The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-06-26
CHILD WELFARE WORK
IN OHIO NEGLECTED.
CAUSE OF THE WAR?
State Officer Warns Against
Condition Existing In
Germany

IBy Associated Press to The BannerJ
COLUMBUS, June 22-Is child well
fare work in Ohio being neglected for
war work?
Dr. Frances M. Hollingshead direct.
er of the division of child hygiene of
Ohio state department of health, says
there is danger of this, if in fact, it is
not already taking place, and today
issued an appeal to Ohio women to
continue with increased zeal, the al
ready established child saving activi-
ties. She points out that this is quite
as important and as patriotic a work
as the war work.
"At present most of the children's
work is in the hands of women" says
Dr. Hollingshead, land much of the
newly established war relief work is
in the same hands. There is a decid-
ed sentimental appeal in Red Cross
work; the work is essential and we
have no desire to minimize it's import
ance, but we must urge that the work
for children shall at the same time be
strengthened and increased rather
than decreased.
Women are, rightly or wrongly,
frequently accused of being hysterical
and sentimental, as well as ready to
drop the old interests and rush to any
new one. Let us hope that the wo-
men of Ohio, far from this position,
will hold steadfastly to their establish
ed tasks, realizing that while not
snowy or spectacular like the actual
work at the front they may represent
results of an equal magnitude in the
long run. If we all adopted the Can.
adian slogan, "Give until it hurts"
and gave in the form of work and en-.
ergy, the child welfare work could be
doubled in amount and the Red Cross
still not suffer.
Are we going to sit passively by
until nearly all the women in our To-
calities must need have assistance in
the realm of child caring? A most
striking illustration OF this is the fact
that in 1915 in France, 10000 mothers
were able to give birth to their chill
dren without the aid of the assist
ance publicque" { public fund for
such service) while in 1916 only $50
of the children born came into the
world without this service.
"The increase in the infant mortal
ity rate in England in the last year
has also been heavy, despite the fact
that during the first two years of the
point. If this is true despite the al
most superhuman efforts which have
been made by the allies, to conserve
| life by increased government stipends
and by the employment of greatly in
creased numbers of workers and the
expenditure of large sums of private
capital, what must happen to us if
we sit supinely by at least maintain.
ing at it's maximum every particle Of
established work?
I'VE are facing a war issue with our
children, fight against 1t as we may.
We are bound to have the broken
home with the man away. Many wo-
men will go into industries, foodstuffs
will not be so plentiful nor so cheap,
the mothers anxiety is bound to affect
the premature birth rate. Unless we
recognize these facts and square our
shoulders to meet the issue, we are
bound to reap the results.
"We must never have Germany s
reputed 100000 illegitimate children,
nor numbers of new institutions to
care for the babies whose mothers
have given them up to go into muni,
tions factories. Let us begin to avoid
these things by doing all in our pow
er to strengthen old agencies already
established and to create new ones of
a preventive type, but let us begin
at once while the problem Is small
rather than wait until the crisis arises
which causes the necessity of such an
overwhelming amount Of effort being
expended that much of the work can
not be well or thoughtfully done"