d upon dress and pleasure. Almost for the first
time girls have had money, and it has enabled them to do what they want;
they have learned more than their mothers know and, therefore, they
despise their mothers' ideas of what is fitting and natural. Modern
girls are out to get all they can, and by any means. It is, I know, easy
to exaggerate the situation. I have, however, taken pains to gain all
possible information on the subject. I find it the opinion of those who
are best qualified to know that the most alarming feature of the problem
now is the greatly increased danger of spreading the diseases, caused by
the shifting of infection from the professional prostitute to young
girls out for larks and presents. I was told by one worker in the Police
Court Mission, for instance, of a club for girls, aged from fourteen to
twenty-six years, among whom _there was probably not a single pure
girl_. A woman rescue worker said that "South London was swamped by
these larking girls," so many cases come up that "no one knows what to
do with them." In the Police courts, while the number of women charged
had lessened considerably, the number of girls charged has increased
three-fold. Many of these girls are very young; some of them hardly more
than children. In almost all cases the charge made is the
same--disorderly conduct with soldiers. Of the number of girls convicted
and sent to prison or to rescue homes, _at least three parts are found
to be infected_, the greater number with gonorrhoea, but some with
syphilis.

Now, it is no part of my purpose to blame women. The great majority of
these girls are ill-trained, and have been worked beyond care for
decency. The question is, what it is best to do. The answer is not easy.
For while everyone is agreed about the need for action, disagreement as
to what form the action shall take hinders the adoption of any wider
course of prevention. Here again there is no unity of purpose, no
humility to accept what is right.

II

For myself, I shall try to avoid a purely moral and idealistic treatment
of the subject. At the same time, before explaining what practical
measures should, in my opinion, be taken to lessen the evils, I should
like to refer briefly, and I know inadequately, to the deeper causes,
which are rooted in our attitude of life, as well as dependent on our
hidden desires. Man, and of course I include woman, as a whole is
estimated at too low a value. It is a paradoxical conse