Though an appeal has been lodged against the decision of
the magistrate of the West London Police Court in regard to a prosecution for selling Mrs. Sanger's book on Birth Control, Family Limitations, we cannot but express our regret at the original decision. The magis- trate decided that the book was obscene and that the owners must show cause why the copies seized by the police should not be destroyed. We have not seen the book, but have read other books by the same author and feel little doubt that the intention was to do good, not harm, to the community, i.e., that the purpose of the writer was essentially moral and humane. That was also the view of the celebrated surgeon, Sir Arbuthnot Lane, who expressed the opinion that " the book was one which ought to be in the hands of every young person who was about to be married." Mr. Harold Cox, who has taken a sound and self-sacrificing part in the endeavour to prevent the community ruining itself by over-breeding at the wrong end, was equally emphatic, and said it was a " gross injustice " to call the book obscene. The magistrate had, of course, to decide the case on what he believed to be the law. We do not agree with him, but if he should unfortunately be upheld on appeal we hope that corrective legislation will follow.
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