THE MAIDEN TRIBUTE TO THE MODERN MARS.

White Ribbon, Volume 23, Issue 272, 18 February 1918, Page 1

THE MAIDEN TRIBUTE TO THE MODERN MARS.

Is the New Zealand soldier an immoral and an unclean animal? A letter from the pen of Miss Kttie Rout has raised this question in our minds. Do these soldiers of ours, who fight like heroes in the trenches, when on leave rush into a welter of animalism and sensualism which would shame the last days of the degenerate Roman Empire. This statement we ab solutelv refuse to believe, considering it an insult to hundreds of our fine young soldiers. No statesman has dared openly to say that immorality is necessary to a soldier’s well being. It is true that those in authority act as if they expect men to be immoral, but it has been left to a woman, and to the shame of our Dominion, be it added, a New Zealand woman, to state publicly the diabolical doctrine that it is necessary for thousands of young girls to be immolated upon the altar of Mars to satisfy the needs (mark, the writer does not say the lusts) of our young oldiers. W ithout one word of the necessity of a clean life, or of the need of self-control, Miss Rout calmly says th.it the onlv way to deal with venereal disease is (i) to control loose women, and (2) to issue prophylactics to soldier and civilian alike. The most charitable construction we can put on this letter is that the writer never stopped to think what her words, carried to their logical issue, really meant. Is she aware that in asking for the control of loose women she is practically asking for the White Slave Trade? And does she not realise that the woman who deliberately, and in cold blood, asks for this measure, stands upon a lower

moral plane than the poor girls who are the victims of the traffic? Control of loose women! W hat does it mean? It means compulsory examination of all prostitutes and compulsory detention of diseased ones, both of which measures the Roval Commission on Venereal Diseases pronounced against. It means the creation of a class of women who are to be sacrificed to the lusts of men. Now, the life of these poor creatures is always short; a very few ye-irs of vice removes them from the barbarity of men to the mercy of God. Who is to step into their places? Young girls. The Commissioner of Police in Sydney stated in evidence before the Royal Commission that every loose woman known to the police of Sydney began the life before 21 years of age, and most of them before 18. And so our young girls hardly out of childhood must step into the ranks as victims to the young so'diers’ lack of self-control.

All history shows that, even in spite of our had economic c onditions, which drive women to sell their bodies for food, yet sufficient do not offer themselves voluntarily. So to supply this demand of man, which Miss Rout seems to think a perfectly legitimate and proper one, a host of procurers and white slave traders arc employed, ano girls are trapped, drugged, and ruined in all our large cities. Just as the liquor trade cannot exist without boys to fill the places of those whom alcohol kills, so a class of loose women cannot continue to exist unless constantly recruited from the im.fcent girlhood of our land. And no woman ought to uphold the recognition of prostitutes as a class by law unless she is prepared to give her

own daughters and sisters to fill up the rank. What we are not prepared to do ourselves we have no right to ask other women to do. \\ henever . we look upon a victim, however degraded, we say, “She’s somebody’s daughter, you know.” The other suggestion is the issue of prophylactic packets. These, we are told, are necessary that a pure manhood may return to our shores. Evidently Miss Rout thinks that if a man does not contract venereal dis> ease he is a pure man, fit to mate with a pure woman, and be the father of her children. That may be her idea of purity, but it is not ours. Is the soldier who wastes the vigour of his young manhood upon the “strange \voman” as physically fit (even if free from venereal diseases) as the young man who by a noble self-control has conserved his life forces? And what about the moral atmosphere such a man will bring back with him? This letter is pure and unadulterated materialism. It is the morality of the barnyard. Hut is chastity the evil and impossible thing which Miss Rout supposes it? Dr. N. Bishop Harman, M.A., F.R.C.S., author of “Staying the Plague,” says: “Chastity is not injurious; and chastity of long duration in no way impairs the sexual powers. . . . There is no risk in chastity. The risk lies all with the contrary practice. Those who persuade themselves that immoral practice is justified by physiology believe a lie; whilst those who shelter their evil practices behind some “doctor’s orders” of apocryphal origin merely expose the grossness of their deceit. In shart contrast to Miss Rout’s utter |>essimism, come these optimistic tones from men like Dr. Arthur and Lord Kitchener, who know what they are talking about, which we feel convinced this lady does not. Can she not feel the utter infamy of appealing to New Zealand mothers for the money by means of which their sons are to be debauched ? Dr. Arthur, Chairman of the Royal Commission on Venereal Diseases, addressing the non-commissioned officers of the Australian Forces, doubts very much whether good would follow the issue of prophylactics to men, and says: * »f “Funher, there is the more serious objection that if the powers that be sanction and tacitly give their appro-

