The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-03-05
BOY BABIES
ARE WANTED
The Cry Of European Statesmen Nov
10 for 5oys to Fill in
the Gaps.
By VIM. G. Shepherd, United Press
Staff CORRESPONDENTS

LONDON, Feb. 16.-(By mail to
New York. "Wanted-boy babies!"
That's the cry Of statesmen Of Eu-
rope. It's a dead earnest demand.
They need boy babies, just as they
need wheat, or horses, or copper. or
cattle. The statesmen of most Of the
nations in the great war have thrown
aside all the peace time conventional
ity about marriage. Babies they
cry. "We must have babies, mo mat
ter how we get them
AID If these same statesmen could
persuade the European storks to
bring only boy babies for the next five
There are plenty of women in Europe
will be too many by the time
this war is ended. The German states
men have gone about the baby-breed-
ing business with the characteristic
thoroughnsss. They have made rules
which encourage young recruits to
marry before departing for the front;
they want the fathers of G.ermany's
babies to be strong men Of the firing
line, not the weaklings that would
not go to war. But the most aston
ishing German plan is already in the
way of accomplishment Red Cross
parties of doctors and mid-wives from
the lying-ia hospitals of Germany will
be sent to Belgium and northern
France during the next few weeks and,
escort into war ridden Europe the
babies that are born in the trail Of
to the last limit in legitimatizing the
babies that are born. Unmarried
mothers are ranked with the married
ones, when 1t comes to payment of
war benefits. If couple have lived
the German army.
In France the statesmen have gone
together for six months during the
war, that fact is equivalent to we'd
ding rings. Their babies make as good
soldiers, says writers of France, as any
other sort and the statesmen of stafd
old England have followed France in
this direction. In France there was
no protest, but handful of Fpiscopa-
liam bishops who happeneG to be in
at the time the rule pass
ed, complained bitterly about placing
unmarried wives" on the same foot
ing in the war benefit lists with mar
ried women.
at degrades the married women
who have led careful and convention
al lives" complained the bishops. 1t
was suggested that unmarried wives
ought to receive less benefits than
ones, but the statesmen point
ed out that unmarried wives often had
as large families as married ones and
that their need for food and shelter
was as great as that of married won1-
en- and their children.
English soldiers are encouraged IN
every possible way to we'd before de-
parting for the front. The church
have reduced the heavy
license fee which is necessary for
quick marriages in England and many
soldiers and officers who return home
on two or three days leave Of absence.
marry in that short space of time and
return again to the firing line.
The French, however, have exceeded
all former bounds. They have plan
nea a law by which a soldier at the
front may be married by proxy. In
this way it is believed many unmar-
ried mothers will be set right and
their children legitimatized without
the necessity Of calling the soldier
father home from the busy front.
II the women Of Europe in any ma
ton are protesting against this plan
Of the statesmen for extensive and
general breeding of babies, their OBJ
iections are being silenced by the
Not word of womaa's sile
Of the great plan creeps to the press.
The only objection that has made
came from male bishops in London.
Suffragists of London are silent on
the matter and feminist writer's of
France who for long have made a
vogue of speaking for women, have
held their tongues and their pens
The war has reached, SO deeply to
the roots OF Europe's ancient conven-
tons, that there seems to be gen.
eral tacit understanding among people
D. various nations that now is not the
time to raise questions Of conventions.
rho soldiers idea rules In Europe.
And his idea is 1--WE must have man
babies for the coming years, no mat
ter how we get them"
Completing Big Shaft.