The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1918-04-18
\ CALI TO SERVE

America has been called a nation
OF pleasure seekers, but the present
war crisis has revealed the fact that
we are for the greater part a nation
OF patriotic citizens, loyal to the
heart core. The proof of this is seen
in the fact that everyone is Offering
themselves for service, each one try
ing to find in which service he will
be the most useful to his country.
wish to present door of oppor-
tunity-a service that holds first
rank in its relation to the welfare Of
our country. This service is the
saving Sf the children, thus safe
guarding the nation of tomorrow.
Three thousand children under five
years OF age die in the United
States each year. This is in times of
peace. Half of these deaths are pre-
ventable. Already the high cost of
living due to the present crisis has
resulted in an increased death rate.
This is shown especially in our large
cities where the price of milk has
been raised. In the avalanche sud
denness with which the present war
came upon our allies, the children
We're for time forgotten with disas-
trous results. 1t is to protect our
ration from a similar disaster that
this present campaign is undertaken.
Through the Federal Children's
Bureau and the Council of National
Defense. our government is trying to
save the lives of 100000 children
this year. Each state is given it's
quota Cf lives to save. The number
.li l,lf nf h. IN,l
expected to save is 775. April &
will see the inauguration Of Child
ren's Year" AS a hen gathers her
chickens under her wings to protect
them when danger is near, SO our
government would reach out it's long
arm of protection and care for these
little ones.
''Children's Year" is to commence
with the weighing and measuring of
all children under school age-a
number of stations for weighing and
measuring children will be establish
ed in every community. Much of the
work of examining the babies will be
left to the Doctors and Nurses. but
as every child in the state is to be
examined and as many of our ply
sicians nurses have gone to the front.
we will lave to call to our help,
volunteer workers for many kinds Of
service. Mothers are expected to
take their children to these stations
where a duplicate card provided by
E4he government will be filled out,
half being sent to the Children's
Bureau and the other half being kept
by the parents to take the child to
the examining station, the card may
be filed out in the home and the
duplicate sent to the Children's
Bureau. This is but the beginning
of the work to be done. Our govern
ment. from this time on, is to know
its children by name and a watchful
care is to be kept over each one of
them. The birth of each child must
be registered. Let us hope that we
may be able in this year to remove
the stigma under which we now
stand, of ranking with Turkey and
China in our registering of births and
deaths. TO accomplish all this in
the short time allotted to us means
unlimited work. We are asking for
the enlistment in this campaign of
the patriotic service of every doctor
ganiZation, every citizen and every
public official. DO not wait to he
asked to help-we are late in "ettin"
started i'll this State and the time is
so short--as soon as you know who
the local chairmen in your COM
muniti"s are. offer your services to
them or send your name to Mrs. II.
ii. Devine Of Wahpeton. State Chair
man Child Welfare Division. Wo-
mans Committee Council of d.
fense.
If you have a baby or Il child un-
der six years of age you are invited
to bring il to the Children's health
conference, to be held at Wahpeton,
\. d.. week beginning May sixth
Children will be weighed and
measured by a competent physician
and the mother advised how to keep
them strong and well.
Every th,ld must be free from
communicable disease, rash, sore
throat. cold, infiamed eyes. etc, ard
must not have been recently exposed
to any contagious disease.
Fill out the following blank an
plicatiOn for enrolment, send
it to the Chairman of the Enrolment