Rock Island Argus., 1918-02-25
CITIES MUST HELP
/. TO ENFORCE RULE.
Federal Agents Explain to Members Of
Nollne Commission Vital Rea.
sons for Ban Order. i

Pointing out that Moline and the
othsr cities adjacent to the Rock Is
land arsenal must consider 1t q pat
rioic duty OF the gravest Importance
to see that everything possible il done
to enforce to the letter the abolition Of
blind pigs, housessof Ill repute and sa-
looms within the restricted area pre-
scribed by the government, Lieutenant
E. r. Beckwith and D. H. Lfnebaugh.
federal agents. addressed the members
OF the Moline city commission In a
conference held Saturday afternoon at
the municipal building.
In q pointed and definite 0AnAer
that left no doubt as to their meaning
they frankly discussed the recent or /
der placing ban on saloons and
places OF prostitution and the very
pertinent reasons for the issuance OF i
the edict. Mayor NJ. r. Carlson, while
saying that open social vice Is not toll !
Grated In Moline. assured Uncle Sans
men that the city ADMINISTRATION was
anxious to cooperate IN every possible
way with the federal authorities in
keeping doubly strict watch that vio- !
lations of the prohibitory measures do
not occur.
Lieutenant Beckwith declared that
the government is determined to pre-
vent men engaged in war activities
from indulging in alcohol and becom-
ing subject to venereal diseases. That
determination, he said, lead to promul- !
cation of the orders, issued under Sec
tions II and 13 of the act of congress
passed May IS, 1917.
'Venereal Diseases" he declared.
ARE the most dangerous forms Of sick
ness In the world today. More people
died Of sexual diseases than tubercu-
losis in Great Britain last year. Ninety
per cent Of blindness in children Is due
to venereal disease as are 80 per cent
Of operations on women.
1T costs several thousand dollars to
equip soldier and takes two tons of
shipping to get him to France. The
government cannot afford to have its
men become Ill with this most danger
GUS of all diseases.
mot SO many years ago venereal
diseases were thought to be merely q
rash, a minor disease Then they were
considered, like prostitution, neces-
sary evil.
But government scientists, backed
by greatest men Of the medical pro-
fession, have established the fact that
venereal diseases are not necessary,
that they can be prevented.
| 1T has also been established that
sexual indulgence is not necessary.
Medical experts have proved that con-
Thence is hygienic and healthy.
I'VE are not attempting the impos-
sfble when we are attempting to stamp
:, out social evils. Surgeon General
Gorgas says venereal diseases can be
exterminated. We not only say It can
be done but we have done 1t and are
continuing to do It.
| For the week ending Nov. 80. there
were 1O4 cases Of venereal diseases for
each thousand men in one Of our army
camps. We took preventive meas
ures and applied them rigidly. Only
six cases developed in that camp Of
$4,000 soldiers during December.
prostitution is abhorrent to the
average human being and ordinarily
men will see the disgusting side. But
a very little liquor will overcome that
reluctance and disgust.
"And that is why the war depart
ment has adopted these zones prohib-
1ting sale OF liquor within a half mile
OF a military camp and social vice
within five miles. 1t a patriotic ne
cessity and a reasonable protection to
the men who are being trained to fight
for democracy"