The Washington times., 1921-07-04
FEARS WAR
AS MORALS
GET TL00SER
America Riding to Disaster on
Growing Social Evil. Says
PoliceWomen's Head.
BY NINA c. VAN WINKLE.
Head OF womenS Police Bureau OF
washin

~s w
Head OF womens Police Bureau OF
Washington.
Written Expressly for The WASH
inxton Times.
We are on the eve Of war more
terrible than the last great war in
Europe il something is not done to
raise the moral standard of the
country.
/ do not pose as a political prophet.
Ny work is purely sociological. But
when see the signs Of the times l
am reminded of conversation had
with an eminent philanthropist and
social worker nearly three years be-
fore the great war.
DEPLOREs PLEASURE CRAZE.
He deplored the moral let-down and
craze for pleasure Ind dancing which
then held sway in society" and has
since permeated all ranks OF the peo-
PIE. He declared on this occasion
that such moral let-downs always pre-
ceded terrible wars and revolutions.
II he were alive today, could he
make more encouraging prediction7
l fear not.
am voicing not merely my own
opinions, but the opinions of sea-
soned policewomen and social work
ers l have just heard expressed at
the convention in Milwaukee, We are
not recovering from the moral condi-
tions that preceded the war. but which
the war greatly aggravated.
Our young men in many cases came
back from France with greatly de-
precIated moral standards. The prob
lem OF the delinquent girl. and, still
worse. OF the delinquent child, grows
constantly more menacing.
1t is startling to see that where de-
linquents who found their way into
court used to be fairly matured. It is
not uncommon now to see cases OF
delinquency in little girls as young
as eight and nine years old.
There are many things which con-
tribute to these conditions. Parents
who are out OF the home at work or
amusement many hours a day. leav-
ing the children TO run wild on the
street. are responsible for much
Juvenile delinquency. Even where
parents are prosperous enough to
give their children a decent amount
OF attention and training 1t Is often
the children who run the house and
make their elders submit, almost i'm
plicity. to their will and judgment.
AUTO PARTIES RUIN MANY.
The automobile has been called an
instrument OF the devil by a noted
preacher. 1t has truly been such an
instrument to thousands OF young
girls. 1t Is useless to expatiate on
the moral dangers of reckless auto
mobile parties that are now an estab-
lished feature of social festivities.
and which often end in social trag-
edies or fatal accidents. The most
active aspects of the social evil to-
day. and the most difficult to control.
center around automobile or taxicab
parties.
1t may surprise many people to
know that the proportion OF girls.
especially young children, brought
into court for grave offenses is far
greater than that Of boys. The
greater freedom enjoyed by boys, and
their supervision in community
games and sports, is the only way
I can account for this fact
have spoken OF the extreme youth
Of some OF the girl offenders we have
to deal with now. In the cases Of
these poor children the lure OF the
movies which picture in vivid de-
tail scenes of love, of passion and of
crime. Is more TO blome than any
other single cause I know this Is no
theory, but the menace OF the erotic
motion picture cannot be too strongly
emphasized.
CITES CASE OF CHILD.
I have in mind child Of eight
years. She seemed to be rather
proud OF the offenses OF which she
was charged Asked IL she did not
shrink with horror from the atten-
tions OF the man in the case. she re-
piled:
"Of course not. I love him"
Asked to explain what she, n child
OF eight years, knew about love. she
tContinued on Pags 3. Crlunn ~