New Britain herald., 1917-12-10
FOR Child WELFARE
HE URGES ACTION
Legitimate Children Of Soldiers
Must Be Provided for by Law

terrible strain on the children OF bel
nSerent countries. resulting in death
physical weakness, ignorance, untimelS
work and delinquency, must be wArdet
off from the future citizens of tn,
United States by patriotic effort and
sacrifice on the part of our civilian
population" in carrying out reason
able child welfare program, is set
forth in the annual report of julia G.
Lathrop, Chief of the Children's bu-
reau of the Department of Labor.
sensational reports of an alarming
rate of illegitimate births ada cent to
the great army camps and charges Of
gross immortality, were investigated by
the bureau in three different cities,
named in the charges. and in each
case pronounced groundless
"Absolutely no>foundation could be
found in any one of the three towns
for the statement made about the girls
there says the report. 1T was Il
case of rumors added to rumors equal
ling facts. The danger that instances
of illegitimacy will result from the
camps exists. of course. Undoubtedly
the alertness of Army and Navy Off
Gals in this country to the need of
providing decent opportunities for So
cial life among the modified troops
will be an important factor in pre-
= venting the rise of the illegitinate
birth rate here.
Protection must be afforded by
proper policing, but far more by pro-
vision of ample social opportunities,
ample hotel and boarding space of I'M
questionable character for every Wo-
man who visits cantonment town for
any legitimate reason, suitable chap
eronage, and competent woman guides
to meet incoming trains.
T. For the lack of any or all these
safeguards young men and women
cannot be held accountable. To pro-
vide them effectively is the business
Of officials and of civilians no longer
young"
During the coming year, the Blu
.reau expects to make a country wide
study of state provisions for the care
and protection of dependent children
and a study of juvenile courts with re-
spect to the increase of youthful
crime which experience in other coun-
tries has taught always follows war.
IL Studies of child welfare in the war
ring countries have shown that there
has been a decrease in both the 1egiti-
mate and illegitimate births, but that
the decrease in the former has been
greater To a smaller extent than in
Europe, the report says. the problem
Of wartime nlegitimacy exists here
and 'in making plans for government
allowances (for dependents of SOL
diers) the question of support of il |
legitimate children of members OF the |
military forces must be considered"
The pressing essentials of the pro-
gram which the Bureau considers nee
essary to, guard the United State
If "a
stated in the report as follows:
"1-Public protection of maternity
and infancy. (Last year $1,000 moth
ers and SOC, 900 children under 5 years
Of age died. Most of the deaths were
preventable.)
"2-Mothers' care for older chill
dren. Essentials: Adequate incomes,
family allowances for soldiers fami-
les, mothers pensions for civilians
special provision for extraordinary
needs, so far as required to enable
mothers of older children to afford the
home comfort and protection which
are the best safeguard against delln-
quency.
Reimbursement of all child labor
laws and full schooling for all children
OF school age. Standards should be
maintained in spite of war pressure.
"4-Recreation for children and
youth, abundant decent, protected
from any form of exploitation"
Permanent success in reducing IN
FAINT mortality can be achieved only i'll
connection with the protection or
mothers, according to the report
which adds that Investigations by the
& Bureau prove that an adequate income
earned by the father Of a family IS
essential Studies made in eight cities
showed that while the mortality
among infants born to families having
less than $3.50 annual income was
3 1925 in each thousand births the
1 average was reduced to 1873 when
the income ranged from $3.50 to sS49.
4 and was only SIT when the income
was more than $1,000.
~ Where mothers were forced to go
into industry by reason Of insufficient
other income, the infant death rate
was more than twice as great as in
families where the mothers remained
at home. More than one-fourth or
2b.S per cent, of the fathers OF the
families investigated, earned less than
1850 a year, while only one in eight
or 131 per cent. had an income OIL
< 81 25O or more The cities Investigate
al were Johnstown. Pa. Montclalr. y.
r. Manchester, n. H.. Brockton, Mass
Waterbury, Conn, Akron, ONO sag
iHaw Mich, and New Bedford, Mass.
The number of women in industry
Ia. increased since the United states
entered the war and in the new WORK
ers, an increase was found IN the pro
nor4ion Of married women to single
ryoroen The high cost of living Was
o,yen az one reason for the return OF
wives to positions in the Chl1ago
Backwards which they held before
marriage. The report adds:
-1-.,-n, Arc feel that Within Tho