Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/208

196 Senator. I wanted to ask counsel, Mr. Chairman, what counsel had expected to prove or establish by the testimony of this witness.

Mr. . I had hoped to ask Mr. Roth the names of his firms, and receive a reply from him thet he was doing business under the Gargantuan Books, the Centurion Press, Gargoyle Books, Book Gems, Falldock Books, and Paragon Books, samples of which we have given you, Senator, and to indicate that Mr. Roth does a very, very extensive mail-order business, solicits through the mails for orders for his books, and advertises these books in a very suggestive manner.

Senator. May I ask if counsel's statement is predicated upon an investigation made by the staff for this committee?

Mr. . Senator, the counsel's statement is predicated upon an investigation made by the staff and by counsel.

The. By counsel personally?

Mr. . Personally, or shall say associate counsel.

We would hope to sey that since adolescence represents an age, as the psychiatrists say, during which a youngster's norma] sexual curi- osity reaches a high point, that Mr. Roth's natural bent, as far as advertising is concerned, would lie in the juvenile trade; and that we have, with the assistance of the Post Oflice Department, gone throngh a representative sample of complaints received from irate parents of children getting Mr. Roth's materials wd advertisements, which Iam careful to cover up; and we were going to ask Mr. Roth to give us the sources of his mailing list, and to ask Mr. Roth whether, and from whom, he has purehased or rented mailing lists, and whether he has purchased or rented mailing lists in the past year from any person who, directly or indirectly, advertised in a comic book, or from a comic- book publisher himself.

The. Do you care to give the answer to that question, Mr. Roth?

Mr. . I will be very happy to do so if I am granted the immunity I ask for.

The. This committee has no power to grant you immunity. You have every right to ask this committee to protect your constitutional rights.

Mr. . What I read to you was not a statement of mine. It was a statement made by my attorney, who is not present. I feel that the only way I can put this to you is to ask you whether what is requested in my attorney's statement is being granted me. You would know that better than I.

The. I think in view of the situation that has developed here and the serious nature of the questions that have been posed, the subcommittee should take your case under advisement and consider all the factors involved, particularly the fact of your recent arrest, and call on you at another time.

Mr. . Thank you.

Mr. . Mr. Chairman, the witness is under subpena. It might he advisable, until the subcommittee has decided what it is going to do, that he be kept under that same subpena.

The. Without objection, that will be the order of the Chair.

Mr. . Thank you, sir. I shall consider myself on call.

Mr. . Mrs. Helen Meyer.