aught along the lines
suggested by the committee of the American Federation for Sex-Hygiene
(1913). The last paragraph quoted from Mr. Taft will be denied
completely by all who are familiar with the problems of adolescent
education. To say the least, it is unfortunate that a man prominent in
law and statesmanship should have lent the weight of his name to such
superficial conclusions that are so obviously based on exceedingly
limited information regarding both the established facts of sex and the
most approved methods of sex-instruction.

Sec. 49. _Conclusions from the Criticisms of Sex-education_

I have selected for discussion the criticisms of several of the most
prominent people who have expressed opposition to the sex-education
movement. I think that all the important lines of arguments against the
movement are represented in the extracts that I have quoted. We have
seen that all of the criticisms have decidedly vulnerable points. Most
of them refer to the discarded sex-hygiene of ten years ago; but some
of them prove that the authors are quite ignorant of the sex problems
that must be faced by numerous young people.

[Sidenote: Criticisms important.]

With the hope of locating the weaknesses of sex-education, I have for
years examined carefully every criticism published, and it seems to me
thoroughly scientific to conclude that all the important criticisms
have not harmed the essentials of the sex-education movement; but, on
the contrary, have been helpful in forcing reconstruction. In fact, the
present-day conception of the larger sex-education must be credited to
the severe critics more than to the friends of the original narrow
movement for reducing venereal disease by hygienic instruction.

XI

THE PAST AND THE FUTURE OF THE SEX-EDUCATION MOVEMENT

Sec. 50. _The American Movement_

[Sidenote: Dr. Morrow leader in America.]

In America the movement for sex-education began with the organization
of the American Society of Sanitary and Moral Prophylaxis on February
9, 1905, under the leadership of Dr. Prince A. Morrow. It is true that
before this time there were various local and sporadic attempts at
instruction concerning sexual processes, but such teaching was chiefly
personal and there was no concerted movement looking towards making
sex-instruction an integral part of general education. In 1892,
thirteen years before the organization of the Society of Sanitary and
Moral Prophylaxis, a grou