The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-08-28
Program, Of Social Hygiene for Soldiers,
to Safeguard Their Morals and Health,
Outlined by Surgeon Generals Office

The surgeon generals office has
authorized the following statement on
the social hygiene program OF the
war department in relation to other
agencies:
In its popular Interpretation, social
hygiene has been used as a phrase "a
refer inclusively to all efforts for Fro
lection of the population from prostl
tuition and venereal disease. Prostl
tuition in its various forms affords
the chief opportunity for disseminat
ing the venereal diseases and promn;
ing sexual .promiscuity. Neither the
military nor the civil authorities
have been able effectively to comDa'
this medical social evil alone. The
assembling of troops in the vicinity
Of civil communities ta salways intro
duced a difficult social problem OF
the one hand and on the other has
attracted the promoters Of organized
vice, who have established the com
mercialized activities known TO ip'
crease the supply and demand fo'
prostitution. The civil authorities
within whose jurisdiction these pfac-
tices were carried on were inexperi-
enced in dealing with the situation,
and the military authorities had no
legal power under which to take
action.
Can Secure Cooperation.
During the present war there is for
the first time the opportunity to Sc
cure full cooperation between MILL
tary and civil forces in applying the
ductio NOT the prevalence of venereal
medical. social, moral and economic
knowledge which has been demon
strated to have a bearing en- the re,
preston of prostitution and the re-
diseases. Public opinion will now
support a sound program, and suth-
cient authority has been secured
through legislative and administers
tive action to promise important re.
suits.
Measures Proposed.
The paramount national issue is
the winning of the war, and every
resource, both military and civil
must be applied toward this end. The
social hygiene program has, there
fore. been conferred enthusiastically
on the protection of the military
naval and other governmental forces
The success attained, however, is
equally to the advantage OF the
civil population So far as the33 ad
ministrative measures rela1e to the
United, States Amy they may be
grouped under rive headings:
l. Army Medical Department
Military measures Tor combating the
venereal diseases.
2. United States Public Health
Service chronological measures
for the control of venereal diseases
in the civil sanitary districts.
3. War Department Commission
on Training Camp Activities.-ta)
Law enforcement measures in the
department zones. OBJ Recreation
measures in the department zones.
4. Civil authorities.-Law enforce:
ment, recreation, facilities for treat
ment of venereal diseases and pro
lection and control of women and
girls.
5. Non official Social
hygiene activities of volunteer organi
cations recognized for special serv'
ices.
Each Of these groups includes va.
riety of activities carried out by
widely different agencies that have
been available at the moment OF
necessity, and having proved useful
have continued to function.
The Army Medical Department.
The medical department of the
army is limited in it's strictly official
capacity to measures for the proven.
ton and treatment of venereal dis
eases inside the military encamp-
mcnts. Unofficially the surgeon gen
eral and his staff are in full accord
and cooperation with the agencies to
which reference has been made. A
section has been organized to devote
its attention to this problem. with an
officer in charge of laboratory investi-
cations, one in charge of medical
work, and one in charge of education
al and environmental measures and
sociological studies. These officers
will have the cooperation of the Of
ficer who directs the division Of