Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-30
HASKIN TELLS OF BATTLE
TO CURB DISEASE
Daily Letter BY Frederic J. Haskin

WASHINGTON, March Z7-When
a new chief of police was appoint
ed recently in Washington the an
noGncement went forth that gamb-
lers, ~bookmakers, drug peddlers and
other forms of underworld enter
tainers had better seek fresh field
for their games. Those forms of
vice which exist in every city which
has no strong civic consciousness
were running wide in Washington.
They were run very quietly but the
door was always open.
With the announcement that the
new chief of police would start a
determined effort to clean up the
Capital City a little known bureau
of the Government stepped forward
with a long list of places on which
evidence had been obtained. Vice
was rampant on the very doorsteps
OF the Capitol building itself, the re-
port showed. A congressional in
vestigation is under way to verify
this report and find why this condi-
ton exists in defiance of the law.
The quiet government bureau
which had collected these facts goes
by the name of the U. S. Interde-
partmental Social Hygiene Board.
"Interdepartmental" comes from the
fact that the Secretaries Of War, the
Navy and the Treasury are on the
beard, as are the Surgeon Generals
of the Army, Navy and Public
Health Service. The active head of
the board is a woman, DIR. Valeria
Ii. Parker, who has had very wide
experience in social work. Before
accepting the position as Uncle
Sans watcher over the young men
in the nations armed forces. DIR.
Parker was chairman of the Social
Hygiene Committee of the National
League of Women Voters and a
member of the Section of Delin-
quency of the National Conference
Of Social Work.
The Government war on vice Is
| organized through this Bureau. The
| Board is definitely charged with the
| duty of protecting the health OF the
men in uniform while they are in
| civilian communities. 50 well has
the work been done in m year
it is estimated that over $1,000, 00O
was saved the Government. This
amount would have been spent II
the disqualification of infected men
| had not tho number of infections
| been greatly reduced. The cost Of
| lllt WI Aioo cSSh
1t is a paying proposition.
Science Supplants Scntimentality
The Governments war on vice
represents u new and powerful force
at work throughout the nation to-
day. Science, substituted for sen
timent is giving the world a new
sense of public safety.
The scientific side of reforms ano
reformers is the view taken by the
Interdepartrnental Social Hygien'
Board. Interested in the health o
the nation, the scientific side o!
health and disease is being preached
at every opportunity through pub
iiy health meetings in every state
attended by medical men, pupI'
health officers. and Representatives
of societies interested in the ques
ton. The moral side of the ques
ton is being left to the churches, a.
falling properly within their prov
ince.
Ihe medical approach to the sub
iect by the Hygiene Board is shor
and direct. Science has proved
that no way has been found to max
vice safe. Therefore the only SAT
thing to do is to attack vice. Thf
plan has a proven record and is al
excellent example Of the cheaper t
prevent than cure policy OF MOD
ern medical practice
Just how heavy the vice toll be
:, comes was gathered from the rec
ords of the Public Health Servic
which is working at the probler
as it affects civilians while the So
cial Hygiene Board handles h mil
itary end of the matter. Physician
of the Service estimate that abou
1900. 900 cases of disease due solel
TO bad social conditions occur eac
year. ~,
From the medical standpoint thi
means great. danger of passing on
the next generation a virulent ga
I cillus so insidious ia its enect tns
few children live under the hand
cap. and those who do are SICK
I and weak. From the national stane
point there is the danger of losin
) effective citizens.
Vice Cost IS Big
l The Social Hygiene Board plaG'
tlthe cash cost of this social ioi
merely among the soldiers N u
I army during the war period :,
, S72. 0OO,d 0O. In 1919. the cost IN u
l army was placed at S~15.00o,00o. ~
cost was cut in 1920 to about 80
100000. 1t is about one-third les
his last veal due to the more e
lfective preventive work, previous
mentioned.