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AUSTRALIA: Following the British lead, Premier Cahill told the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales that the State Government would arrange a scientific inquiry into the cause and treatment of homosexuality. Five months earlier, Mr. E. D. Darby (Liberal, Manly) had requested review of existing legislation to provide for psychiatric and remedial treatment instead of bonds and jail for men found guilty of "perversion." Mr. Cahill cited police reports of increased "sexual abnormalities" in recent years (688 offenses in Sydney during 1957) and also a report by Minister of Justice Mr. Downing, after examining prison administration overseas, that experts were unable to reach agreement on treatment. "Mr. Downing also advised me that an authoritative view is that no generally accepted criteria exists to enable a sexual offender to be recognized and identified clinically . . . committee to investigate the problem would consist of a medical representative, a clinical psychiatrist, a qualified social worker and two ministers of religion.
ROUNDELAY
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BOSTON: Attorney Joseph D. Ward, recently shocked Law En-
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forcement Officials Conference at the Parker House with lurid description of a "wedding" of 2 soldiers. attended and applauded by 25 persons in Ayer. "The worst kind of immorality" he said, "exists and abounds in the Fort Devons area. There are nests of homosexuals infesting the young men." He called the "mock wedding" to attention of the soldiers superiors, but they ignored his complaint. He singled out Lawrence, Lowell and Worcester as communities which were being preyed on by immoral characters from the camp. "Why has the Attorney General ignored the homosexuals flitting from their nests at Fort Devons to sully the adolescents of Massachusetts?" he asked. Ward was an unsuccesful candidate for Attorney General in 1956...
Newspaper columnist Dr. Paul Popenoe says, "Parents are always concerned about protecting their little girls from sexual molestation, but may not realize that boys need protection, too." And on he goes, finishing lamely with an indication that it is the child whose parents have had bad marital relations who has a tendency to have experience with deviates. And of course, no mention of heterosexual molestation, seldom mentioned in this context. After all, what harm can come
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