Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1913-01-31
STUDIES BIG PROBLEMS
BUREAU OF SOCIAL HYGIENE is
FULLY EXPLAINED.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr, Tells OF Its
Origin, Work and Plans for Probe
of Vice Conditions.

New York City.--In order that the |
public might better understand the
Bureau of Social Hygiene, John ID.
Rockefeller Jr., has just given out
statement explaining the origin, work
and plans of that institution. The bu-
teau, he said, came into existence about
two years ago as result of the work OF
special grand jury appointed to in
vestigate the white slave traffic in
New York city. This jury recommend
ed that public commission be ap-
pointed to study the social evil.
Gives Subject Deep Thought.
Mr.. Rockefeller was foreman of that
grand jury and he thereafter gave the
subject deep thought and conferred
with large number of leading men
and women. These conferences
says Mr.. Rockefeller developed the
feeling that public commission
would labor under number of dis
advantages, such as the fact that 1t
would be short lived; that its work
would be done publicly; that at best
it could hardly do more than present
recommendations So the conviction
grew that in order to make real and
lasting Improvement in conditions, a
permanent organization should be ere
ated, the continuation of which would
not be dependent upon temporary
wave of reform, nor upon the life of
any man or group Of men, but which
would go on, generation after genera
ton, continuously making warfare
rct ha af oil
peared that private organization
would have, among other advantages,
certain freedom from publicity and
from political bias, which publicly
appointed commission could not so
easily avoid.
Bureau is Formed.
Therefore, as the initial step, in
the winter of 1911 the Bureau of Social
Hygiene was formed. Its present
members are Miss Katherine Bement
Davis, superintendent of the New
York State Reformatory for Women
at Bedford Hills, N. Y; Paul M. War
burg of the firm of Kuhn, Loeb e Co.;
Starr ]. Murphy of the New York bar,
and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. As the
work develops new members may be
added.
"One of the first thinks undertaken
by the bureau was the establishment
at Bedford Hills, adjacent to the re-
formatory, of a laboratory of social
hygiene, under Miss Davis direction.
In this laboratory it is proposed to
study from the physical, mental, So
cial and moral side each person COM
mitted to the reformatory. This study
will be carried on by experts and each
case will be kept under observation
for from three weeks to three months,
as may be required. When the dag
nosis is completed, it is hoped that
the laboratory will be in position to
recommend the treatment most likely
to reform the Individual, or, if refor
nation Is impossible, to recommend
permanent custodial care. Further
more, reaching out beyond the individ-
uals involved, it is believed that thus
important contributions may be made
to a fuller knowledge of the conditions
ultimately responsible for vice. If
this experiment is successful the prin-
ciple may prove applicable to all class
CO vi tu6 COuulIlOll6
precedent to crime, and lead to lines
of acton not only more scientific and
humane but also less wasteful than
those at present followed"
Studies Vice Conditions.
That it's work might be done intel
ligently the bureau employed George
j. Kneeland to make comprehensive
survey of vice conditions in New York,
and Abraham Flexner to study the SO.
cial evil in Europe, and their reports
are now being prepared. These stud.
les will be followed by others in va.
rious American cities, and it is the
hope of the bureau that, based upon
all of them, may be devised prac-
tical plan for dealing with the social
evil In conclusion Mr.. Rockefeller's
statement says: ut cannot be toe
strongly emphasized that the spirit
which dominates the work of the bu
reau is not sensational or sentimental
or hysterical; that it is not spirit OF
criticism of public officials; but that
1t is essentially spirit of construct
i've suggestion and of deep scientific
as we'll as humane interest in great
world problem"