The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-19
POLICE REGULATION OF
SOCIAL EVIL A FAILURE

New York, Jan. 19.-After a year of
personal investigation in eleven Euro
pean countries, Abraham FleXner,
commissioned by the bureau Of social
hygiene, Of which John D. Rockefel-
Ter, jr., is chairman, has come to the
conclusion that police regulation Of
the social evil in Europe is a failure
n is rapidly dying out. Stringent
legislation, on the other hand, has
practically stamped out the so-called
white slave traffic in, young girls, and
segregation. he finds, is non-eXistent
anywhere in England or the continent.
These views, upsetting beliefs widely
current in this country as to the stat
US of commercialized vice in the old
world, are set forth in a 450-page vol
I'M issued today.
The report follows that on a similar
investigation of vice conditions in
New York city made a veal ago under
States. Mr.. Rockefeller himself con-
reau.
Mr.. Flexner spent more than a year
in the preparation of his report in ad-
d1tion to the twelve months consumed
in gathering material. 1t is published
under the auspices of the bureau of
social hygiene in the hope that ulti-
mately some effectual mean will be
found to combat the evil in the United
States. MI. Rockefeller hims1f con
tributes the foreword.
Sex education" says. DR.. Flexner,
lis h subject Of as much controver-
sy in Europe as in this country. De-
spite the prevalent notion to the con-
trary," he writes, the subject of sex
education is as yet very largely in the
realm of theory or controversy. AS
to this point, a strange m~isconception
obtains. In England, one hears that
great progress has been made in this
field in Germany; in Germany one is
referred with equal p~ositiveness to
Scandinavia; in Scandinavia to Fin
land, whittier, however, l did not pur-
sue the will-O'-the-wisp. The facts
are these: No recognition is given to
sex instruction in English schools at
all. The headmasters and house
masters in some of the great public
schools-notably Eton-endeavor, how
ever, to gain the confidence of the
boys individually. In Prussia, which
German empire, sex instruction of any
kind is very rarely given at the popu-
lar schools. .....
In Denmark and Norway, nothing
either Of a general or a compulsory
character exists; Sweden practically
repeats Prussia, offering no instruc-
ton in popular schools, an optional
higher secondary schools, particularly
those for girls, in the discretion OF
the head-master or head-mistress
Systematic or general instruction has
developed as yet nowhere in Europe
Explaining the decline in the sys-
tematic traffic in young girls. the
writer details successive steps in
legislation due to popular agitation in
late years, and asserts hat the en-
trapping n immuring OLA girl may
be classed as the exception, like a
mysterious murder or robbery.
Under existing conditions" he
says, there is absolutely no reason
to think that, such cases occur, fire.
quently, though there are those whc
would be quick to take advantage Of
any relaxation of vigilance on the par
Of governments, the police, and the
private organizations constantly OF
the alert. In the cases to which, from
time to time. attention has beer
sensationally called, the women in,
volved are neither innocent nor de,
ceived. On the other hand, there i.