val illicit intercourse by providing means to carry it out with a guarantee of immunity from physical consequences, it not only encourages men to indulge who might otherwise refrain, but it robs any appeal to their higher instincts of all its force, and makes it a hypocrisy and a farce. “On the other hand, n is sometimes maintained that it is the duty of the authorities to piovide what are called ‘clean women’ for the use of the troops. It has been held that, by medical inspection of prostitutes, those diseased can be segregated, and so prevented from communicating the malady they are suffering from. This is a century-old controversy, but the modern trend of expert opinion is to the effect that the system known as ‘regulation’ has failed in what it was intended to do. This view has become more and more prominent at the last two International Conferences on the suppression of venereal disease, and in the latest book on the subjec t by Abraham Flexner, who was sent by the American Bureau of Social Science to investigate the problem in Europe, the writer, after a most exhaustive investigation, comes to the conclusion that, as earned out in France and Germany, regulation is of little or no value as a hygienic measure. It is recognised that, to be effective, every city would require a large staff of medical experts, microscopists, bacteriologists, and pathologists, and that daily examination of the women and of their clients would be necessary. It is admitted that even then certain cases would escape the medical scrutiny, while the whole problem of clandestine prostitution wherein lies the greater danger would remain untouched. Here again the guarantee of delusive immunity by the State, with consequent slackening of moral authority, comes in as a factor in intensifying the evil. “Nor do I admit the assumption that the sex instinct cannot be controlled. The claim that the impulse is irresistible in civilised man is not true. If it were, rape and other sexu t! offences would be common, and 'ould not be regarded as crimes. “Even in savage races promiscuity is not the rule, and sexual intercourse is controlled by taboos. It has been left to the (German Army to revert to the sexual bestiality of the ape and the cave man, and I only hepe that 1 am not doing the ape an injustice by comparing him to the Prussian officer.

All authoritative medical opinion proclaims that continence for a long period is not only i>ossible, but that no injurious effects whatever result from it. It is the rule for thousands of the manliest of our young men. “It must be admitted that, strong as the sexual instinct is, it is no more strong than that other great natural instinct, the instinct of self-preserva-tion. This ‘will to live' regulates men’s actions in ordinary life. They c ling to life under conditions in which it would seem that death would be welcome. But we constantly find that this instinct of self-preservation is dominated by a higher and more altruistic motive. Take the famous British tradition of ‘Women and children first.’ From the Birkenhead to the Titanic and the Lusitania the rule has been that no man except the crews shall enter the boats until all the women and children have been provided for. Be he millionaire or pauper, man of world renown or unknown wastrel, he subscribes cheerfully to the last great sacrifice he is called upon to make. Truly death is swallowed up in victory—the victory of the human spirit over itself. “Lay before the soldiers clearly and frankly the dangers of illicit intercourse; inform him of the hideous effects of venereal disease, not only on himself, but on his future wif<j and children; joint out to him how thousands of his predecessors—who were equally as anxious as he to strike a blow for the Empire and for liberty and justice—have spent the time the) should have been in the trenches with their comrades, in detention hospitals; emphasise the ignominy of being returned to Australia, not to receive the welcome and applause of their friends and admirers, but to be rushed off to a venereal compound—there to fret out their Wing days in a vain regret “And lastly, appeal also to the inherent chivalry which lies latent, 1 believe, in nearly every man, and urge him not to injure or degrade any woman by word or deed. Ask him, were he marching through the conquered country of an enemy, would he feel free to art as the Germans have done in Belgium, and ravage and outrage as he went? He would answer indignantly that he would scorn so to do, however often and freely the opportunity might offer. Then put it to him, why should he take advantage of innocent girls in his own country, or force fallen

