One of the cleverest of U.S. rackets was moving in last week on the U.S. armed forces. The racketeers, known to Tin Pan Alley as the "song sharks," mulct their victimsamateur songwritersfor amounts up to $100 apiece. The U.S.O. is after the sharks, but civilian experience indicates that little can be done except to warn potential G.I. suckers. Most sharks manage to operate within the law.
The song shark's most familiar bait is a small ad along these lines: "Send us your poems for expert criticism. You may have a song hit. Upon acceptance, we edit, publish, record your song and...