The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-31
B|RTHRATE Of
ENGLAND DECLINES
Father Vaughan Sounds Note
of Warning
JOHN BURNS HELPS POOR
Is Not Satisfied with Information He
Can Get But Goes Among Them
Himself TO Study Their
Conditions
JOHN BURNS HELPS POOR

London, July 3o.-(special.) 1.-THE same
danger that threatens France, the curse
of a steadily declining blrthrate, is also
menacing the future of Great Britain,
said Father Bernard Vaughan, the famous
preacher, said to me yesterday, land here
as In France, 1t Is the women of so-called
society who shirk the duty of mother
hood, because 1t interferes with their
lives of leisure, while the women of the
poor classes, whose lives are one unend-
ing, ceaseless toll, nobly fulfill their
destinies.
wealthy people of today may have
one of two children, but only for selfish
reasons-to inherit their names and es-
tates-and they redicule the notion of
having big families.
England, once known amongst the
nations as the land of beautiful homes,
| is fast becoming the land of empty
cradles. And what does this really mean ?
We all know well enough that the empty
cradle must eventually mean the empty
home; but it means infinitely more than
that 1t means a demoralized and depop-
ulated country, ripe for the hand of the
invader. 1t means the fate of ancient
Rome.
1--we want men, said one Of his gen.
erals to the great Napoleon.
mo replied the Emperor; we want
mothers
And it is mothers that England wants
today, for it is not the hand that rocks
the empty cradle that rules the world,
but the hand that empties the cradle to
find room for YET another man born
into the world
But unless / misread the signs Of the
times, the people will pass from bad to
worse TIN finally we shall race with
France for the lowest birthrate and, with
IL the lowest morality
John Burns may be growing older, but
neither his age nor his dignity a cab
met minister has diminished his interest
In the welfare of the poor. He wants to
know just how they live and what their
needs are. and he Is not satisfied to rely
on the information he can get from
others. but goes into the slums and gets
1t himself.
Only a few night ago I met him In the
poorest part of East End. He was riding
wheel and told me he was going TO
spend at least two hours among the
poorest of London.
At Petticoat Lane he dismounted and
leaning on the wheel watched for several
minutes the keen bartering which at this
late hour was still proceeding He now
turned eastward again and, wheeling his
| bicycle, proceeded along the narrow
thoroughfare known as Old Mantague
street.
He surveyed the whole of his sur
| roundings in manner which clearly IN
dicated that he was perfectly familiar
with and took keen interest In this
phase of East-End life. The children
with whom the neighborhood abounds,
seemed to attract most of his attention,
and at intervals he would pause to watch
with a genial smile these mites playing
and quarrelling with one another.
During a part of his informal survey OF
the neiglborhood he had CHARACTERISTIC
talk with q student resident tnere 10
whom he expressed the great admiration
he had always felt for the Jewish race.
Mr.. Burns added that he had always
taken a great interest in the East End
and that he was accustomed to pay 1t
visit every two or three months.
The company which has been formed
for carrying out the scheme for erecting
a palace of French arts and industries in
the Strand, intend to commence opera
tons in October.
1t must necessarily be two or three
years before the whole of the project is
| completed, but when finished the palace,
| Judging from the plans. Will add an
architectural feature to the metropolis.
On the Strand side, and at both ends. will
| be rows of shops and offices, the inter-
| nal space between these buildings and the
palace itself being laid out as boulevard
with a carriage way right round the CEN
| trail pile.
The palace has been designed on an am
| bilious scale. with marble columns and
| richly moulded ceilings, the centers OF
which will be painted with frescoes by
| French artists. Under the roof Of the
palace will be housed permanent exhibit
ton of French arts and industries. a
| great hall to be used for conferences.
| meetings and concerts, French club. res
taurant and winter garden, and on Its
east side bijou theatre to accommodate
300 people. 1t is intended to use the
theatre specially for the production OF
French classical and modern plays, and
several leading French actresses have al
ready asked for leases of the theatre
| when completed.
The Agenda club is the title of an or
|
| as the result of a rather remarkable ap-
peal to the leisured and wealthy classes
| to come forward as leaders In all fields
of social service.
| The raison detre of the club, which
cannot be said to have been created In a
| hurry, since plans for its formation have
been maturing for nearly four years, is a
desire to organize in service useful to
state men whose social position confers
at the same time influence ami RESPONSE
bility.
The club. which is to be strictly non
political, is frankly limited. for the pres
ent at any rate. to the gentlemen of
| England" a restriction which suggests
the possibility of very invidious distinc-
lions. For practical purposes a public
school or university education will PROB
ably be regarded as the necessary Qualih-
ca ton
The demand is made of the classes
| who, TO their credit be 1t said, have al
ways shown themselves ready to die
for their country, that they should be
equally ready to take up the more diff
fcult task OF living for it.
The first necessity is a scientific study
Of social conditions. If the 100000 of rich
in Great Britain applied themselvc.
scientifically to dealing with the prob
lem of SS.OOo,oO0 poor, new and power
| sul element would be introduced among
the agencies OF social reform The Agen
da club is the outcome of the belief tina
this element can be organized and go
to work. Temporary offices have beer
opened and the club will shortly tax,
shape OH a permanent basis.
curious provision of its constitution
| is an arrangement whereby the funds o