Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-03-03
BABY WEEK.

inc new Mexico ffhFIdAsvN ~ W |ii
ems clubs has labored hard 20 make
the nationwide baby week movement
q success in our state.
We are very much eratlf.ed that
20 many local clubs have responded
to our efforts and that they have
made such extensive plans for baby
week celebrations. However. as the
| time approaches we grow more
lanxious that New Mexico shall make
a grcat showing I'm this important
event. and we feel that 10 cannot pc
| accomplished without tho co-opcfa
ton Of the people in general with the
| clubs
Therefore. we wish to appeal 70
the people through your paper and
urge them 10 put their heart. energy
and time in the baby week celcbra-
ton, March to II. helping 10 make
| Il state wide success, thereby con-
| trlbuting 20 the honor Of their state
ana bcnefiting the babies.
Yours sincerely.
(Mrs. J. ID WILLIE L. ATKES0N.
Chairman Public Health Dept.
"Artesia Feb %. 1916"
The appeal for babies week coop
Grafton. Is not for more babies 20 be
brought into the world. In further
ance Of Colonel Rooscvcl's anti-race
suicied propaganda; it IS not mat
ter Of fad by concerted movement
Of cranks. but a well thought out pro-
gram for the purpose Of making bet
ter mon and women. physically and
morally. out Of the babies now IN The
world by providing them with better
food, better care-giving them n
chance for better development
Astounding as the statement may
seem. il has been pretty well deter.
mined that no babies come into the
world either bright" or stupid. 4
German savant tells MS that the baby
mental apparatus is entirely Uniformed
a. birth, and that when il is old
enough for us 10 note It's laughing
eyes, ocstatic eesticulations, goo-goo-
ing aud attempts at verbal expression
the things We regard as brightness
arc merely reflex actions and no proof
OF brilliant equipment
In other words. the German savant
proves his point BY recalling that tho
component parts Of the human think
ing machinery are the spinal cord,
the modulla oblongata, the cctebcl
lun and the corebrum. or these. he
says the baby has at birth only the
spinal cord and q portion OF the med
Mia The spinal cord is the seat OF
many Of our reflex or involuntary ac-
by the medulla. Hence the seeming
Intelligence Of the infant is merely
the reflex. consisting Of invomn-
tary responses.
All of this. after the German habit /
is painfully scientific and obtuse. But
into common English. the |
scientist is telling US that it is not by
chance Of birth but by the care of the +
child during the first two years Of is I
existence that its mental machinery /
Is adjusted. and thus, due to its en- /
vironmcnt, 1t is dull, mediocre or I
bright in after life, Also he tells us !
that during that period tho major I,
part OF the work ia done for deter /
OF it's health physically. !
More than onc-third Of all the child /
rem born into the world die before /
they reach the first annual mile stone !
Of life.
Baby week, which begins tomor
row. is intended 70 teach mothers and I
the older children who take much of
The care Of the baby off Of mothers /
over-burdened hands, how to care for
he baby to the best possible advan
Lage with q view to preserving It's life, /
caring for its physical development
and insuring that II grow up to a !
life Of usefulness ana reasonable hap
its physical powers shall /
not be stunted and that its mental
processes shall not be atrophiod IN
It's early infancy by lack OF intelligent I
care.
OF course, the German savant may
carry his science too far. Despite the
talk Of the spinal cord and the med
ulla ohlongata and other things, we
are inclined to defend the intelligent !
baby The baby under the test tube,
or boiled down or precipltatod in the
test tube of science is not the baby
the mother knows. Mother love in
habits another world and speaks an
other language
Who can tell what the baby thinks9
Who can fathom the gossamer links
by which the manikin feels his way
out from the shores Of tho great un-
known
Into the light of day."
That ia a question easily answered.
Not the savant, not the medical au-
thoilty. but the bahy's little mother.
nut the sayant and the medical au-
thoriiy may give her world OF help
And 70 give that help is the hope Of
baby week. which begins tomorrow.
Colonel Roosevelt has refused to be
interviewed. lie says he is in the
~.