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xxxvi
disease were making amongst the fair youth of our England. As my knowledge increased, as opportunities
arose on every hand for advice, for help, for reclamation, my heart bled for the poor unfortunate
ones enmeshed in the toils and the call has come with a clarion note, to leave no stone unturned, no
channel neglected, no opportunity missed to further the uplifting of these poor girls, and to bring them
back once more into the warmth of God's own Love, into the fullness of real womanhood, and make
them the credit instead of the despair of the land.
Imperfect as these notes may be, they are written with a real enthusiasm for the work, and with
a very real and terrible knowledge of the problems to be faced and overcome, and they come straight from
the heart,
A girls' home of the kind suggested, in some convenient central situation, planned to meet typical
cases like those I have quoted, would be a veritable boon to rescue work such as ours, and seems to me
an absolute necessity in order that we may be in a position to save most of them.
I know an ideal building now vacant, if it could be secured, and I am convinced that on the
proper lines it would solve many of the present difficulties, and well repay the outlay, in the purification
of the streets, and more important still in the salvation of many of our present-day outcasts among the
young womanhood of our country.
(Signed) N. I. D.
16.4.20.
APPENDIX D.
REPORT ON SOME ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM OF DEALING WITH THE GIRLS OF THE
LONDON STREETS.
By Mrs. D. and Mr. S. W.
October, 1920.
After a conversation with Mr. G . . . , who outlined some of the points on which he felt we could
supply information for his investigation, we have prepared the following notes in the hope they may
be of use for we are deeply interested in this vital question, and, as the previous report showed, are much
hampered in many ways in our endeavours to help these girls owing to the great difficulty of effectively
and promptly housing them when they come to us.
We rejoice that a full investigation into all sides of the question and all the points involved is
being made, and sincerely trust that the authorities may see how urgent is the need for a firm grasp
being taken of the whole situation both for the sake of the health of the community and for the moral
improvement of the present deplorable conditions.
The opening of Sheffield Street has, in our opinion, provided for a distinct need, and is one
important link in the chain that seems required to assure prompt dealing with some of the many and
varied cases that come to us for help and guidance.
The known or suspectedly diseased girl can be sent there immediately, and so long as she will
not prove too fractious is assured proper and sympathetic treatment even though it takes months to
effect a cure. In very few cases, too, have these girls any financial means, and the free hospitality is
invaluable, and we are very grateful for this response to one of our pressing needs.
We have also found that the wide interpretation given to the use of Sheffield Street has enabled
us to send there girls off the streets who are stranded and homeless for whom no other place could be
found at the moment even though we have no strong reason to believe they are diseased, but this is only
used very sparingly because we recognise that the clean street girl (if such a term may be used) should
not be housed there for obvious reasons; though, on the other hand, it is quite advisable even in her
case there should be a medical examination to prove her freedom from the contamination.
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But in addition there are many other and varied cases which come to us for which prompt help
is very necessary, and often these cases are the most deserving.
This great variety present most difficult problems.
Whilst we recognise that the scope of this investigation is to solve the problem as it affects the
health of the community by attacking the insidious spread of disease, it must be remembered that our
Y.M.C.A. work is also concerned with all kinds of appeals that come to us, and below we enumerate some
of them, and we should be failing in our duty if we left these out of the question at issue.
So to guide and direct such by advice, and housing in proper conditions in order to protect them
from unseen, and often unknown, dangers they might incur by association with the diseased, and, where
possible, to prevent any risk of infection by letting them use the hostels and lodging-houses frequented
by the other class, is undoubtedly a very great help to the health of the community, and therefore affects
the welfare of the race in a very real way, and hence is another side of the problem that must not be lost
sight of.
Here are some such cases that come under our notice:—
(1) The stranded respectable girl who has come up to London to find work (often a complete
stranger to the great city), her slender resources are exhausted, or perhaps stolen from
her, before she has succeeded, and before she has been brought into touch with the right kind
of agencies.