Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-02
MAINTAINING MORALE
OF WAR TORN FRANCE
Rockefeller Foundation Helps
French Soldiers by Taking
Care of Their Homes
HEALTH SERVICE PLAN
Dr. Miller Tells Society Folk That
Paris Housing Conditions Rival
New York's East Side

+ NeW hoFhs Rpih 50
The important part that the Rookie
f>lier Foundation has been playing In
\ flse war IN aiding In the maintenance Of
the spirit OF the French people was
called 10 the attention Of members Of
the Red Cross yesterday by DR.. James
kiexander Miller. a New York surgeon,
who returned recently from the front
after extended work for the foundation.
Doctor Miller spoke at the house warm
Ing OF the model workroom OF the Red
Cross at 20 East Thirty-eighth street.
where society women. business men ana
many workers had gathered.
I'VE are keeping UP the spirit Of the
French army by taking care Of the
home and maintaining the morale Of the
folk back of the lines" said Doctor
Miller. when soldier leaves for the
front. after a stay at home, he nat
uraily has a finer spirit when he knows
that his family is being taken care Of
The efficiency of the French army de-
pends on the spirit Of the people behind
the lines"
The same situation applies TO this
country. he added, and no person can
afford TO abate in any degree the fight
being waged against preventable dis
ease whether It is in France or the
United States or in any of the Allied
countries
A regards the spirit Of the French
people. Doctor Miller said that they were
determined to "see It through" and de-
clared he had noticed a stronger spirit
since the Clemenceau ministry was
formed
Doctor Miller said he expected France
ilt the next few years to develop a pub
Tic health service such as the world
has never known. His reason for this
heller was that although France has
never had such service the people are
adopting the idea in all its intensity and
showing every eagerness to learn.
The practical efforts of the founda-
ton to fight disease back Of the lines is
evidenced according to the speaker, in
the establishment of dispensary centers
In many towns and cities and in the
training of visiting nurses. Such a step
TO Conserve the children is necessary
he explained. because the birth rate in
France has decreased to an even lower
point than ii was before the war
This problem is not one Of feeding q"
said Doctor Miller although there is
a scarcity OF sugar, wheat and milk. It
IA a question Of sanitation and bad
housing"
Bad housing conditions also have a
tendency toward tuberculosis, parts Of
Paris being more congested than the
East side, through the influx of refugees
for the most part. He said that al
though the prevalence of tuberculosis is
greater than II is in this country. and
the death rate therefrom is higher. the
number Of tuberculosis cases in the
French army has been exaggerated.
Il was generally supposed, he said.
that there had been more than 200. 900
cases discharged from the army, but a
iittle more than one-third OF that num-
ber was correct. An interesting point
was that trench life does not foster
tuberculosis but rather improves the
condition of those suffering from the
disease.
DR.. Miller praised the operation Of the
Red Cross as he saw il doing Invaluable
work in France, and especially mention
ed the unselflsh spirit that has "wped
away personal feeling and idiosyncrasies
that are bound to crop up"
Among those who attended the meet
ing were Mrs +. Fl. Hartman. Miss
Mabel Borden, Mrs. Cornelius Wander
hilt. Miss Martha c. Vail, head of the
Troy chapter OF the organization Mrs.
N. N. Baldwin, vice chairman of the
model workroom; Mrs. Henry l.. Stim-
son. Miss Ellen Adee and Mrs Bruce
Clark