Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-01-20

by Z Social Expert
IS Remedy
New York, Jam 19.-After a year OF
personal investigation in eleven European
countries. Abraham Flexner, commiss,
Toned by the Bureau Of Social Hygiene,
Of which John D. Rockefeller, IT.. IL
chairman. has come to the conclusion
that police regulation OF the social evil
In Europe Is a failure and Is rapidly dy-
ing out. Stringent legislation. on the
other hand. has practically stamped out
the so.called white slave traffic in young
girls, and. segregation. he finds, IL non
existent anywhere in England or the
continent. aE1s An.
These views, upsetting beliefs wtrely
current in this country as to the status
Of commercialized vice In the old world.
are set forth in 40 page volume to
be issued tomorrow.
The report follows that on a similar
investigation Of vice conditions in New
York City. made . year ago under the
auspices OF Mr.. Rockefeller's bureau.
Mr.. Flexner spent more than q year IN
the preparation Of his report In addition
to tho twelve months consumed in gath.
ering material. It is published under the
auspices Of the bureau Of Social Hygiene
lii the hope that ultimately some efrec-
tual. means win be, found to comoat the
evil in the United States. Mr.. Rookie.
Teller himself contributes the forewprd.
Sex education, says DR.. Flexner. h
the subject Of Is much controversy ia
Europe as in this country. Despite the
prevalent notion to the contrary" he
writes. 1.-The subject Of sex -edtcation Is
as yet very largely in the realm Of the
DRY or controversy. AS to this point, q
strange mlsconception obtains. In Eng.
land, one hears that great progreas has
been made IN this field. in Germany: In
Germany one ssrefetred with equal POS.
itivehess to Scandinavia: In Scandinavia
to Finland, sw4hither,,3 however. 1 did not
pursue the will 'o-the- wisp. The facts
3are2these: No recognition is given ia. sex
instruc ton in English schools at all. The
s~headmasters and house.masters IN some
55of. the great public Enthusiastically Elton
.---endeavor. : however, to gain the conn.
jdencet Of the boys individually. In Prus.
sla which Is representative OF the States
t;tof the German. Empissss ex .instruction
OF any kind is very rarely given at the
,>&~.0n. .nA4oI. Xxi FtEEh a. II FS. .+h@fN fLFHH -.
In Denmark and Norway, nothing eth.
Ter Of a general or a compulsory charac-
ter exists: Sweden practically repeats
Prussia, Offering no instruction in popl-
lar schools. an OPTIONAL lecture to last
year students In the higher secondary
schools: particularly those for girls. IN
the discretion. Of the head.master o : head
mistress. Systematic or general instric-
tlon has developed It yet nowhere in
Europe. sa III
Explaining the. decline in the, systema,
tic traffic. in young girls, the writer de.
tails successive steps In legislation due
to popular agitation in late years. and
asserts that the ~entrapping and immur-
ing Of a girl may be classed as the ex-
ception. like a mysterious murder or rob
berry.
Under existing conditions he says.
''there Is absolutely no reason to think
that such cases occur frequently. though
there are those who would be quick Ia
take advantage of. n relaxation Of
vigilance on the part Of governments. the
police. ad the private organizations
constantly. on the alert. In the cases to
which. from time to time. attention has
been sensationaIly called. the women in
volved are neither innocent nor deceiv.
ed, On the other had. there Is eviGenc
to suggest that European cities and ports
are utilized. fer purposes Of transit to
sopth American ports, where the trade
ltil heurishes. A traificker may entice
q girl from, Poland and Galica on the
promise Of marriage or work; indeed
every police officer in Europe has a list
Of men. thus engaged. The countries
from which women are procured are be-
lieved to be mainly Hungary, Galcia. Pc.
land and Rumania: the countries to which
they are carried, Brazil. Argentina. South
Africa and the Levant."
1t was found that there exists an ex-
tensive trade In fallen IN to meet
the demand OF underworld resorts, and
back OF all the Grass cominercialism OF
the cadet and the disorderly house kekep
er, promoters Of an industry deliberate
ly cultivated by third parties for their
own profit Na
2 While public opinion is slowly chang.
ing for the better, Mr.. Flexner believes.
he still finds that there Is no social in.
hibition as regards immortality in man.
Europe has been . mans world" he
writes-"managed by men and largely
for men-and cynicar men at that-men
distinctly lacking in respect for woman.
hood. especially Of the working classes.
The military. the %aristocracy. the stu-
dent, are al conceded their fling. Wo-
men. whose influence might have been
exerted re%strainingly. have been trained
not TO pry into the pre-matrimonial rec
orls Of their husbands; fathers fashion
their sons. as q rule. after their wi I'M
age.
''Amld conditions as they exist in Paris
Berlin and Vienna. and the smaller
towns like Geneva. which aspire to be
world cities by being licentious. growing,
youth Is characterized. not by q normal.
healthy and natural development. but by
overstipulated and. purely artificial
Of instinct"
''In the hands OF the good women lies
the power for REFORM" says Dr.. Flexner.
Though no uuantitatiye evidence Of i'm