Press chimed in with cautious suggestions for censorship (even oldsocialist Norman Thomas added his two-mills-worth) and a humane columnist Inez Robb suggested reviving "Branding of criminals convicted of traffic in pornography, whether lewd books, films, recordings, so-called comic books or stage productions." (Her recent columns put most currently popular books, plays and songs in this category.)

So the King of the White House Trail, assuring one and all his hearings were non-political, replaced his coonskin cap and hit for fresh huntings, promising Hollywood a return engagement.

OTHER MORAL GUADIANS

Earlier, Cardinal McIntyre had blasted growing indecency in films. Eric Johnson denied any increase. Seventh-Day Adventists announced campaign to purge smut from newsstands: Depends on what they call "smut" and what methods they propose. Seems to us no single sect has right to determine what rest of us can see or read.

Along this line, new Varga-girl has nothing to do with ESQUIRE pics inflating mammary glands. More like blackmail foisted on clothing dealers, soaking them 3¢ each for tags which retailers are "encouraged" to display on dresses "approved by the Blessed Virgin" (acting thru her self-appointed agents, Fathers Funkel and Varga and their Purity Crusaders) for feminine modesty. Crusaders admit they don't know what type bathing suit the Virgin would wear. In this writer's opinion there's nothing wrong with any Church campaigning for modesty among its own. But this Commie-like method of putting pressure on retailers who must serve people of all

one

faiths, or none...

Kansas' Supreme Court, on presumably technical grounds, outlawed a legislative ban on film censorship. Legislatures have recently been busier instituting than banning censor bills. Texas recently outlawed lewd literature and Massachusetts passed to the House the following: "Whoever publishes, sells" etc. "any book, pamphlet" etc. "which contains any nude or semi-nude pictures of any pornographic" etc. "words or pictures or combinations of words or pictures, or which portrays lust, illicit sex or perversions, or portrays crime or criminals in a manner which exalts or makes them attractive to youth" etc. "shall for a first offense be punished by imprisonment for not more than two years" etc.

Michigan's governor Soapy Williams, who's also eyeing the White House, recently signed into law police-state type bill for constant surveillance on sex offenders.

NON-CONFORMISTS

Adlai Stevenson, on a different note, told Smith College graduates this century needs more unpredictably ornery characters with courage of convictions, fewer adjusted personalities, warned that loss of independence of judgement leads to totalitarianism.

Ardis Whitman in A NEW IMAGE OF MAN (Appleton-Century, $3.50) rips into notion of conformity, calls halt to tendencies to nip individualism in bud.

In SATURDAY REVIEW John Steinbeck offers suggestion juvenile gangs may fill needs not satisfied elsewhere, and that very acts labelled delinquent would be considered heroic in other contexts.

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