DELAY IS DANGEROUS

NZ Truth, Issue 570, 20 May 1916, Page 12

DELAY IS DANGEROUS

SAYS LORD SYDENHAM'S COMMISSIONWHAT HAPPENS DURIN6 AND AFTER A WAR "No Time Should be Lost," Says lord Sydenham : -■■; : ■..- — L " : . r Testimony on the Same Matter Before the Sydney Committee

J One of the most important reports Issued of late years by public bodies m England is tlie report of L<ord Sydenham's Royal Commission on Venereal Diseases. Although it is, as might* be expected -with regard to anything- produced m puritanical, insular, little England, somewhat unduly solicitous of what the late sensation-loving journalist, W. T. Stead, called "the Nonconformist Conscience," it is, .m many respects, very valuable. One of the i MOST INSTRUCTIVE EARTS < of the report is that wherein it Is stated that, although there is no increase of the percentage of disease among soldiers and sailors, there is an increase m the total amount of venereal diseases. This, taken m Connection -with other remarks, it* the report, indicates that there has been a considerable increase of disease among the members of the Civil population. This is the kind of thing that always happens m wartime and In. times following a war. There Is, Quite naturally, a vast upsurging of admiration for the men who are being described 'on every hand as heroes, and most of those who are thus described, no doubt, deserve thai admiration. ' There can, however, be little doubt that the effect of all the talk that we hear about the SUPERIORITY OF SOLDIERS to other members of society at such a time as this has the effect of leading some unfortunate girls to believe that no sacrifice could be too great to make for such heroes; and tha£, consequently, some of them sacrifice their chastity, if the men for^hom the sacrifice la made happen to" bo diseased, howover, then — poor girls! What is worse id that these same girls may be induced, or decide, to be immoral with other j persons, and thus spread the disease. ' Lord Sydenhani's report thus speaks on this subject: Peeling that m view of the war the recommendations may not receive the Immediate attention their national importance demands, the Commissioners emphasise strongly that* the conditions now existing and those which' must follow after the war imperatively require tiiat action should be taken without delay, There is no reason to believe | . that the percentage of infection In the naval and military forces is now greater than m normal times; but there can bo no doubt that the total ' Of \: '■ ■"..■.•'.■■■■• INFECTED PERSONS HAS mCRJEA&ED. , The military authorities arts doing their utmost to provide treatment, but the civil population requires corresponding measures, and all j experience shows that after a wax- j an excessive incidence of disease is certain to occur even m districts • previously free. In order to meet present and .future conditions it is essential to make provision, and no time should bo lost; r Much tho same sort of thing may be truthfully said about Australasia, On this point, Sir Charles Mackellar gave evidenc© aa follows before the Select Committee on Venereal Diseases recently SITTING IN SYDNEY: Chairman: Aro you aware that after wars m the past, venereal diseases have increased m the com- . munititis involved on tho return Of large numbers of soldiers from tho front? ,*..■■" ■'.>'■ Sir Charles Mackeliar: I believo that such ia tho cose. Do you think there Is any risk ' that the same thing will happen In New South Wales at tho end of the present war, unless somo steps are -. taken to prevent it? ; Sir Charles aiackellar: If the Gov eminent will only offer people proper .-facilities for treatment, 1 think

the danger is not great, so long as the disease is not neglected, and so long as people infected are not despised, as they are, by the community generally. L It will be observed that there are a considerable number of "so longs'*, m what Sir Charles Mackellar says. Of course, if th£ Government and people showed a great deal more wisdom than they do, far less harm would be done by venereal disease. Indeed, 1 If the people were determined to eradicate venereal disease, IT .COULD BE ERADICATED. As a result of the evidence given by Dr. G. W. Bray before the Select Committee, soldiers who have been : able to escape from the venereal compound, at Liverpool were sent to Mllson's Island instead. The mischief these infected soldiers did was thus referred to by Dr. Bray: ■ . * * - \..... ; ; ' ;. : . '"• : Dr. Arthur: You say that a large number of men confined' m the compound manage, m some way or

other, to break out and get among the general public. Do, you think that is a deairable state of affairs? Dr. Bray: I do not. Dr. Arthur: can you suggest any way by means of which it might be prevented? Dr. Bray: I -have scon lots of • • these men. going back to Liverpool at night. I have seen them «n tho Sydney station, drunk, with girls, -> and I have seen them m Sydney with girls. They always have their uniforms on, &a<r that, I think, ia the CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE. That enabled them to get girls, and makes it so much easier for them. My Buggestlon & that every man admitted into'the compound should be given yellow dungarees, or some B,uch uniform. Then there would not be any need for a guard or a fence. You would not bo able to' drlvo them away with a bayonet. Ix>r<! Sydenbam's Commission pointed out tho fu<st that It ought to be groneraliy known that venereal disease could