The Washington herald., 1913-05-14
GIRLS MEvACED
BY SOCIAL EVIL
5. ". Finch, Government In
vestigator, Speaks Of Con-
ditions IN This City.
REFORMS. ADVOCATED
Brutal Cases Of White Slave Traffic
Have Occurred in Wash
ington.

Washington high school girls are con-
stantly in danger of the social evil and
white slavers, declared Stanley W.
Finch, of Baltimore, director of the divi-
sion OF investigation of the Department
of Justice, in an address at Foundry
stated that there are many places which
are frequented by very young people for
immoral lrposes.
Mr.. Finch made his startling declara-
ton In answer to a question asked by
zone of the audience as to whether WASH
ington high school girls are safe from
immoral Influences. The meeting was
held for the purpose of organizing the
School for Social Welfare, of Washing
ton.
Mr. Finch. who formed his remarks in
answer to questions from the audience,
made some other startling declarations,
one OF which was to the effect that the
work Of the vice commissions Of Chi
cago and Minneapolis has been of .abso-
lutely no avail in driving out the social
evil. and that the commissioners of
these cities have done nothing further
than to supply the world with literature
on the subject
Among reforms he advocated are the
teaching of social hygiene to public
school scholars over the age of twelve.
and an individual educational crusade
among the immoral classes and white
slave traffickers.''
Work IL Overlooked.
He declared the most important work
of the anti-vicers, that of providing re-
lief and protection for reformed i'm
moral women, has been entirely over
looked.
THE most important work of this
school will be to educate respectable
women to protect women who have re-
formed. Many girls are being driven
into commercalized vice for the lack Of
just this thing" he declared. IF good
women will provide homes for these
girls instead of Ioathing them. there are
many who will give up their lives of
shame. Most girls are willing to re-
form, but they do not wish to enter the
institutions that have been provided for
them. They would enter private homes"
In regard to the question as to which
class the white slavers confine their
operations, Mr.. Finch declared that no
woman or girl, married or single, edu-
Gated or uneducated, is safe from these
men. and added that statistics of his
bureau show that women of the best
with children have fallen into the
white slavers" Some of the most bru-
tai and cruel cases of white slavery on
r cord occurred in Washington, he de-
clared.
The School Of Social Welfare. organ
lied last sight, is the first of its kind
in the world Mr.. Finch was elected
president, and Will direct the work. The
objects of the school, he said, will be
manifold. Chief among them will be
individual education of the people to the
social menace.
Efforts will be made to find permanent
quarters for the school. The hall over
the Public Library is suggested for this
purpose.
A committee composed of Sherman
Danforth, Bently milford, and Mrs.
Grace Kramer was appointed to try to
obtain the hall. 1t is planned to have
meetings every Tuesday evening.
Rev. w. r. Widderspoon. pastor of
Foundry Church. presided over the
meeting. Mrs. John ID. Matson was
elected secretary, and Mrs. Grace
Kramer treasurer.