Omaha daily bee., 1917-11-09
Social Hygiene and the War
A Revolutionary Policy
D.. E.adaz.n LnnL,a
BIZ Frederic J. Haskin

/
BIZ Frederic J. Hdskin
Washington, Nov 6.-The prevalence OF vene-
| real diseases has long been world problem i'll
| hygiene the solution OF which is made exceed
ingly difficult by prudery and politics. From a
| scientific viewpoint these diseases constitute the
one great group of communicable maladies against
which civilized society has built no organized de-
| fense
Within the last few years this problem has
been brought sharply to the front by reason of
its vital bearing upon military efficiency. The
United States government upon entering the war
has been forced to face the military aspect of the
problem and it has done so with radical and
effective policy which every American citizen
should understand and support.
The devastating effect of venereal disease upon
the efficiency of armies has been terribly demon
strated in Europe during the present war. The
United States government had an impressive ex-
perence of this evil during the disorder of a
hasty mobilization when troops were first sent to
the Mexican border. The War department then
announced a policy opposed to the federation of
commerciazed vide in the neghborhood of mill
tary camps, but it had no adequate powers
whereby to enforce this policy, and was further
hampered by the existing military tradition on
the subject Not only existing establish
ments of this character tolerated, but syndcates
and corporations were formed to supply the mill
tary trade
Some of these establishments were conducted
in an orderly manner and army medical officers
took every possible measure to safeguard the
health OF the men, Nevertheless each of these
districts was a distributing point for disease
which became distressingly prevalent.
Such were conditions on the border at their
worst The War department had also examples
OF how repressive measures work for military eff
hcency. One OF these large camp i'll the
vicinity of two small towns. Here saloons and
houses OF prostitution tried to establish them
selves, but were promptly suppressed by the COM
manding officer who did not technically have
the authority to do so, but assumed it on the
ground of military efficiency One saloon keeper
dehed this officer and opened his doors. A guard
was stationed at this establishment to see that it
not patronized by any soldier After week
with no business the saloon was closed. Prost-
tutes in these towns were given one hour to pack
their belongings and were then escorted to the
train.
This officers experiment in the repression of
vice showed that from military point of view
such measures are practicable and effective. There
was very little social disease in this command
nor was any discomfort evident On the con-
trary, the men were wont to express pride in the
fact that they belonged to "clean bunch" Con-
vnced by this experience on the Mexican border
and by the European example that conmerciazed
vice weakens all army, often more than the bull
lets of the enemy, and that it can be success
fully suppressed, the administration had inserted
in the national army bill two sections which give
the president broad powers over the environment
of camps. These sections az and IS i'll the army
bill of May 18, 1919 give the secretary of war
power to do everything by him deemed neces- e
sary' to protect men in military training from
prostitution. These powers were later extended
to the secretary of the navy.
Thus was placed in the hands of the execu-
tive branch of the government practically abso-
lutte power commercalized vice, insofar
it can possibly affect the military establishments
This legislation constitutes a revolutionary step
in the solution of this great military problem and
one which is having far-reaching effects upon the
whole problem of the control of disease.
Regulations for the enforcement of this law
were Immediately framed by the War department
and Secretary Baker wrote letter to the COVER
nor of each state in which he expressed his de-
termination to enforce these regulations abso-
lutely, and added that in conditions were not
satisfactory in the vicinity of any camp that
camp would be moved
In spite of the drastic character of these regu-
ations and the fortnight expressions of the sec
rearys letter, there were kmen both in civil life
and in the army who could not believe that the
time -honored policy of tolerating the ravages of
deadly communicable diseases as a necessary evil
was really to be changed.
! he now historic case or certain southern
city is in point. AS a camp was to be located near
this city, the secretary of war wrote to the mayor,
stating that commercialized vice must first be
eradicated The mayor replied, expressing his
ignorance Of the existence of any such evil in his
city. The secretary thereupon sent two federal
Investigators, who obtained exact figures show
ing that there were number of houses of pros
ttution, giving the names of the occupants, the
fact that soldiers were patronizing the houses
and that policemen were bribed not to molest
them. The mayor was greatly enlightened. This
city has been cleaning house ever since The
camp has been moved but not because of condi-
tons in the city,
Many agencies are engaged, directly and in
directly but those that do the bulk of the work
are the commission on training camp activities
the United States public health service and the
medical corps of the army and navy. The COM
mission through its legal department, is enforcing
the police work of eradicatng vice from the vi
entities of the camps and through its recreational
departments is providing the men with exercise
and diversion. The public health service is max
ing the eradication of social disease an impor
tant part of its sanitary work in the environments
of the camps. The army and navy medical corps
are closely cooperating with both of these agen-
cies, are introducing the most modern methods OF
prophylaxs and treatment and are conducting
campaign of education in sex hygiene among the
recruits by literature, lectures and motion pic
lures
4 The driving force hack of all these agencies