The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-08-09
Way Of Eliminating Bawdy Houses
Explained by Dr.. Donald Williams

LIN AuAAA~~ NJ Ia =
Continued From Page onsl
il required actual failing Of the
madams and exposure OF n
prominent citizen as landlord OF
a brothel To be convincing.
Public Health Move
Suppression OF bawdy houses
never had worked and never can
as a morality drive. but will when
it Is public health move. DR..
Williams told his Tacoma audience.
"commsrcialized prortitu I I o n.
he said. lis serious menace TO
public health. II Ia responsible
for many hidden deaths. many OF
them heart deaths. Mental hos
pitfalls are full Of people with
syphilis riddled brains. Cost Of
the disease 10 community is
astounding.
The professional prostitute In
the Illegally operated bawdy house
is the main root and source Of
veneresl disease"
Suppression has been tried and
has succeeded in the Scandinavian
countries until syphilis has been
practically wiped out there, the
doctor reported.
Hits Vested Interest
The barrier. he said. is the vest
ed interest. the dollars and cents
OF concentrated prostitution.
From such interests, said Or.
williams. will come certain plaus-
ible propaganda to bewilder the
public.
Il feel certain" he said. that
II Is going to come up in this
community
He cited specific red behring's
which will be dragged across the
path.
One WAS that the segregated
district Is the only way to con
troll prostitution.
Doesn't Work
The truth about segregation
and control" said the health di
rector. is that 1t sounds wonder
ful but II is sweep the dus
under the carpet philosophy"
Medical control fails. he said
because examinations arc purely
fraud aud disguise 10 cove
disease. Some doctors. hs warned
even give certificates " hesltl
without examinations. In SOM
cases a cook IN = Dawdy hous'
will so 10 dozen doctors an'
take medical examinations for al
the girls under different names
II even is possible. he said, for 1
prostitute to transmit the diseas'
| from one customer to anothe
without being infected herself.
Police control. an adjunct L
health control, according TO Dr.
I Williams. fails by the fundsmenta
dishonesty of the system of licens
ing by fines when the law demand
action.
Only Z Tried II
There il the red herring tina
the prostitutes VIII scatter owe
the city. even into the best resi-
Dental districts. In NsnCouNsf
said the speaker, only two hsN'
tried that IN IS months since III
brothels were closed
Under the direction of tn
msdsms and their lawyers h'
said. they msy start : naisane'
campaign 10 make themselves
obvious ON the streets and IN tn
community. II you call thei
bluff, il viii be over shortly
A bawdy house cant operst
out Of tn. central district Tax
fares are too expensive and tn
places are too far removed iron
places where liquor is sold"
There is the argument that tn
women will be turned into stree
walkers.
Problem Solves Self
DR.. Williams declares that prot
lem solves itself because 4 stree
walker cannot expose many mel
In Vancouver. with the police nc
concerned Sd much With house
Of prostitution. he said. they Al
better able 10 deal with stree
walkers.
you've already heard tbs
young girls and women wont
safe ON the streets. said ID
Williams. That Is the Oldest re
herring"
In 1888. he said. with the house
running wide open. the Briils
Columbia metropolis had +7e -