Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/152

This page needs to be proofread.
140
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

This isa matter which is printed in every one of these conic books so that any parent who sees Peter Pan today in his child's possession knows right there ihat Josette Frank is a consultant,

Now. I am not a mathematician. I can't imagine how many times it has been printed, but it seems to ine quile a strange statement te savy thai this was done sort of behind the backs of the publi,

Senator Hennings. At this point, may I ask one question on that point?

Do these consultants who take fees from the publishers turn the fees over to your association?

Mr. Dybwad. No, sir; and I will tell you why not.

Senator Hennings. You do not know what the fees are?

Mr. Dybwad. I don't know what the fees are. F will jell yon this, sir; No, 1, very imporiant—Miss Frank is a half-time employee otf ihe Child Study Association of America. She is worling for us 24a days by hourly count, you see. So that she is not doing this work ou our time,

It was merely felt that there should be no secret made that this was her regular employment.

No. 2: This goes back considerably in our records. I could not serlaps even produce the record, but only the record of board mem- ee When this offer was made there was a discussion in our board of directors as to whether it was appropriate for onr consultant to thus be engaged.

Now, that goes back to 1941. It was the opinion of onr board of divectors (hat if a comie publisher whose products they surveyed at that tine. I mean the board of directors, which seemed to them as un- objectionable as comics can be to an intelligent, mentally alert per- son, it seemed to them when a comic publisher of repule, who tries to produce a good product, comes to an edueational organization and dees not ask for some front people, but asks for consultation on a continuing basis, it would certainly be most derelict on our part to say that. because there are some poor comic publishers with which this man bas nothing lo do at all, we should refuse our services.

The association knew at the time that the services of our consultant would be made known in every comie book and they have been ever since,

At one paint our consultant demanded that her name be removed from one of these hooks, and it was so removed until a complete re- vision of editorial policy of that particular magazine occurred,

The point I want to make also is that our consultant in addition on a regular basis worked with » radia program of that producer, of that. particwar comic-book producer, all merely to indicate that this is cousultation which can be shown on the record to have been active and fruitful.

However, I want to emphasize again this is still an on-going process. { would be totally incapable of being an edilor of this kind of publi- eaiion because it goes against my vrai and taste, but Lhat is another miufler.

T still say, sir, Lhat the magazines of this partienlar publisher have nothing to do whatever with the subject of vour inquiry.

Mr. Beaser. You are talking about the National Comics Publication putting out Superman and go forth?

Mr. Dybwad. Yes, sir.

Mr. Beaser. Do you know the ownership of National Comics Publication?