment under such safeguards as have been * suggested, as a valuable means of spiritual, intellectual, and social development.” ' a j EVILS IN THE U.S.A. The abuses associated with the kinematograph, we .are told, may be ‘described as incitements to dissipation, coarseness, illicit passion, theft, robbery, arson, and homicide by tho presentation of moving pictures dealing with sensational, indecent, erotic, and criminal incidents.’

“In tlie United States 40 per cent, of 290 different films, .examined by the Cleveland Humane Society, were condemned, the objectionable features contained in them being in order of prevalence—stealing, murder, drunkenness, indecent suggestion, housebreaking, loose ideals of marriage, domestic infidelity, vicious mischief, kidnapping, and some 20 per cent, of those who witnessed these objectionable moving pictures were children. As a consequence lessons have been •confessedly learnt in injurious practical jokes, pick-pocketing, shop-lifting, marital misbehaviour, and other misdemeanours and crimes. MORAL EVILS IN EUROPE. “In France, Germany, Denmark, and Finland the same moral evils flowing from the unregulated use of the moving picture have been noted. To these must be added the following results of the statistical inquiry, covering the Cases of 3852 pupils, of their local board schools, undertaken by the dtavanger Teachers’ Association. It proved that the hiograph theatres had been used as schools of crime, with 'the result that a great number of children confined, in reformatories or houses of correction owed their presence there to the excitements of criminal films. Forty-six primary teachers testified to the kinematograph leading to thieving. Petty theft, indeed, has enormously increased among their scholars since the introduction of the kinematograph. To this must be : added instances of coarseness, directly referred to moving pictures, calculated to stir up the lower instincts.

HOW IT AFFECTS SAVINGS. “There is a very significant addition to these revelations. According to the report of the Stavanger Savings Bank, the sale of saving-stamps in 1910 had decreased by 9.3 per cent., whereas in the previous year there had been an increase of 26.8 per cent, in the children’s savings. “ ‘We have here,’ comment the Setavanger teachers, ‘a great danger threatening not only the future economic position of the town, hut the chilIron themselves, who. become slaves of pleasure, have little or no appreciation of the value of money, do not think of saving, and, generally speaking, become less fit to fight the battle of life.’

IMPULSE TOWARDS CRIME. “The injurious influence of the kinematograph has further been certified by special commissions of inquiry in Hamburg and Stockholm, the investigations of which agree entirely with those of the Norwegian teachers. For instance, Professor Godelius (Professor of Psychiatry) writes to the Swedish Chamber of Justice at their invitation:—“No descriptions, either moral or in writing, have such a power to influence the growing generation as these living scenes, which give the absolute illusion of life. The undersigned has himself heard criminals confess that the first impulse .towards crime came from a child-like desire to emulate the hero of some exciting criminal romance; and as even moral representations are so powerful to influence the young mind, how much more dangerous must be the simulacrum of life which goes forward on the kinema stage. There are many cases which prpve that with sensitive children such excitement produces a nervous shock which mav develop into - permanent hypersensitiveness.’ . PHYSICAL EVILE. “The injury to character which our young people are suffering in England ! through the abuse of the kinemato- ; graph has not been thus methodically investigated, though the recent action I of the local Liverpool authorities shows that the gravity of the dan-

ger threatened thereby is great. Moreover, leading articles and letters in The Times and other representative journals show the necessity of urgent action'to'save a serious moral situation. “The accessory physical evils caused by long sessions fin dark or dimlylighted, over-heated, and badly-venti-lated rooms, in front of quickly-moving and flickering films, though not as accentuated perhaps in England as elsewhere, call, nevertheless, for close vigilance on the part of those responsible for the supervision of the picture halls. “The, German oculists are uttering a note of warning on the strain put upon yqung eyes by rapidly-passing and flickering films, as .well as upon the " physical excitement, leading to unnaturally quickened respiration, in- ' duqed; by - the,.presentation of terrifying incidents ; before sensitive children. “Our-.school medical officers should not be behindhand in dealing with these impoCtaift physical effects of the 'kinematograph upon the. young people for whom they have now become responsible. ' SAFEGUARDS NECESSARY. “Great as' may be the usefulness of moving pictures, when not only carefully selected, but carefully restricted in-frequency, careless or excessive use of them must be, from ah educational point of view, disastrous. Before, therefore, the kinematograph can be • incorporated among our teaching apparatus certain safeguards will have to- be adopted; exciting scenes will have =to he ; the films will have to fb© prepared by educational experts.• “The Cinematograph is irresistible. Organise the kinematograph,” says the Spectator,,, ...