Censorship of Objectionable Films: Shaforc: Impressions From Ocn Own Connesroncent Calcutta, Avg. 20.
From time to time, there has been much publicity given to the objectionable types of cinema film that make their appearance in Indian picture-houses. Most of them hail from America. They often deal with the ugliest side of social life and with that in an exagerrated way, giving 2 totally false impreesion of European ideals and one! calculated to have a most harmful) {effect on the outlook of the average Indian who has never had the opportunity to leave India and things for himself. In this way, an} utterly untrue valuation of European civilization is disseminated, which, however, is accepted as genuine by} the uncritical Indian public. The question of the control of cinema films has, therefore, for some time been under the consideration of the Government of India, and now there fare signs that active steps are to be taken. to. deal with the matter.
With this object in view, it is understood that it has been decided to form a small committee to. deal with the subject. This' committee will be under the chairmanship Mr. Rangacharisy,. very sound leader who, though of an orthodox type of mind, is quite _conversant with modern developments and. ap-Dreciates their inflaence wherever i is to the interest of the commanity. The other members of the com-Inittee have not yet been selected, bat it is understood that the cinene trade will have its representation.
Troops from China A notable event of the week was the arrival in Calcutta of troops from Shanghai, on the transport} Bellerophon. The men looked very] Bt and were full of their experiences. The main impression was that their stay in China had been a pleasure fable diversion from the ordinary] humdrum routine of military life in India. "It was almost a holiday," another added, "espe Indian station." The Bellerophon carried the 16th Medium Battery, a detachment of the Gloucester Regiment, the 12th Light Battery, detachment of the Durham Light Infantry, No. 6 Ambulance Section, the General Stores Company, and, 'a number of horses. tional Air Service railways, or harbours for ships. It could, however, be provided at a much lower cost. The Colonel exe plained that, by ground organi Hin, he meant aerodromes with thelk necessary equipment of hangar workshops, emergency lei grounds at suitable places alan routes, wireless and_meteorolo services and the lighting of, the routes for night-fying.
Three main routes are suggested by Colonel Shelmerdine as. the first to be developed in India, namely, Karachi to Delhi, Karachi to Bombay, and Calcutta to Rangoon, To provide ground organization for these three routes, approximately 2,100 miles have to be taken into account, which is a large undertake ing, but it has been done im other countries and there is no reason why. it should mot be done in India, Sir Victor Sassoon has just arved in India for the purpose of organizing an Aero Club of India and steps are being taken, in view of the great part which aviation wil take in the future in this country, to form civil aero clubs in all part of India. The inspiring influence fof the latter scheme, is Captai Patwardhan, Into Flying Officer in the Afghan' Service, There is no doubt that an efficient civil air service in India would be of imme benefit in linking up various parts of the country and a single example of its utility given by Captain Patwardhan, in a recent interview, offers much food for reflection. Speaking of the use of aeroplanes in tim of flood, Captain Patwardhan—*In view of the fact that aeroplanes would have been of immense service in providing foodstuffs. and bringing information from the flooded area, and in saving the lives of so many hundreds of helpless people in Gujarat and Kathiawar, the public evince keen interest in. this national project, which forthe full' support of Government, especially' in the Departments of Industry and Labour, presided over by the Hon, [Sir Bhupendranath Mitra, who take '8 personal interest in this important subject."
'The great need of civil aviation' in India has been defined by Colonel F.C. Shelmerdine, Director of Civil Aviation in@ndia, as proper ground sential for an air line, said the Colonel, as a signal system are for
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.