Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-28
FALL0F WOMAN
IS DECLARED
FAULT OF MAN
JOHN D. Rockefeller, Jr.,
Says Stronger Sex Have
Commercialized the So
cial Evil; Woman Victim.

New York, Jan. 27.-- Man, not
woman, Is responsible for the organ
lied commercial social evil In this
country, in the opinion Of John d..
Rockefeller, Jr. 1t Is a mans business
run for profit, and the profit is
large"
statement made public by Mr.. Rookie
feller today, giving further details OF
the aims of the bureau Of social
hygiene through which Mr.. Rockefel-
Ter and other philanthropists hope to
attack and alleviate conditions which
he considers the greatest single
menace to the perpetuation Of the hui
man race"
"The idea of establishing a perma-
nent organization to cope with the
social evil in this CITY," says the state
ment, "was the outgrowth Of my serv-
ice of six months as foreman OF the
white slave grand jury appointed In
New York in 1909. came at the time
to realize the extent and horror OF the
evil and to believe that it constituted
one of the great and vital world prob.
lens Of the day.
I'm the Judgment of eminent medical
men it forms from the point Of view
of disease, the greatest single menace
to the perpetuation of the human
race, Therefore. as a result Of con-
ferences with many people, the bureau
of social hygiene was established. IN
der the direction Of the bureau. Geo.
J. 1Knealand, who conducted the In
vestigation carried on by the Chicago
vice commission. has made
comprehensive study of vice con-
ditions in this city and Abra-
ham Flexner has spent nearly
year abroad Investigating the
methods Of dealing with this problem
in the leading cities of Europe. He
Will make further studies in numhsr
of the larger cities of this country AS
each OF these studies Is completed, 1t
will be published, and until this is
done the bureau deems it unwise and
premature to express any conclusions
as to method Of dealing with the
social evil in this city,
Woman is the Victim.
AS to whether the unfortunate
woman is a victim or contributor to
her own vicious career, Mr.. Rockefel-
Ter says: ...,..
81 say unhesitatingly that in the
majority of cases she is victim.
Prostitution as now conducted In this
country and in Europe is very largely
a mans business; the women are
merely tools in the hands OF the
stronger sex. 1t is business run for
profit and the profit is large. 1t Is my
belief that less than 25 per cent OF the
prostitutes in this country would have
fallen If they had had an equally
good chance to lead pure life. If
they have been dragged into the miro
in such large numbers is due to a
variety Of circumstances among which
are poverty, low wages, improper
home conditions and lack Of training,
the desire to crafty the natural crav-
ing for amusement, pretty things.
etc: but while all Of these and many
others may be contributing causes,
man is chiefly responsible for their
fall
Thus far the work of the bureau
has been financed by its members
and a few interested friends and this
will continue to be the case until
larger and more formal attention Is
considered advisable.
"The bureau holds itself ready to
enter any field of investigation which
seems likely to contribute to the main
purpose for which it has been estab-
lished."