Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-03-16
SAVE THE IRISH BABIES.
Lord and Lady Aberdeen Say Future
of Race Is at Stake.

OF Race Is at stake.
The former viccroy Of ireland and his
wife. the marquis and marchiOness of
Aberdeen, have come TO America to
raise funds for the saving of Ireland's
ba 5ies, and through their efforts this
week, which includes the anniversary
of the great Irish saint, St. Patrick, |
viii be observed as Irish Babies week
in the United States. The Abcrdcens
are working in conjunction with the
Woman's National Health association,
the body which is striving to carry |
on the child by the lack OF funds and
threatened with humiliation. They |
have approved the idea of having the !
coming week set aside particularly to |
the work of raising funds with which |
to help save the lives Of thousands of
little ones in the Emerald isle who need
proper medical and other attention, |
and direct an especial appeal To those
lrishmcn who have reapcd advantages
in this country and are IN = position
| to aid in making possible other genera
items OF virile ard vigorous ISisamen.
Every bullet that kills a soldier
skaters at least two lives. the liz
| of the man and the life OF tho woman.
\ to say nothing OF the haJ.e~. To com
pCuSate for these losses OF tho way.
/ the only way is TO rcduc the death rate
| anon" the children and to do away
! with preventative illness. If the saw
| ing Of the babies and children has to
| be abandoned at this time, there win
| be no way of making up the losses
| after the war. The destruction will
| have been wrought. The lives of
! thousands of little ones who might
have been spared for the rebuilding
of a strong and sturdy Irish race. wiz
have been lost, and no efforts after
the war can by any possibility make up
for the irreparable damage to the race.
This is the plea and the lesson which
Lord and Lady Aberdeen have brought
IN nr-ir IN ~ IN
an increase in the infant mortality in
Ireland since the beginning of the war
and the loss of thousands of Irishmcn
on the battlefelds of Europe, the rec
ords show also a decreasing birth rate
since the war started. Lady Aberdeen
says:
I'm one of the cities of Ireland. Dub
lin, for instance. there has been 4
great increase in infant mortality since
the war began. There has been an in
crease in the death rate Of babies under
one year from 162 per 10000 in the
early part of 1914, before hostilities be-
gan, to 1s1 per 1000 in the CORE
spending period OF 1915. The normal
death rate in Dublin is about las per
1000. Proper feeding and wise care
Tor the little ones and their mothers
would have prevented many of these
! deaths. In the country districts. how
ever, there is not the crying need that
prevails In the large cities with their
congested districts and wretched con-
ditions"
Ireland, for two generations. has
been dwindling race. There are but
half as many people there today as
there were in 1910. Then the popula-
ton was more than 100000 and now
1t is barely above the 1000, 900 mark
Plague, emigration, war, infant mortal
ity, have taken their toll, and there
remains today but little more than a
remnant of a once proud race. Death
stalks among the sod huts where the
financial stress of the great conflict is
felt and the babies are dying much
more rapidly than they would if tn il
opportunities for life were up to the
|. standard.
Make this week of st. Patrick one
In which each good son and daughter
or the island shall deny himself and
herseh some little luxury to help save
n the babies Of Ireland" said Lady Aber-
deem Their little lives are crying
70 great and generous America and &c
their brothers on this side OF the water
4 to contribute a bit to help them live
and grow into strong men and womeT
afor the future glory of the Irish race