by them. The purposes of the Mattachine Society are education, research, and social service. Donald Lucas, Executive Secretary, Mattachine Society, and Les Fisher, brought out the origin and function of the Mattachine Society, the widely extended existence of homosexuals, many of whom have personal problems, marriage as not a cure, and the security risk which sometimes exists as a result of public attitude and social stigma.

Mr. Albert Bendich, lawyer and lecturer at the University of California, was asked concerning the legal aspects of the subject. He and Mr. Thomas Lynch, district attorney of San Francisco, brought out that there is no legal question concerning offenses involving children, force or violence, or public decency, as these are universally condemned, but rather between consenting adults. Laws against this last are unenforceable since the whole 'country would have to be turned into a police state or jail if all offenders against these laws were apprehended. Dr. Edwin Braff, director of the Bureau of Disease Control of San Francisco stated that a large part of the increase of syphillis came from male sexual contacts, a surprising fact and a strong argument against promiscuity.

A most important problem in the whole area refers to the question as to whether there should be changes in laws or not. Mr. J. Albert Hutchinson, formerly of the attorney general's office, holds that they should not since they are directed against acts and not persons and they uphold ideals of conduct for youth. Changing the laws might be taken as approval of the conduct formerly forbidden. Mr. Morris Lowenthal, a San Francisco attorney, well-known for his successful Supreme Court defense of the "Black Cat" and "Mary's First and Last Chance" bars, takes the opposite position and characterizes the arguments for the laws as largely fictitious and mythical. In fact

they support blackmail, entrapment, and coercion of individuals.

The attitude of the church and religion was asked of Rabbi Alvin Fine, Temple Emanu-el, San Francisco, and Episcopalian Bishop James A. Pike. The opinion seems to be that homosexuality is a sin, but not a crime, and, when it is a compulsion as it seems at times to be, it is not even that since the individual is not free to choose his acts.

Mr. Call of the Mattchine Society somewhat sums up the discussion by showing the effect of the widespread discrimination and persecution of homosexuals by the various segments of society, not excepting governmental agencies and hopes for a change in attitude. In answer to a final question as to parents of children with homosexual tendencies, Dr. Bowman speaks a last word. Psychiatric help may be given, but the most important assistance comes from sympathetic understanding. There is no reason for those having such tendencies not to live a rich and satisfying life if society will but change its hostility and persecution into such rational comprehension.

There is perhaps not so much that is new to a student of the subject in the ideas expressed during the panel discussion, but the whole episode of the broadcast is epoch-making in that a public discussion of the subject of homosexuality could be carried on by a group of dignified and distinguished professional people in a calm and reasonable atmosphere without a hint of the violation of good taste. It has been reported to us that the later response to the sponsors by letters from the public was most favorable and gratifying. We have here a splendid example of the ultra-modern application of rationality to a problem of human concern which is much more widely extended in its ramifications than most people realize.

Thomas M. Merritt