The copper era and Morenci leader., 1919-03-14
GOvERN'R |S BEHIND MOVE ID STAMP OUT SOCIAL
 DISORDERS

hands with the. government of the United States in the war on veneral diseases, and in keeping with the policy of the commonwealth in this matter, Gov. Campbell this week de- livered the following special message to the legislature:
 To the Members of the Fourth State
 Legislature of Arizona:
 The general government of the United States, as result of exper1- ence gained by the operation of the draft act has by act of congress, July g, 1918, created an inter-depart- mental social hygiene board and provided means for combating that greatest source of the human race, veneral disease.
 The secretary of the. navy of the United States, as chairman, has laid before me suggestions for laws to stamp out the ravanges of this type of disease.
 There are pending before the legis- lature bills to protect the public health of the state of Arizona from the disease above mentioned, more particularly senate bill No. 75, en- titled "An Act Relating to the Sup pression of Veneral Disease; Defn- ing Same; Providing for Additional Powers of the State Board of Health; Providing Penalties for the Violation Hereof;" and senate bill No. 67. en- titled "An Act for the Suppression of Prostitution" etc
 The subject involves not only the health and morals of more than +, OOO, 900 American young men, lz,Ooo of whom are from the state of Arl- zona. now returning to civil life from service in the armed forces of the nation. but also a problem Of the greatest import to the women of this generation and the children or the next; to the future welfare or our state and our nation.
 I offer no other apology than tnis for coming before your honoraDle body to urge the present neeo TOT sthe massage of this legislation. The time has passed for prudery. flam ian facts call for plain speech. The, onIv standard of comparison avail able by which we may measure the inroads of venereal disease upon our citizenship is contained in the statls- tics and reports of the moblllzatlon of the National Army. largely con- tained in reports of the United states war department, of the surgeon seu- eral of the army and of the surgeon general. United States public healtn service These reports show, nrst +hat the venereal disease total eX- cceds the combined total of all other communicable diseases prevalent i'll The army. Second, that from May, 1917. to September. 1918, 1fo'ooo cases of these dread diseases were treated by army surgeons. 1nVoiVlns loss of 2.25O,0O0 days time to the men concerned. The mobilization feures of the National Army further show that there were 1O2 Venefeai cases to 29 of other communicable disorders, such as pneumonia, scar, let fever, typhoid and para typnold combined and that among young lien from civil life brought into the army by the operation of the seie- ctive service act the venerea dis ease rate wes five times as prevalent in civil llfe as in the army.
 Twcrtv our states of the union haze compiled with suggestions of t!;c Iini,cd States public health ger vire for the control of this class of disease, M!i;.e AZ states have conD'l' ed with governmental reg 1'arlons concerning funds, an 43S clinics hlvC lten established to control tte. d.seases. regret to sta'e that Arlzona stands 37th in the .ist cs :.:. si;.t tes and terr itories Of Il e ur,on as. to prevalence, of these ''s- orders, our percentage being 3.3l, against 26 for the state making the best showing, and against a national average of 1.93 per cent.
 Now the returning soldiers, sailors and marines, who have ben given in- telligent protection and wholesome recreation are to be turned back td civil communities The federal gov ernment must, of necessity, in the next few months, give up it's war time control. These men are now our responsibility.
 The president has given the fol- lowing pledge to the wives and par ents of our great country:
 ..The federal government has pled- ged it's word that as far as care and vigilance can accomplish the result, the men committed to it's chrage will be returned to the homes and con- munities that so generously gave them with no scars except those won in honorable conflict" |
 Can the state of Arizona do less than keep it's sons in like condition after their return?
 May I urge your earnest consider ation and favorable action upon the bills on this subject, now before you, to the end that Arizona will not be recreant to a duty she owes her soldier sons, the present and future citizenship.
 Respectfully yours
 Thos. E. Campbell, Governor