I women still lower in the scale of degradation by his own action, and he, in many cases, will respond to the strength of the appeal. “Now, it may be replied to me that it is pure assumption on my part that any good can accrue from such warnings and appeals, that I am deluding inyself as to the possibilities of human nature. If I am, then I share the same delusion as Lord Kitchener, who, when Commander-in-Chief in India, issued an appeal to the Army there on this subject, of which the follow ing is an extract: — “ ‘lt is therefore all the more necessary that those who are serving their country should exert to the utmost those powers of self-restraint with which every man is provided, in order that he may keep appetite in proper control.' “ ‘Every man can, by self-control, restrain the indulgence of those imprudent and reckless impulses that so often lead men astray, and he who thus resists is a better soldier and a better man than the man of weak will, who allows his bodily appetites to rule him, and has not the strength of character to resist temptation and to refuse to follow any bad example he may see beforehim. ’ “ ‘lf a man becomes inefficient through venereal, it is discreditable, and even dishonest, that by contracting through self-indulgence a disease which he can avoid, a man should render himself incapable of doing that work for his country, which he enlisted to do.’ “And the naval and military witnesses before the Royal Commission on Venereal Diseases in England all testify that a lessening of the amount of venereal disease in the forces has come about as the result of warnings and appeals made to the men. “And practically at the discussions on the dangers of syphilis and the question of State control at the International Congress—most of them men with world-wide reputations—while condemning regulation, urged the necessity of instruction, warning, and moral appeal. I say, therefore, that this method is well worth a trial in seeking to combat the plague of venereal disease in the Australian Imperial Force. Knowledge of the existence of syphilis and gonorrhoea, and the nature of their consequences, should be given to all recruits, especially those lads from the country districts. But, and I insist with all

the force at my command on this, along with the scientific information should go the appeal to duty, patriotism, and chivalry, which, to my mind, is by far the most potent argument with the finer types of character. I believe I am not too optimistic in asserting that the results of this may make us realise that there arc heights in human nature that we h id not dreamed of. “To this appeal must be added an othei—to abstain from intoxicant?:. All medical men know that drink* and venerea! disease go hand in hand; alcohol rouses sexual desire, and lessens or abolishes self-restraint. The soldier, for the sake of efficiency, is called ui>on to be an abstainer for the period of the war. He is called to this by the example of His Majesty the King and of Lord Kitchener. And I make bold to say that especially is the obligation laid on all officers to follow this example; and the elder men among the recruits should be put on their honour to try and keep the lads out of temptation and make the spirit of the camp one opposed to drinking and sexual indulgence.” To class all our soldiers as immoral is a cruel insult to the hundreds of fine young men who have come through the moral temptations of Cairo and London with as fine a courage as they passed through the Somme and Messines battles. The better type of soldier is. disgusted when offered a prophylactic packet. Even in the dark days in Egypt a young New Zealander wrote to his m;other: “Don’t worry when you hear evil tales about Cairo. There’s nothing here to tempt a sober, clean boy.” A V.M.C.A. worker, returned from Egypt, stated that he know of no total abstainer who had contracted disease. The iniquitous rum ration is responsible for much. Mr Secretary Daniels, of U.S.A., m addressing a Congress of Surgeons, denounced the double standard of morals, and demanded clean living from citizen and civilian alike. He says, “America must cut out the cancer if we would live.” That is just the crux of the matter, national destruction threatens us. The student of history does not need to be reminded that nations are great if their ideals are high, but when they lose their vision of the External and descend into materialism, they have reached the last stage. Rome was great when her people held faith in

their national gods, but a dry rot got into their ancient faith, then luxury, materialism, and sensualism sunk her in ihe depths of national ruin. What says Byron of his loved Greece 5 “Self-abasement paved the way Eor villain bonds and despot sway.” The Almighty has given England time for repentance. Will she use it worthily? She must <ut out the cancers of intemperance and impurity or she must die. Can we blame Australian mothers who voted against their boys being conscripted to camps where rum rations and prophylactic packets are issued ? “If my body come from brutes, tho’ somewhat finer than their own, I am heir, and this my kingdom, shall the royal voice be mute? No, but if the rebel subject seeks to drag me from the throne. Hold the Sceptre, Human Soul, and rule thy province of the brute ”