PAGE 5—THE SAYAHTsAH BULLETIN, MaFcb '3, '1953.'
Direct Mail Trade
Centering On Youth
By Russell Shaw
(N. C. W. C. NEWS SERVICE)
WASHINGTON, — “I sincerely
believe that trash such as this
serves only one purpose —- to
incite more sex crimes.”
“It is shocking to know that
even little children are able to
obtain such filth by answering an
ad... How many more sex crimes
must be committed before the
public wakes up?”
“To my mind this is degraded
and filthy trash. Why should it be
in the mail boxes of people who
are trying to be decent?”
These are excerpts from three
of the 50,000 letters of protest and
complaint received annually by
the U. S. Post Office Department
in regard to one problem — the
direct mail trade on pornography
which is centering more and more
on the nation’s children.
Mail order pornography is rela
tively new. Postal officials say it
has become big business only in
the past 10 years. While its true
proportions are guesswork for the
most part, available facts indicate
that it is very big business indeed:
A U. S. Senate committee in
vestigating juvenile delinquency
estimated that dealers in obscene
material do an annual gross mail
business of between 300 and 350
million dollars.
Postal officials say these pro
moters distribute as many as
100,000 of their circulars daily.
One New York dealer, at the
time of his conviction on obsceni
ty charges, carried on a business
worth 5270,000 annually.
Postal meters showed the same
dealer sent out $3,000 worth of
mail every month.
The mail order obscenity racket
is centered in two cities, New
York and Los Angeles. The bulk
of the business is carried on by
12 07’ 15 individuals who have
been in the trade for years. They
operate through various fronts,
designed to prevent, their identifi
cation.
Using different names, they
rent post office boxes as mailing
addresses. Postal officials say one
promoter may employ as many as
200 to 300 different names in the
course of his operations. One
dealer operated from 50 post of
fice boxes at the same time.
The stock in trade of the dealers
is fairly standard —- photographs,
slides, films, books and novelties.
A few gimmicks also have been
introduced -— including a coded
pornographic letter sent out by a
California dealer and ‘personal
ized’ letter printed in facsimile
handwriting.
The pornography dealers oper
ate in much the same way as any
mail order firm. Their first task
is to build up a mailing list. This
they do by advertising their
product in ‘men’s’ magazines and
similar publications. They also
. acquire names from brokers who
compile aritbsell suefcGists.* a *
The dealers’ catch-all methods
of seeking customers explain why
much of their pornography is sent
to children in their teens, or
younger.
The letters of complaint postal
officials receive from parents tell
the same story again and again.
A youngster answers an ad for a
cowboy picture, or a model air
plane, or camping equipment.
In a few weeks the circulars
begin to arrive — and keep arriv
ing. They make their pitch in
blatant terms:
“Rejected for advertising! Ob
jectionable material! We can no
longer offer our art films to you
through the leading magazines.
Therefore we are contacting our
select list by direct mail.”
“Dear friend, I have gome
movies that were made below the
border, in Mexico. For certain
reasons, I have to get rid of them
quick.”
“The kind of photos and films
you’ll be proud to show your
buddies...
“The censors say we have
blown the lid off and may have
stepped out of bounds. Because
of this situation, it may be neces
sary to destroy our negatives. We
therefore urge you to order im
mediately.”
The distributors of such materi
al, one Post Office inspector said
curtly, are “greedy promoters
who don’t care about subverting
youth, so long as they can make a
fast buck.”
When parents write to protest,
they often indignantly ask why
the Post Office Department
doesn’t ‘do something about it.’
As a matter of fact, the depart
ment is doing something.
At all times postal inspectors
are carrying several hundred
simultaneous investigations o f
these dealers. However, one in
spector said, the department is
hampered in its efforts to stop
their activities by the “cumber
some” methods it must use.
At present, there are two ways
in which the department can
crack down on a dealer — civil
action and criminal action. The
first involves hearings within the
department to determine whether
a given dealer’s material is mail-
able under present obscenity laws.
The second involves court action,
which may result in fines and im
prisonment for convicted smut
dealers.
However, the Post Office De
partment labors under disadvan
tages no matter which procedure
it employs. Its own hearings are
often lengthy affairs and a dealer,
if the decision goes against him,
still has the option of appealing to
the courts.
Court action is even more un
satisfactory. The reasons are two:
the nature of the laws and the
nature of the courts.
Under current laws, persons
who mail obscene material can
be prosecuted only in the area
where it was actually placed in
the mail. At present, that means
New Yrok and Los Angeles.
But it has been pointed out that
convictions on obscenity charges
are seldom achieved in either
New York or Los Angeles courts.
The result is, as one postal of
ficial puts it, that under present
laws pornography dealers can
“seek out their jurisdiction and
make it assort of sanctuary.”
