Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/90

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78
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

Mr Hannoch. What does it say?

Mr. Schultz. I think it says "Conforms to the comics code."

Senator Kefauver. What publication is that?

Mr. Schultz. I never saw that before.

Mr. Beaser. It is one of the Atlas group.

Senator Kefauver. I thought you said Atlas was not a member.

Mr. Schultz. I said Atlas became a member 2 years ago.

Senator Kefauver. So von did; that is right.

Senator Hennings. Is that seal protected by any copyright?

Mr. Schultz. No, and I have found on occasion it has been used improperly and we had to siop it. We had by remonstration to stop them, by writing a letter and urging them to stop it.

Senator Hennings. You have no way of controlling the use of that seal?

Mr. Schultz. I think we might get an injunction.

Senator Hennings. You might, but that would be quite a process. You would be unlikely to go through that as you are presently operating.

Mr. Schultz. I would think that if somebody used this seal who was not a member, unproperly, that I conld easily gel authorization from the few diehards who are there te take the necessary action.

Senator Hennings. But you have never done so?

Mr. Schultz. Never had to do it.

Senator Hennings. Mr. Schultz, fam sure that we are all glad that you made the statement that you did that there has been, and various members of our subcommittee have from time to time in the course of these hearings, suggested our awareness of the fact, that there is no one single factor that is creating what is known as juvenile delin- quency in this country.

We have consistently, and T believe conscientiously, tried to avoid giving the impression or seeming to have arrived upon conclusions that would indicate that there is a panacea, there is a cure-all, a golden specific, if you do away with comic books we are not going to have any trouble with young people getting into trouble, or if you step certain kinds of television programs or movies or even if you clear ont all of the substandard dwelling places, or if you have hundreds of psychiatrists where you. have one in certain institutions, or in cer- tain agencies, or if you get everybody to go to the YMCA or to join the Boy Scouts or the Girl Scouts, you are not going to have any nore trouble.

I think we all have approached onr problem here certainly with that basic premise that we do not expect to find that there is one thing or another thing.

Many things are cumulative, Many things are incaleulable and imponderable in this subject and I think the more we have seen of this during the past several months when we have been holding our hear- ings and reading upon the subject, the more we are keenly conscious of the fact that the ramifications and complexities of this are at times seemingly almost insupportable.

But we are still trying and we did not come here in any effort, through sensationalism, by bringing people in to subject them to in- quisitions, to make it appear that we necessarily believe that this particular phase of activity is or is not hurtful or a contributing factor.