Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-02-14
REPORT ISSUED
ON SOCIAL EVIL
THROUGH EUROPE
TBv Latest MALL

| NEW YORK. - After year Of per
! sOnal investigation in IL European
! countries. Abraham FleXner. commits
! CiOned BY the bureau OF social by
ciene. Cf which John d. Rockefeller
! Jr,. is chairman. has come TO the con-
! ClusiOn that police regulation OF the
social evil in Europe is a failure and
is rapidly dying out. Stringent regu-
lation. on the other hand. has praC-
tlCally stamped cut the so-called white
slave traffic in young girls. and seq
: regation, he finds, is non-existent any
where IN England or on the continent.
These views, upsetting beliefs wide
ly current in this country as to the
status Of commercialiZed vice. in the
old world. are set forth in a 450-page
y Olume TO be issued soon.
Sex education" says DR.. Flexner.
is the subject OF as much controver
sN III Europe as in this country. De
spite the prevalent notion to the con-
trary, the subject of sex education is
as yet very large in the realm Of the
DRY or controversy"
Explaining the decline in the sys-
tematic traffic in young girls. the wri
! ter details successive steps in legis-
lation due to popular agitation in late
Years. and asserts that the entrapping
end lmmuring OF q girl may be claSSed
IS the exception. like Il mysterious
murder or robbery.
Europe a Mans Country.
under existing conditions" he
says, there is absolutely no reason
n " hot
Cuently. though there are those who
would be quick to take advantage of
eny. relaxation of vigilance on the
part Of governments. the police and
the private organizations constantly
on the alert. In the cases to which.
from time to time, attention has been
called. the women involved are neither
innocent nor deceived"
While public opinion Is slowly
changing for the better. Mr.. FleXner
believes he still finds that there is no
social inhibition as regards immoral
fly in man.
Europe has been a mans world"
lie writes, managed by men and large
ly for meE-cynical men at that-men
distinctly lacking in, respect for wo-
manhood, especially of the working
classes. The military. the aristocracy,
the student, are all conceded their
fling. Women whose influence might
have been exerted restrainingly have
been trained not to pry into the pre-
marital records of their husbands; ia
Tiers fashion their sons, as a rule,
after their own image"
Sentiment Against Licensed Houses.
The volume treats at length of the
inscribed or registered women of vas
rious European citids, plying their
trade under police license and brands
the system failure. Only a fraction
Of these women are enrolled. To the
licensed house, Mr.. Flexner. says, pub
lie opinion in Europe. is becoming in
creasingly hostile.
AT the present time" he says,
they are permitted in France, Bel
GUM, Austria-HHngary and Italy; for
hidden in the German empire, Holland.
Switzerland Except Geneva, Den
mark, Norway and Sweden and Great
Britain"
On the whole, Mr. Flexner Is of the
opinion that regulation of any sort is
calculated to increase the volume Of
immortality. Compulsory medical at
tendance is scored severely. Not only
is it far from thorough. but by instill-
ing in the male a belief in its efficacy,
it robs dissipation of one of its great
est terrors and thus increases vice.
In concluding, Mr.. Flexner says our
attitude toward the social evil, insofar
as these factors are concerned, can
not embody itself in a special RENE |
dial or representative policy. for in
this sense it must be dealt with as
Tart of the larger social problems |
with which it is inextricably tangled. |
lie adds:
"Civilization has stripped for life
and death wrestle with tuberculosis, |
alcohol and other plaques. 1t IS on |
the verge OF a similar struggle with |
the eraser forms of cOmmercialized |
vice. Sooner or later 1t must fling |
Gown the gauntlet to the whole ter
1ible thing This will be the real con- |
tesla contest that will tax the cOur
: ge, tho. self-Genial, the faith the re-
sources Of humanity, to their utter
most"