Meanwhile, the obscene materi
al continues to flood communities
all over the country.
Help may be on the way,
though, in the form of legislation
now before Congress. Bills have
been introduced — by Rep. Eman
uel Celler of New York and Rep.
John Dowdy of Texas — which
would permit persons who mail
obscene material to be prosecuted
where it is received.
Such legislation has the hearty
endorsement of both the Post Of
fice - and Justice Departments.
They believe indignant local com
munities would soon stamp out
the smut trade.
However, even the passage of
such legislation might leave the
legal picture confused. This is be
cause the precise position of the
Supreme Court has yet to be
determined.
Last June, in its Roth decision,
the high court said the standard
for obscenity is: “Whether to the
average person, applying contem
porary community standards, the
dominant theme of the material
taken as a whole appeals to the
prurient interest.”
Postal officials say this defi-
t^tfoiji^ronfirmea’’ the position
their agency has taken for years.
But, in the same breath, they ad
mit that subsequent Supreme
Court rulings based on it are not
in keeping with Post Office views.
Notable were two early Jan
uary decisions in which the high
court reversed lower court de
cisions which had upheld postal
bans on three publications — two
nudist magazines and a periodical
which designates itself as “the
magazine for homosexuals.” The
court did not explain its ruling,
but merely cited the Roth de
cision.
“We don’t know what was in
back of it,” one postal inspector
remarked candidly.
The Post Office Department is
under constant harassment, too,
by the various civil liberties
groups which claim to smell
potential ‘censorship’ in every
move to restrict distribution of
obscenity.
Post Office spokesmen refer to
their efforts as a “hue and cry”
and a “smokescreen.”
While lawmakers debate and
courts rule, the promoters con
tinue to rake in easy profits and
parents to write in indignation
and alarm. One Milwaukee moth
er summed up the feelings of a
lot of other people. She wrote:
“All I can do is ask that you
take care of people like this in
whatever way you are able.”
Theres’ little excuse for a poor
excuse when the world is full of
little white lies.
A proverb is an undisputed fact
that has stood the test of time.
CHAPEL5-ON-WHEELS BLESSED BY POPE
Rural areas outside of Rome will have their own mobile chapels, recently blessed by His Holi
ness Pope Pius XII. Provided by the Pontifical Relief Organization, they will serve areas now
without churches. Similar chapels have been successfully used, especially along the Austrian
border during the Hungarian uprising, and in other times of disaster in Italy. (NC Photos)
WAS FATHER REALLY RIGHT?
(By Reverend James D. Moriarfy)
I’m still wondering — Was Fa
ther really right? Did he mean
just what he said?
It all happened at a large Cath
olic college for men. The stu
dent body, 2000 strong, had just
finished shaking the rafters of
the gym with their lusty voices
during a pep session preceding
the big game of the season.
As the cheer leaders skipped
off the stage the Dean of Men
emerged from the wings accom
panied by two other priests. Fa
ther stepped up front in the mid
dle of the stage as he motioned to
his companions to sit cfown.
Before he began to speak he
grimaces and covered his ears
with his hands as if to indicate
his ear drums had been put to a
severe test, by the students’ cheer
ing. '
‘Men,” he .said, “if our football
team , has the same enthusiasm
tomorrow as your cheers have
today the opposition won’t have a
chance.”
With this the students gave him
another blast. As soon as there
was quiet he continued. “Now I
suppose you are wondering who
these two young priests are. up
here on the stage with me. On my
right is Father James O’Connell
and my left, Father Dennis Mul-
cahey. These men have just come
to this country from Ij'eland. Our
Bishop has invited them to work
in our Diocese and so they will
probably spend the rest of their
lives among you.”
He turned towards the priests,
“Corrie up front here Fathers, and
let the boys meet you.” As the
two young priests flanked him on
either side he put a hand lightly
on their shoulders and then
shouted out to the students in a
true MC fashion.
“Aren’t these two fine young
priests, men. Look at them. I’ll
bet they’ve played their share of
Irish football. Did you ever see
two finer specimens of manhood?
What do you think of them, fel
lows? Are you glad that they are
here? Let them hear your wel
come.”
The combination of whistles,
cheers, shouts, stamping of feet
and sundry other sounds which
echoed the boys approval proved
only that their previous “Pep”
session had been rather low in
volume.
Father let them applaud the
priests for a short period. He fin
ally motioned for quiet and nod
ded to his guests to go back to
their chairs on the stage. Then
he turned back to the 2000 stu-
rents to ask his question.
“Men,” he said, and this time
his voice was much sharper. “Do
you know why these young
priests came here to the United
States. Now don’t get me wrong.
They were not forced to come
They came here of their own ac
cord but I want to ask you . . .
do you know why there is a place
for them to work here in this
Diocese?”
