The Wilmington morning star., 1946-11-03
Along Broadway
By WALTER WINCHELL
v. VERY D. DANGEROUS

didn't say the words Syphll1S ana sohoIiiea
out loud. All discussion about these danger
Gus diseases and how they are passed On
was banned from medium of public lnfor-
nation. Then Surgeon General Thomas Par
ran ten years ago cracked the taboo, after
a radio station cut him off the air just as
he was about to pronounce the word syphilis.
But that taboo still has power and strength.
Radio still fears to tell the whole story OF
VD across the air waves. Mrs. Grundy still
r~elegates discussion of this vital topic to
DOCTORS that Joe Doakes, Mrs. Doakes and
the kiddies probably will dial out.
Americas schools with a few honorable eX-
ceptions) still fear to let the breath of fresh
air into the classroom through frank discus
sion of sex education, integrated into the regu-
lar school curriculum. Hollywood, which plays
to a box-office of 80. 600, 900 puts the Veto
on all mention of V-D on the screen. Only
one movie, "The Silver Bullet" ever men
toned syphilis by name in an American film.
Yet, Is million Americans, approaching l-l0th
Of our population, today actually suffer from
the diseases that these self-appointed guardi-
ans of our morals refuse to Let us hear about.
VD, in case you didn't know it, means We
nereal Disease. 1t also means Very Danger
Gus. Syphilis and gonorrhea, If untreated,
can cause death, insanity, Gripping and de-
formity. Today these diseases are skyrocket-
ing in the United States.
Approximately 100, 900 new cases of syphilis
and gonorrhea were reported to the U. S.
Public Health Service in just the first six
months Of 1916. DR.. John R. Heller, head of
the Services Venereal D S e a e Bureau,
.oxo.. stC;,i1;o~ n ~o4o, ,ro ,poL;~~
through the entire country" Vice Admiral
Ross T. McIntire, MD. Surgeon General Of
the U. S. Navy, says VD rates have doubled
in many cities.
In New York City Zone of the nations clean
est cities VD is up 20 percent over last
year for the first half of 1916. In August
alone VD in New York City was Al percent
higher than in the same month a year ago.
Behind those figures is a startling paradox
OF victory in war; defeat In peace.
It's an amazing fact that during wartime
our country has twice been able to register
its biggest advances against the ravages of
venereal disease. Great gains were made in
World War I. Then vigilance was relaxed.
Government money, formerly allocated for
control, was diverted to other purposes. Epi-
demic followed Thousands suffered needless
ly. 1t took years to overcome the setback.
During World War II unprecedented prog
ress was made. In 1914, while our armies
were still fighting the fascist scum, the VD
rate was the lowest in modern American his
tory. Right after VI Day history began its
tragic repetition. Syphilis and gonorrhea in
~fections began to spread. Rates shot upward.
O,,fctopdipo p,1h1io hoo1th officarc s1Iph &c
former New York City Health COMMISSIONS
Ernest Stebbins began to warn of the danger
of a new epidemic.
Like war, VD threatens all people. Rich
and poor, black and white. and hits hardest
at young people. Like war, it has social
origins and can't be stopped by medical and
public health activities alone. Science knows
the cause. Science knows the cure. But ig-
norance, lack of public understanding of the
whole question of social hygiene, stands in
the path of progress.
Prostitution is an important source OF We.
nereal d i S e a S e infection. Prostitution is
banned by law in most states of this country.
but the exploitation of American women, most
of them young, still f1ourishes shamefully in
our country. Here is another paradox of war
and peace. During wartime, this most vicious
racket was rigidly suppressed. Not in the in
~terests. OF clean living-as it should be-but
because commercialized vice was an obstacle
to our war effort.
Now, only a year after VI Day, organized
vice is creeping back. Only the housing Short
age, which makes it hard for the traffickers
in women to find facilities for brothels, keeps
many towns from going wide OPEN all over
again.
I have documented information about what
is happening in this racket. I have the names
of American cities where law enforcement Of
flcers are keeping their eyes closed. Where
racketeers are taking the towns over and re-
citizens, who try to invoke police
action, get their knuckles raped instead o.
their shoulders patted.
I am not going to name those cities now.
e. But I suggest this to Wheeling, West
Virginia; Galveston, Texas, and Gary, Indi-
ana, newspapers: Assign your reporters to
the story of vice in your towns, if you want
to break the biggest story of the year. Au-
thorities in your towns truculently refuse to
take any action against prostitution. Thew
tolerate the worst kind of commercialized
vice in the face of public opinion and in
defiance of the laws they are under oath to
Their alibi is ancient and refuted by history.