The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1913-01-31
STUDIES BIG PROBLEM
BUREAU OF SOCIAL HYGIENE is
EXPLAINED.
john D. Rockefeller. Jr.. Tells Of Its
Origin, Work and Plans fer the
investigator CT Vice
Conditions.

New OH, jan I'll OICCL tLat
the public might better understand
the Bureau Of Social Hygiene. John
D. Rockefeller. Jr.. today gave out
statement explaining the origin. work
and plans OF that institution. The
bureau. he said. came into existence
about TWO years ago as 2 result of the
work OF special grand jury ap-
pointed to investigate the white slave
traffic in New York city. This jury
recommended that q public commits
sion be appointed 10 study the social
evil.
Mr. Rockefeller was foreman Of
that grand jury and he thereafter
gave the subject deep thought and
conferred with large number OF lead
ing men and women. These confer
enoes." says Mr. Rockefeller, "devel-
oped the feeling that q public commits
sion would labor under q number OF
disadvantages. such as the fact that
II would be short lived: that its work
would be done publicly: that at best
II could hardly do more than pre-
sent recommendations. So the con
vict.on grew that il order 70 make
real and lasting improvement n con
di.ions. q permanent organization
should be created. the continuation OF
which would not be dependent upon
temporary wave OF reform. nor upon
the lie OF any man or group Of -1s2.
bur which would 90 OF. generation
after generation, continuously making
warfare agains; the forces O. evil. /
also appeared that a private orgSaiza-
ton would have. among ether a5ya--
tages. q certain freedom from rubi.c.-
y and from political bias. which q
publicly appointed commission could,
not 50 easily avoid. :
Therefore. as the initial sep. il
the winter OF 1911 The Bureau Of So
c.al Hygiene was formed Is pres
en- members are Miss Katharine Benz
ent Davis superintendent 0: the New
York STATE Re:ormat0ry Tor Women
a. Bedford Hills. y. y; Pau. Il War
burg. OF the firm o. Kuhn. Loeb {: Co:
Starr j Murphy. CT the New YorE bar
ana John D. Rockefeller. Jr As -he
work develops new members may be
added.
One OF the frs, things undertaken
By the bureau was the establishment,
al Bedford Mills. adjacent 10 ths Re
forma,o-y. OF laboratory Of social
hygiene. under Miss Davis direction.
In this laboratory i IS proposed 70
study from the physical. mental. So
cial and moral side each person com
m!-ted 10 the -etorma-o-y. This study
will be carried Or b. experts and each
case Will be kept under observation
Tor from three weeks 10 three months.
Is nay be required. When the dag
nos.s Is completed. it : hoped THAI the
laboratory VIII Re II position 10 rec
ommend the treatment DCs- likely %
reform the individual or. i rs:ormz-
ton is Impossible. 10 recommend per
manent custodiai care. Furthermore,
reaching out beyond the individuals
involved, = : be.5eTed that thus in
portaa- contributions may De made %
: fuller k2ovlejge Q: the conditions
ultimately responsible for vice I,
this experiment Is successful the prin-
c:ple may prove applicable 70 all
classes OF criminals and the co1d.-
tioHs precedent % crime and lead
70 lines OF action not only more scien-
t.fc and humane but also less waste
full than those al present followed"
That its work might be done intel
ilgently the bureau employed George
J. knee-and 70 make comprehensive
survey Of vice conditions n New
York. and Abraham Flexre- 70 study
The social evil in Europe. and their
reports are now being prepared.
These studies VIII BE- followed b. 9th
e-s II various American cities. and il
: The hope OF The bureau that. based
upon all OF them. may Be devised a
practical plan for dealing with chs so
cial evil
II conclusion NJ Rocaetelle-'s
statement says X cannot be TOO
strongly emphasized tina, the spirit
which dominates the work OF the bu-
reau : ro- sensational or ser-imsn-
.al or hys-erical: that II i not 2 spirit
Of criticism OF public officials: but
that i Is essentially q spirit Of con
s.rucrive suggestion and Of deep
scientific IS we'll as humane interest
Y grea- world problem"