He had perfect attention. It
was just as quiet as it had been
noisy a few minutes before.
“I’ll tell you why.” His tone of
voice had changed. This was not
just the Dean of Men talking
This Was an ex-Army Chaplain
who had served with the infantry
in two different theatres of war.
“There are 2000 of you out there
but the reason Fathre O’Connell
and Father Mulcahey had to come
here to help us is that there are
not a couple of you out, there with
enough ‘guts,’ . . . yes, I said
‘guts’ to climb into one of these
black suits and wear your collar
backwards for the rest of your
life.”
“It takes guts to got out on a
football field and tear down a
ball carrier thundering towards
you like a locomotive. Sure you
football players take a beating.
But it takes another kind of in
testinal fortitude to prompt a man
to spend himself and his life for
God. Yes, ... we are glad that
they are here. But you ought to
be ashamed as l am ashamed that
it was necessary for priests from
other lands to fill the gap. They
have had to step in because some
of you too easily count yourself
out.
“God is not going to draft you
like the Army does. God only
takes volunteers. I know just as
sure as I am standing here before
you that God has called some of
you to be priests . . . How many
of you have the “moxie’ to say
. . . O.K. Lord. If you need me,
I’m willing.”
With that he motioned to the
two young priests and they dis
appeared into the wings together.
I’m still wondering ... Was Fa
ther really right . . .?”
What do you think?
Social Studies Rather Than *
Sciences Should Re Stressed
n Catholic School, Nun Says
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., (NC) —
The social studies Curriculum in
U. S. Catholic high schools needs
strengthening rather than the
science program, a second.ay edu
cation authority declared here. ,
“There is nothing radically
wrong with our science curricu
lum,” Sister Mary Janet., Secon
dary school curriculum consultant
of the Commission On American
Citizenship at the Catholic Uni
versity of America stated. “What
we need to do is to teach more
adequately the social thought of
(he Church.”
Sister Mary Janet was inter
viewed here while attending the
National Convention of Secondary
School Principals. She said that
more effort should be made “to
produce responsible Catholic citi
zens.”
History, she suggested, should
be taught from a deeper point of
view, involving research, collater
al reading, the forming of opin
ions, and not in a perfunctory way
from a single, often obsolete text
book.
“The most important parts of
the world — Russia, China.
Africa,” Sister Mary Janet said,
“are passed over in our geography
and history texts with only a
brief mention. It is time that we
revised our outlook on these sub
jects.”
In spite of evident shortcom
ings, Sister Mary Janet said that
Catholic schools on all levels are
doing an excellent job “in the
face of the shortage in faculties
and physical facilities.”
She disagreed with the view
point of Holy Cross Father John
Cavanaugh, former Notre Dame
University president, and others
who have been critical of Ameri
can Catholic higher education.
According to Sister Mary Janet,
their conclusions about the appar
ent inferiority of Catholic institu
tions are “based on broad general
izations and insufficient data.
She stressed the need, however,
for “better articulation” between
the three major levels of educa
tion — elementary, secondary and
college.
“Under our present set-up,”
Sister Mary Janet stated, “little
or no effort is made to coordinate
the three levels. Each develops its
own curriculum without regard to
the other two.”
As an example, she cited the
subject of American history. She
said: “A student takes American
history at least three times on the
elementary and secondary level.
Why not teach it once, instead,
and do a good job?”
Asked wheather she agreed
with the opinion of a Detroit
teaching Sister who suggested
last summer that elementary
schooling be reduced to six years
and high school to three years,
Sister Mary Janet replied that
this viewpoint is “too optimistic.”
“I feel that by a general
tightening up of our academic
program,” she said, “it might be
feasible to reduce the over-all
elementary and secondary period
from 12 to 11 years, but I don’t
believe any fui'ther curtailment,
would be advisable.”
Heads Caritas
BRUSSELS, Belgium, (NC)
Philippe Lippens, former director
of the Belgian section of UNRRA,
has been named chairman of
Belgian Caritas, Catholic chari
table organization, by His Emi
nence Joseph Ernest Cardinal
Van Roey, Archbishop of Malines.
Mr. Lippens, 48, succeeds Paul
Heymans, who retired from the
post to assume his duties as com
missioner of the Holy See’s pavil
ion, Civitas Dei, at the Brussels
International Exposition of 1958
After World War II, the new
chairman was director of UNRRA
in Belgium and was a United Na
tions observer in Palestine. He is
also a member of the Belgian
Olympic committee.
Services For
Robert Wame
RICHMOND HILL, Ga. — Fu
neral services for Robert Anthony
Waine were held February 25th
at St. Ann’e Church, Rev. Aloys-
ius Wachter, pastor of the Sacred
Heart Church, officiating.
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Under the Patronage of
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under the Spiritual Direction of Rt. Rev. Joseph G. Cassidy
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