describes his study and interpretation as unsound in method and and conclusion, and not meriting consideration. But both Mr. Thomas and Mr. Hy man are patient and competent scholars, although totally lacking in capacity or inclination to interpret psychological evidence. After dismissing the work of Otto Eisenschiml, they very carefully dig up and document an enormous amount of information concerning the childhood, youth, health, personal and public life of Mr. Stanton which makes it very clear that Stanton was a profoundly neurotic individual who appears to have not once in his career hesitated to betray or eliminate anyone who stood in his way. These authors and students do not consider the psychological nature of Stanton; there is no mention of deviation or any other attribute of his psychological anatomy; but they do make clear that in addition to his remarkable, positive qualities, he also had qualities which just might put him in the category of the perverse and deviant if he had not been consumed in his drive for power over other men (a substitute for love, all too comonplace) and for money.

It must be noted that Eisenschiml manifests no interest in the psychology of either Lincoln or Stanton: Thomas and Hyman profess not to find any, merit in the study of Eisenschiml, and then proceed to document a personal history which has some resemblance to a pathological case history.

I want to point out that this is a fascinating adventure; but there is no acceptable proof that Stanton did in fact murder Lincoln. But in a variety of ways it is made clear that any prudent person, knowing what we know now of Stanton, would not under any circumstances have entrusted him with power. But Lincoln's repressed aspect of personality made him oblivious of the danger in this type of person. It is the drama, all over again, at a high, complex and very sophisticated level of the deviant individual with masochistic tendencies, who cannot resist the enticement of the sadistic policeman or tough who intends to use him, then do him in. And so often-so often-this little drama is played out on the grounds that pious necessity makes it imperative that life must be played out on these terms. Stanton was a very pious man.

In the field of fiction there are two classics which illustrate aspects of this problem, which I recommend. The Prussian Officer by D. H. Lawrence and Mario and the Magician by Thomas Mann. The circumstances that Mussolini forbade publication of the latter speaks for itself.

The problem relating to this question is not one of scarce material:,it is, rather, the one of selection of material which will catch your interest, and develop the thesis I am pointing out.

In the light of the foregoing article, one may seriously wonder if any good at all is accomplished by discouraging homosexual man. ifestations in anyone. This is a subject for a great deal of study, and it should be financed-by someone.

6

mattachine REVIEW

WHILE IN AMERICA we hear frequent reference to the homosexual "problem, " and certain newspapers busy themselves in creating such a "problem," the small but intelligently governed country of Holland has come a long way toward solving that "problem.",

Consenting sexual acts in private are not deemed' to fall within the province of the law; thus, police officials do not have the licence to conduct prurient investigations such as that which, it would seem, is now the chief preoccupation of the Los Angeles Police Department. 1

While the Hollywood Citizen-News continues to feed fuel to a medieval bonfire sparked from the police department, and alleged "sex deviates" are being harrassed and arrested en masse, and so-called homosexual "hangouts" are being raided and padlocked -while local politicians are attempting to pass unconstitutional laws and women's organizations are making ill-founded resolutions and circulating naive petitions (at the instigation of the Citizen-News)while immature vice officers (specially hired for the situation) are employing any means available to detect homosexuals with the sanction of police administration-Dutch policemen are calmly refering interested individuals to the Centers for Culture and Recreation in Amsterdam and other leading Dutch cities.