ways been a variation of "immoral conduct" and, with the possible exception of the Day case in 1957, no one has challenged by what authority under the Constitution the Federal Government is in the business of arbitrating morality at all.

Let us set that question aside for the moment, and assume that the Federal Government is indeed acting in consonance with its grant of powers under the Constitution. How then, does the Department of Defense exhibit its high morality, since it holds itself forward as the ultimate guardian of all morality?

I spent the last several months in Hawaii. Just before I left there, a report came in to the Army headquarters from an Army combat support group in Thailand-a routine report-indicating that of 170 men assigned to the group, 168 had become infected with venereal disease. This was no "panic"-type message, merely a routine information-type one, to report that medical treatment had been started. The Army will treat these men, advise them to be more careful next time, and return them to duty. This is morality? What consternation would reign if the report had said that a nest of homosexuals had been exposed in Thailand! The Inspector General himself would have been on the next plane.

Perhaps there is a parallel. One entire Army battalion during World War II was reported as having an extremely high incidence of venereal disease. Even after being placed on restriction, with no access to outside sources, the rate continued to climb. It was then discovered that the disease was being transmitted through homosexual contacts, and this posed quite a problem for the commander of the division of which the battalion was a unit, a major general. He rose to the occasion, however, and decided that it would be unfortunate public relations to discharge an entire battalion for homosexual behavior, so he merely ordered the men to be spread around into other battalions, and got himself a fresh complement. The division integrity was salvaged, and whatever happened to the original complement was never recorded. Presumably they served nobly and well, and have long since disappeared into civilian life with honorable discharges.

But that was World War II-pre-McCarthy days. Let's see what is happening now. Barely two years ago, a grand total of 581 men who were accused of homosexual associations were discharged en masse from the Air Force Language School at Monterey, California. And last year, in March, a reader wrote to One Magazine, “I was discharged from the service because of being homosexual... I was one of 350 discharged at the same time, so there must be a lot of men with U.D. discharges running around." Also in 1961, a total of 138 men were reportedly discharged in one fell swoop from one of the Navy's large capital ships, a carrier. At a naval base recently in

mattachine REVIEW

one week 90 enlisted men were charged with homosexual orientation and/or association; already in custody at the time were 27 additional sailors facing the same charges. And I have it on good authority that at Treasure Island Naval Receiving Station, just across the bay from us here, an average of 35 men are held awaiting discharge for homosexual conduct at all times, and discharge processing takes place once or twice a week. Rough arithmetic develops a total of at least 140 and as many as 270 men released each month with undesirable discharges. And our information indicates that the situation at Great Lakes Naval Training Station is even more blatant.

These figures are by no means comprehensive. I'm not sure that even a Presidential order would have strength enough to force the Pentagon to divulge honest world-wide figures. Statistical distortion can easily turn into a favorite indoor sport for those so inclined.

But again back to the Department of Defense as the guardian of all morality. We'll branch out into other fields, using prostitution as our first tar-

get.

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The Mamie Stover story of Hawaii is too well-known to need repeating.' I can tell you that it was not exaggerated. Military policemen and shorepatrolmen were assigned regularly to police the lines waiting to enter the houses of prostitution, and these lines would extend for blocks, day and night. The inhabitants of those houses were skilled in delivering sex, on order, in any kind of package, just as they are in other parts of the world today, under the watchful and approving eye of the U.S. military authorities. Let us take the Sanno Hotel in downtown Tokyo. This is the U.S. military billet reserved for field-grade officer personnel on duty in that area. There is, of course, a massage and steam bath establishment operated on the hotel premises. The services here are provided by masseuses, selected not only for their competence at massage, but also for their desirability as sexual partners. One need be in the hotel only a few minutes before learning from others which of the girls gave the best oral stimulation. In fact, high military officers-almost all of whom were married-made no secret of the enjoyment one masseuse or another, or perhaps all together, had provided during their stay, giving details in graphic style. And, I remind you, by the nature of the agreement with the Japanese Government, this hotel is an American military reservation.

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Then we go to Korea. Until last year, a grandiose European-style hotel in downtown Seoul, the Chosan, had been commandeered by the U.S. forces to serve as the field-grade officers' billet. This was surrounded by a high || wall, and could be entered only by displaying proper military identification to the security guard at the gate. There was a cocktail lounge, and on my