The Washington herald., 1913-04-18
birth RECORDS
ARE NEGLECTED.
Miss Julia Lathrop Deplores
Lack of Official Proof
Of Existence.
INFANT LOSS EN0RM0IJS
INFANT LOSS ENORMOUS
National Council of Women, in Session
at Alexandra, Hears
Addresses.

''Only one out of every four persons in
our country exists. according to the birth
records" Miss Julia Lathrop head of the
Children's Bureau. told members and
guests of the National Council of Women
at its second open meeting, held in Trim
ity NJ. E. Church, Alexandria, Va, last
night.
Miss Lathrop spoke on THE Children $
Bureau. She scored the lax methods
of the municipalities of this country in
recording births and keeping other vital
statistics. One of the chief tasks being
undertaken by the Children's Bureau, she
said, is to overcome irregularity in the
registration of births
Where now but one out of every four
can prove his or her birth by the record
Miss Lathrop said. reforms in the ad-
ministration of vital statistics are being
instituted over the country. and it will
be but a matter of short time until
each new arrival to an American family
will be taken note of officially.
Twice many infants die as
should, was another declaration of the
speaker. Miss Lathrop charged that the
common house fly was largely RESPONSE
bile for the destruction of infant lives.
She also declared that good sanitation
was not as common in this country as
was generally supposed. and that many
American mothers neglected the sim
plest dictates Of hygiene.
Miss American Speaks.
Mrs. Kate Waller Barrett, president of
the council, pledged the National
Woman's Associa ton to advocate the
appropriation of sufficient funds for the
most efficient administration of the
Children's Bureau.
Miss Sadie American. executive secre-
:ary Of tho National CcIncil II Jewish
Women, spoke on "Our Immigrants -
I'VE are all immigrants" she began.
To-day there is no such thing as "A for
e1gn population.
To-day all over the civilized world
great masses of women are migrating"
Miss American continued. They rage
in age from sixteen to twenty mine years.
More than 10000 girls are looked after
annually by the society with which l
am corrected Most of them are filled
with~gross transformation"
Mrs. Mae Wright Sewall. of Berkeley,
Va. honorary president of the Interna-
tional Council of Women, was the last
speaker of the evening. Her subject was
Peace and Arbitration She narrated
IN her opening remarks what has been
done by both the National and Interna-
uonal Council of Women. the object be-
ing to become better acquainted with the
customs and beliefs of the people of
other nations. After eleven years, she
said. this work was accomplished with
the organization OF the international
council, which is now working assidu-
ously in behalf of peace and arbitration
The meeting was largely attended and
was opened with an invocation by Rev.
@. A. Luttrell, pastor of Trinity NJ E.
Church. Mrs. Kate Waller Barrett the
president of the association, presided.
ad introduced Judge c. Z. Nicol, who
made brief welcoming address to the
delegates
This afternoon the women visited the
Masonic Temple and Christ Episcopal
Church, and at 6 O'Clock this evening
they were rendered supper at Lee Camp
Hall.
The committee in charge was COM
posed of the following: Mrs Lucurgus
Uhler, chairman: Mrs. William Jorg..
vice chairman; Mrs. f. c. Dunn. Mrs
Scott, Mrs. Barrett. Mrs. Henry Wattles,
Mrs. Oliver, Mrs George Evans, Miss
Carlin, Miss Barrett and Miss Nicol.
Business Session Held.
The business session of the council
was devoted almost entirely to a discus
sion of the manner in which the FEEDER
alton of Women's Clubs should be ad-
mitted into the council, and to the priv
ileges of the international council. This
uueSuoh VIII De discussed Dy representa-
tives of the organizations at a meeting
TO be held i'm Washington Saturday.
Delegates to the council were enter
tanned at dinner in Veterans Hail. in
Alexandria, last night, and were shown
points of interest in the city before the
evenings meeting.
At the business session proposed
changes in the constitution of the coun-
Gil and in its plan of work will be con-
sidered. This afternoon the delegates
will be received at the White House. In
the evening another open meeting will
be held in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, in Alexandria, when Senator
John d. Works of California will be one
of the sneakers