to divulge the name and address of the person you believo may have given the disease to you. You will not be intiaidated or coerced; but it is greatly to be desired that you do reveal this information to the Health Department authorities. They will contact the person with a discreet communication indicating that he or she appears to have been exposed to an extremely communicable disease and please to contact the local Health Department for oxamination. If the person doesn't reply, he will be sent more letters of similar nature, none threatening. While the Health Officer has great power and could put you in jail for not answering, he will not, for all the health authorities know that the success of their venereal disease program depends absolutely upon good faith and cooperation. They know that threats, intimidation, or lack of confidentiality anywhere along the route of their program would defeat it utterly.

STATISTICS CAN BE MISLEADING

Under questioning from this reporter, Mr. Leach revealed that the Health Dept. was anything but happy with tho manner in which their public statistics had been treated by the Los Angeles newspapers. Mr. Leach indicated that the statistics showed a 300% increase in V. D. in Los Angeles, 80% due to male homosexuals, which was because of the increased respect and faith homosexuals had acquired for the Health Department and therefore they were reporting a condition that had long existed. The newspapers naturally did not print these background features, being intent only on selling newspapers, apparently.

Asked why the newspapers were given these statistics, then, Mr. Leach said that while individuals could be protected, statistics could not and were part of the public domain, since they had been obtained by a public office. Statistics can lie, as everyone knows but usually forgets, unless the reasons of how and why they were obtained are also printed at the same time.

DIFFICULTIES OF DISSEMINATING INFORMATION

One member asked Mr. Leach why signs regarding V. D. were not placed in all restrooms of bars. Mr. Loach replied

6