Connecticut western news., 1918-03-07
An Interview With DR.. Valeria II
Parker OF Hartford.

"To protect soldiers and sailors az
we'll as civilians against the dangers OF
immortality is one of the most impor-
tant tasks confronting the women of
this country, said DR.. Valeria H.
Parker when asked about measures
being taken to prevent disease due to
immortality in the Army and Navy.
DR.. Parker is chairman of the health
and recreation committee, committee
on woman's activities, Connecticut
State Council of Defense. She said, in
an interview made public today by the
state defense coancil:-
ITO stamp out from the Army and
Navy those terrible contagious diseases
which have their rise in immortality
but find many victims among the limo.
cent is a problem which, for the first
time in the history of the World, our
Nation is facing fairly and squarely.
Success in dealing with the problem
depends mainly upon two things-first,
recognition of the Importance of the
moral issue; second, an awakening Of
the sense Of responsibility of the COM
munity at large. Medical prophylaxis
must be continued as military routine
until moral prophylaxis-the single
standard OF morals-has gained a
stronger foothold among officers and
men alike. We cannot succeed in q
solution of the problem IL rigid zones
are established about military canton
ments while communities outside of
the military zones continue to allow
alcoholism and immortality to flourish.
Every man in the Army and Navy
should receive through carefully
selected literature and lectures the
facts Of life in clean straightforward
way. That many Of our young men
have passed from home, school and
church without having had proper
ideals of the relationships of life given
them has made it possible for improper
acts to ruin body and soul.
"Much encouragement Is to be found
in the public stand taken by Secretary
of the Navy Daniels and Secretary of
War Baker in their determination to
protect the men who are to fight for us
in establishing world democracy.
Those citizens who remain in our COM
munities will fail in patriotic duty un.
less they bend every effort toward CO.
operating in the. elimination of those
evils which are more to be feared than
mutilatiun or death upon the field of
battle. We must support literally the
Y. M o. A, the Y. W. O. A. and the
knights of Columbus-those agencies
which are to follow our men to the en-
campments and even to the battlefelds,
providing them with wholesome
interests and activities. We must also
strengthen our preparation of the boys
and girls in our midst by providing in
creased public recreational ,centers,
under pro. er supervision and the eli
mination of unwholesome temptations.
The matters of sex education must be
our serious concern. In order TO combat
those diseases which are as dangerous
to civil as to military life, we should
insist on the enforcement of the law
which requires physicians to report
anonymously all patients found to be
suffering from venereal diseases and
should provide free day and evening
clinics and hospital ia Utilities for treat
ment Only by the complete co-opera-
tion of educational, medical and spirit
nal forces shall we eliminate the
double standard OF morals which en-
dangers the Nation through destruc-
tion of the physical and moral founda.
tons of family life".
What the housewife can do to help
wan the war il described in the follow.
ing interview with Mrs. e. W. W.
Hayward of Hartford, state chairman
of the National Housewives League,
made public through the Connecticut
Council of Defense:-
SIN no other war has the housewife,
as such played so vital part as in
the present struggle. The vision OF
Mrs. Julian death, national president
of the Housewives League, resulted in
national campaign for signatures to
q food conservation pledge, months
before Mr. Hoover was appointed food
administrator, Our part is now to try
to keep this pledge constantly in the
, minds of the women of the state in
structing them also how they can bes,
carry out this pledge without impair
1HR bIl3 llbbllIl dItl 0luClOuSy VI bllt
family. We can help by cooperating
with the County Farm Bureaus anG
Home Economics leaders in the extern
sion of their lectures and classes.
"That there is ne ID of emphasis OIL
the elimination Of hoarding is eviden
by the testimony u ii dealer who sale
lately that he was selling more whit,
flour than ever end that persons WIT
usually bought 10y tas bag were buy
ing by the barrel. T,.is is in exact op
position to the spifIr of our Hoove
pledge, and will defeat the plans O
the government II tcHI our army enC
allies and bring cnnfaf ion to our enc
mics. No woman shonld have signe(
her card so lightly rs - be capable Of
buying more snga-, flour or any othe
commodity than Immediate necessitie
require.
II wish TO bring the attention o