South Bend news-times., 1915-06-21
Committee Calls
For Infant Kits
War Babies Suffer from the
Lack of Clothing-List
of Needed Articles.

The American committee of the
Secours National Fund for the relief
of the destitute women and children
of France, has issued an appeal for
contributions for infants kits. which
il has arranged 10 send 10 the war
babies" OF France. Reports sent to
Mrs. Whitney Warren. organizer Of
the committee, by her husband. who is
in France experimenting the distribu-
tiOn of supplies and funds sent by the
American committee. tell of the pitiful
conditions existing among thousands
of women and children who are being
sent back daily from that part of
France occupied by the German
troops.
Speaking of the necessity for these
kits. Mrs. Warren said:
There is no doubt but that a large
number of babies viii be born whose
fathers are now at the front The
mothers of these babies will have TO
depend on charity for the clothing and
feeding of the children. The need Of
infants kits is. therefore, very great.
Reports recently received show
that Germany Is sending back from
northern France large numbers of
civil prisoners taken from the district
now occupied by the German armies.
The mortality from exposure and mall
nutrition has been very high in the
prison camps. This is especially true
concerning the children.
Refugees Pitiful Plight.
The clothing of all these returned
prisoners is dirty, ragged and insult
ficient. In nearly every case it is Of
the thin summer apparel in which
they left their homes nearly eight
months ago. Many Of the babies are
weak and i'll, apparently beyond the
effort of crying. Some Of the babies
are but a wek old and of this time
they and their mothers were many
cases on the train four days.
About Z 3 per cent of the returning
civil prisoners are women and girls.
Ten per cent of the number are young
babies. At the time these children
were born i'm the German cOncentra-
tion camps their mothers received no
medical attention. no food except the
coarse bread and potatoes served to
the other prisoners, and no clothing
for the babies. Such Clothing as the
little children have were made from
the scanty rags worn by the older
women. But TO keep them warm and
clean has been practical impossi-
bility.
"One Of the most tragic things
about this terrible situation is that in
I
of small children have been separated
from their parents. These cannot talk
and therefore are unable TO give their
names or any information whatever
about themselves. While they have
been tagged by the Germans. these
tags mean nothing 10 the French. II
is appalling 10 think of the miXup of
Identities that must follow such sys-
tenn as has been resorted TO by the
Germans an the disposal of these civil
prisoners.
Each of these baby kits costs 81.
Some of them are infants kits, others
for children of two and four years old,
others for BOYS of six years, and
others for girls of six years. -l1s Inc
articles placed in the kits are chosen
with a special view of the ages OF the
children for whom they are prepared.
Following are the lists of articles
contained in each kind of kit:
Infants Kit-TwO bands, flannel;
two shirts. knitted cotton; two bar
rows. ffannelette: one muslin dress;
one cotton blanket; one cap; one nan
nelette wrapper; one-half dozen BIRD
eve diaDers. one-half dozen large
safety pins; one cake pure casule
SOAP: one can talcum powder; two
ounce Dackage absorbent cotton.
Two-year-old Kit and Four ear
Old Kit-Two suits underwear, SHOES
and stockings. petticoat with waist
rompe-s. wash cloth and soap.
Six-Year-Old Kit Boys---Two suits
underwear. shoes and stocking one
khaki suit. wash cloth and soap.
Six-Year-Old Kit Girls-Two suits
underwear. shoes and stockings, one
khaki suit. wash cloth and soap
Six-Year-Old Kit, Glrls-IWo SUITS
urderwear. shoes and stockings, one
netticoat with waist. one dress apron,
wash cloth and soap.