The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1918-12-14
ONE GAIN r O WAR

1t would be a singularly unfortunate thing for Americans
to get the idea, as some of them seem to have done, that this
war has been merely a period of destruction. Destruction
was one phase of it. There are other phases, valuable, con-
structive phases of war activity which have bn no mean
reached their full growth.
For instance, there is the campaign for the eradication of
commercialized prostitution which has been carried ON by the
law enforcement division of the war department commission
on training camp activities. What is itw worth to a community
to be rid of its ~"red-light' district? Back of this, what is it
worth to the country to have hammered home the idea that
Ired-light districts can be eliminated from the community and
to have proof given, not in isolated instances, but the country
over.
Primarily this work was undertaken at the order of the
secretaries of war and of the navy in order to keep the fight
ing men of the nation clean and fit to fight. But the COM
munities reaped the benefit; first the communities in the
barred zones established by the war and navy departmepts
around the campsc; later the communities in broader zones
created when the authorities found that it was necessary to
extend the sphere of protection for the men in uniform as far
as they were likely to go when on leave. Some of these
towns considered themselves tolerably clean. At worst thew
were as good as their neighbors. Prostitution was restrict
ed" The district" was carefully regulated. What more
could officials do? That was all that ever had been accomn-
lished; it would be "ideaisGc' to endeavor to do more
Nevertheless, more could be done, and was done, under
the impetus OF a constructive phase of war activity The
towns were cleaned up and they have been kept clean. The
result mas been an eye-opener to municipal officials. Regard
less OF their experience and their alleged knowledge of local
sntlment, they saw the impossible being Accomplished. thev
saw their own townspeople, the very people on whom thev
oepehoed for votes, cooperating in the endeavor. What this
means IS a Verltable revolution in the American way of think
ing regarding commercialized vice. The old order has been
overturned. Human nature has not yet changed, and if would
De IDLE to expect that there will be no more prostitution evon
in the cities thus cleaned up, either during tho cor or 80.
But 1t is not too much to predict that the American no;nt If
view regarding it will never goback to the idea of federation
ana an officlai regulation" of a restricted district, with its
concomltants OF systematic vice-recruiting and police GRAFT q :
M only possible practical solution of the problem.
Years OF effort in peace time were unable tn hr;no about
III d cnange IN viewpoint Once the United States govern
ment SAID that the soldiers must be kept from the evils 90
prostitution and established the agencies to carry out its man.
GATE, the change came and came surely, even Il missionary
morh d u o e done In some cases. What this will mean for
the futuPp If h notiOn in II III
clean homes, in a lessening of venereal diseases in nrotoo.
ton for girls, in limitation of the economic loss chareeable to
the imagination can scarcely grasn
Surely this gain ought to be entered to war,sonoH.
set losses necessarily incurred. oh