Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/156

144 Miss Josette Frank, which is published by Doubleday, a book on ehil- dren's reading.

Miss Frank in this bockand 1 have to admit, Mr, Chairman, T don't lave the page quotation. T shall be glad to document this, I only saw the galleysMiss Frank has this to say:

Despite all that may be said for the validity of comics ag a form of comumnica- tion, one «unuot dismiss lightly the other side vf the picture. The woust ser- ious parental objectious are no¢ to theic technique or to their art, but to their conleni. Whe apparitions te which this medium of comic lends itself are of course abhorrent fa parents and probably uot very attractive Lo numbers of children.

The fuct is that irrespousible publishers have found it both easy and profitable to exploit the taste of u part of the reading public for lerror and scx, Fur the most part experience and observation show that these are not Ue eoimics writ- ten and enjoyed by a large number of chijdren. Still they are available on the newsstands along with the children's favorites aud their lurid covers aud an- couth promises of what may lie within may well lure the curious of whatever age.

There is na more exense for licentions publishing in this field than any other and it is pevhaps either more uncouscionable here because it is wore avail-. able than any other reading matter. The publishers have a responsibility and certain of thein recogniziug the excess to which this fluent medium has been subjected huve set up slandards of their own in consultation with interested psychologists and educators, These standards not only have toa do with content, but qnelity of printing aud art work and thiey establish both positive and nega- tive guides, What is and what is not suitable for children,

Policy rules out bloody or bat figures, sadism and torture, and ridiculing of law-enforcement agencies. It sets certain standards for lettering and dialog.

This is a quotation by which certainly Miss Frank on April 22, 1954, oluce more goes on record through the auspices of Doubleday Co., one of the largest publishers, in a book which will certainly once more bring this message.

But, you see, Senator Hennings, who should follow up on this is now the question. What do Governnent agencies, what do private organi- zations, what do citizen organizations de who work in the field of social action? That is a question.

But we once more have stated, and J want to gladly submit that Mis¢ Frank has so stated in this book which appears today as

Senator. What is the title of Miss Frank's book?

Mr. . "Our Children's Reading Today." Doubleday & Co. And this is not a commercial, Mr. Chairman.

The. When will that be on the market?

Mr. . Today. As of today it may be purchased.

The. Mr. Dybsrad, in this testimony of yours which has been somewhat extended now, I gather that your main point was to draw a distinction between this type lying on the table before you there, that type of comic and the crime comic.

Mr. . That is right.

The. That is where you make your sharp distinction?

Mr. . And there is a hard distinction to make, sir, becanse for instance, yesterday—and I had the privilege of listening to the proceedings over the radio—reference was made to a particular niun- ber of people getting killed in any one story; that kind of thing, of course, would easily happen in any kind of murder mystery or crime mystery.

Now, I still say that in this age of detective reading, in this age when the greatest of intellectual leaders in this country freely admit that for relaxation they read detective stories, there has to be a very