The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-01-27
ROCKEFELLER BEGINS
BIGGER WAR ON VICE
Describes Work Of the Bureau
Founded 10 study the White
slave Traffic.
FUTURE PLANS OUTLINED
Al Phases Of Each Case To Be
Gone over in a Special
Laboratory.
FUTURE PLANS OUTLINED

Gets of the Bureau of Social Hygiene. the
organization formed az the lnstigation
of Young Mr.. Rockefeller about two
wears aen 20 study the social evil, fol-
lowing the findings OF the so-called
Eock.f,'iier Grand Jury's Investigation
Of white slave traffic here.
The statement which j. signed hr
,h- Younger Mr.. RoCkefeil-r contains
an outline Of the formation OF the Du-
r.au after many conferences among
men promlnent IN financial and sociu-
OsiCal work, which resulted in the con
yiction tha' permanent results In han
ding the social eyil here cnuld be Oh
aimed only by a PERMANENT "rganiHa-
tiun. The Bureau Of Sucia. ilvgi.ne
therefor. was formed the members in
'ludlns besides Mr Ru,k-f-lrI Jr.
Miss Katharine Brmrn' Davis head "f
IN" New York state R.fprmatury for
Women at Bedford Inns. Paul NJ War
burg of kuhn. l.ueb y 90, and Starr
J. MurpnN
The bureau trs, opened a Iduoraiury
uf social hygiene al Bedford HIS to
make a systematic study Of the physi-
cal. mental. moral and social phases Of
each woman sent 10 The rrformatory
with III" mop. of arriving not only at
III. bes; reform methods for each in
dividual case but also of obtaining data
that will make FOR "A better understand
ing Of conditions that lead TO vice and
consequently more scientific met hods OF
combating II.
Mr Rockefell-r's statement in fun
follows
The Eur-au uf Social ivgi-r- came. into
tNist-nc" ahou, two Years ago as a result
I"i IN" work "f tn" special Grand jury
appointed {" investigate the white slave
traffic In New York city. which served
during the first half OF the year 1919
ON" OF the recommendations made by
IT IN Tn" prcsentncnt handed up AT the
termination Of its lahuIS was that a public
commission be appointed to study the
social ",ii The foreman Of that body
subsequently gay" careful consideration
To IN" character of tn. WOlk which might
properly be don" by such 4 commission
and 'h' limitations under which Il would
operate" In this connection separate per
soual conferences We're held with over "A
hundred leading men and women IN 'he
CIV, "nunS whom were LAWYERS phV-
S!'Ians. business men. bank PRESIDENTS
presidents OF comm-r,ia. ORGANIZATIONS
clrrgymcn. settlement workers social
workers. labor leaders and r-foriners
Ih"s" conferences developed the feeling
that public commission would labor
under number Of disadvantages such Az
IN" fact that II would be short lived that
ITS wurk would be done publicly that a,
best II could hardly do NOR. than present
recommendations
The conviction also grew that the main
reason why NOR" permanent results had
not been obtained by I'll" various orgati-
Ia'ons which had dealt with the subject
or III" social evil during the last ten or
fifteen Years was that most OF them w-r,.
temporary. While active they materially
improved the situation. but as their .fforts
w'r. relaxed there came the inevitable,
return to much the sam. conditions as
p'fore, The forces of evil are never
greatly alarmed NJ the organization of
investigating or reform bodies for they
KNOW mat they are generally COMPOSED of
husN people. VINO cannot turn aside from
Their own Affairs for any great length ,r
tim" To carry on reforms and that soor.r
or later their efforts will cease. and the
patient dcnizrns OF the underworld and
'h"lr "Spioiiers can then reappear and
continue the trafi'c as formerly
so the conviction grew that Iu order
|" make real and lasting Improvement
IN conditions permanent organization
should DE created. the continue ton OF
which would not be dependent upon a
temporary wave OF reform or upon the
~" OF any man or group of men but
when would 20 on generation after
generation continuously making warfare
against the forces OF evil IL also an
peared that private organization would
nave, among other advantages, a certain
freedom from publicity and from political
BIAS which "A publicly appointed commits
sion could not SO easily avoid
therefore AS the initial step in the
winter OF 1911 the Bureau Of Social
b"rs are Miss Katharine Bement Davi.
superintendent OF the New York state
Reformatory for Women at Bedford
Hills, y, V: Paul NJ Warburg OF the
trm OF Kuhn, Loeb 4 Co. Starr J. Muir
phy of the New York bar and John d.
F"'heielier' Jr. AZ the work develops
new members may be added
one OF the first things undertaken by
the bureau was the establishment al
Bedford Hills, adjacent to the reforma.
tory, OF "a laboratory of social hygiene
under Miss Davis's direction. In this
laboratory II is proposed to study from
the physical, mental, social and moral side
chch person committed TO the reformatory
This study will be carried on by experts
and each case will be kept under obserya-
tioh Tor from three weeks to three months
as may be required. When the diagnosis
is completed 1t is hoped that the labora.
tory VIII b" IN posision to recommend
Wv '''dtnfIl ilbSl llKtlN 10 reform the
individual or IL reformation liz impossible
10 recommend PERMANENT custodal care
Furthermore. reaching out beyond the
individuals involved. II is believed that
thus important contributions may he made
I" fuller knowledge Of the conditions
ultimately responsible for vice II this
experiment is successful the principle
may prove applicable to all classes of
criminals and the conditions precedent
to crime and lead to lines of action not
only more scientific and humane but also
less wast"ful than those at present fol
lowed.
In entering upon its labors the bureau
regarded II ~ fundamental Importance TO
max" "A careful study OF the social evil in
ths country and in Europe, feeling that
tins problem. like any other great aul
ditticult one, can he intelligently approach he'd
only by means OF thorough and com.
plete knowledge Of all the factors involved.
az well as all the methods and expert
| cnces or other cities and countries in
dealing with it, Arrangements were made.
! therefore. In the early part OF last winter
| To secure the services Of George j. Knee
land, who had directed tho Chicago Vice
Commission investigation. Since that time
Mr.. kneeland. with corps Of assistants.
has been making II thorough and compre-
henslve survey OF tho conditions of vice in
| New York city.
Mr., Knoelnnd's report Is now In progress
or preparation and win he published
within the next two months,
At the same time the bureau was for.