South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-06

my life I have never come in con-
tact with a better lot OF men in
morality and gentlemaniy conduct
than this division of soldiers com
posed Of men from Michigan and
Wisconsin. There is no drunkenness
among them, and at no time, day or
night, do they show any rowdyism
in the streets"
The city marshal Of Waco testi-
fed 10 the same thing. At Fort
Worth the city marshal and the po-
lice books testified 70 the sobriety
Of the Texas boys in the same way
IL would be we'll 10 state that at
San Antonio perhaps 100000 0r
more soldiers are assembled. since.
besides Camp Travis. there are two
aviation fields at Fort sam Houston.
At san Antonio / was told by Gen.
Allen. in command OF Cam Travis.
that he had never seen a drunken
soldier while in command. Two
jitney men informed me that their
traffic from the post office through
Fort Sam Houston 10 Camp Travis
amounted 20 about $50 soldiers each
per day. One had carried during his
business Of four months one sol
der whom he thought had been
drinking and on one occasion the
soldiers we're searched as they en-
tered the camp and a bottle of
whisky was found on one of them.
The other had never carried a SOL
der that he could say had even
been drinking.
So much for the report that our
soldiers are rolling in drunken
ness" Il is false And base that
statement on my personal and
painstaking observations and inves-
legations and on the testimonies and
assurance Of civil and military Off
Gals. of privates in the army, Of
police officers. of sheriffs and their
deputies. of jitney drivers. street
car conductors. BARRIERS. barkeepers
fruit stand proprietors. soft drink
stand operators, and. in fact, from
all classes of men who the soldier
comes in contact with. And the in
tOlerable and loathsOme story of the
prevalency cf venereal diseases
among the soldiers finds its fiat de
NAL in the facts. That this disease.
reaching more than any we sui
fer. exists in the army is a fact. Il
came into the army from civil life
and il is kept i'm the army by civil
life, for the records Of the division
surgeons show that the percentage
i'm the cases in camp life goes up in
the exact proportion 1f the intro
duction Of recruits or additions 20
the army from civil life. In other
words. If no new men are brought
into camp the medical corps viii
reduce the number Of cases by pro-
cesses of cure and prevention. If
new men are brought in the per-
centage goes up. There are cases
that can rot be cured. But proven
tive cures are effective.
Bring Disease With Them.
Stations for the prevention are es-
tablished in each camp and at the
police stations or other points IN
each city near which the encamp-
ment lies. A member of the surgical
corps of the army has charge Of and
is always present at these stations.
At Camp Macarthur, Waco, / copy
note or memorandum given me
by Col. Seamans. division surgeon:
Total number of men in camp.
approximately $4,000. Number OF
veuereal cases, PIP. At least two
thirds of cases occurred before ser
ice IN camp. Station for each regi-
Il ent and one in city of Waco.
Camp officers cooperate with police
and health department at Waco TO
control prostitution and prevent
venereal diseases. Rate Of venereal
diseases very low"
That is an enlightening memoir
andum. showing less than one per-
cent of venereaI disease among
these young soldiers from Michigan
and wisconsin. And again-this is
from Col Mercalf. division surgeon
OF the Seth division, at Camp Bowie,
Forth Worth:
I'm the division Of $4,000 men
there are 400 cases Of venereal
diseases. 2S9 OF which are chronic
cases and existed prior to their re-
porting at Camp Bowie. One hun
dred and eleven cases have develop
ed since the encampment. This
makes 1-2 percent of cases in
the division. including both chronic
and acute. and only four-tenths Of
one percent contracted since the
concentration OF the troops"
If anyone doubts that these
figures testify in praise 10 the
morals Of our soldiers and the eff
cheney of our officers in caring for
them let him ask his family physi
clan what he thinks Of them in
compa rison TO the figures OF per
centaee OF this disease in private