Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/199

Rh But let me, if Eimay, rend to you lwo of the excerpts of letters that he publishes as justifying this type of demoralizing magazine. This isan excerpt of a letter:

Just finished Panic. Great magazine. And I think you should be bailed in oil, stretched on a stretch rack, whipped with a cat-o'-nine-iails, shot, knifed, and hanged, gassed, eleetrocnted, ant buried alive for hotding a grent magu- vine like Panic from the public for a full year. Mau it is a erent comic, crazy, cool, aud real dappsy. This magazine will go better than hateakes, When 1 got 10 the stam { bought the last one.

It was signed by someone from New York.

Here ts another:

Haye just fuished reading the first issue of Panic, Really great. The best story wrs My Gun Is the Jury. As J wus reading it, my mother caine in and tokl me to put the book away. This got me mad, So I did it. 1 sawed the nose aff an oSS sand fired low, a little helow the bellybutton, It went in clean aud came out like a flying saucer, leaving a hole big enough to put my fist throngh, ond without furthec interruption 2 Qnished the magazine.

Now, how any man can come here and publish rot like this and justify if is beyond comprehension.

Now, upon ils fuce if may appear innocent. Can this poor little fellow on the street corner -1 took it home the first time last night to read it. Jt appears innocent cuough on the cover except for this gvote-gue figure of Benjamin Franklin.

But wher I thumbed through it L saw what was confronting us. A newsdealer cannot possibly do this. So he just displays it and sells it.

Many times if the child appears to be of tender years the newsdealer will net sell him any horror magazine. Ile will say, "You bad better come with yor parents." Oftentimes parents come and oftentimes parents buy the magazine and oftentimes they would rather see the children buy a Walt Disney or other such type of animated cartoons ur nnagazine.

Mr. . Would you refer me to the place where he apologized to Benjamin Franklin?

Mr. . Yes, sir.

Mr. . I have it.

Mr. . Do you have it now?

Mr. . I have it.

Mr. . I might also say this as to the advertisement on the back of this magazine. T will find the sume advertisement in a better- type comic book which is not offenstve. Tere is an advertisement on the back of this magazine soliciting children, boys and girls, and men nnd women, to buy certain religious wall mottoes for which they will receive prizes and money. It says here, "The world is on fire. Serve the Lord and you can have these prizes," giving these children the idea that by selling these religious wall mottoes they would be serving the Lord.

Now in the better-type magazine the serving the Lord had been omitted.

Mr. . They would get an ax, a knife, it says here.

Mr. . Yes. Yor cin sce there is a clenched fist going down.

And by doing that they will be helping to stamp out crime, graft, dope, war, and drink.