Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-02
For the Children
By Frederic J. Haskin

One Of the most striking differences be-
tween the Allies and the Central Powers ~
shown i'm the attitudes Of the governments
toward children. In the midst OF
wsr and At it's most critical pcriods the
democratic nations have given time and
thought to the health and education OF
the children. upon whom their futures ms
nations depend The Central Powers have
used their children recklessly In the fac
tories and in the ranks as materials ot war.
The British Government at first used
children in war factories. Later the mis-
take war realized and splendid amends
were made. The United States IN now
the only ono of the great democratic
nations in which children are still 20 some
extent exploited
The Education BILL which passed
Parliament last summer, is an excellent
example of the far-aightedncss Of tho
British Government in the matter of
child welfare This law provides com
pulsory education for every child up To
II wears Of age both urban and rural.
This measure will he far more effective
than child labor law; it is definite, direct
and inclusive A labor law such ~ was
passed in this country in 1916 only pro
tected children in certain Industries,
WTtfe tIDilH1flUS Dt NffltItFH tfflitPJtR th
stores and small establishments in the
great cities were not affected.
GERMANS DID DIFFERENTLY
While the British have been passing
education laws, while France with her
territory overrun and often face tn face
with defeat. has enacted statutes main
tanning educational standards, the Ger
man Government has called It's youth into
the trenches, sent them to- long days m
| munition plants and employed children
under l6 in night work. ] he reports from
Austria show even more deplorable con
ditiona parliamentary report recently
published IN the Arbeiter Ieitung OF
| Vienna shows that more than one-thIrd
of all the school children Of Austria are
working and in many districts c very
child from the age Of FIVE years up ~
employed
! In the United States, constructive work
! in child welfare has been accomplished ss
the result of hard, uphill work, and there
have been many failures and dlsappo'nt-
nenta The greatest blow of All was the
action of the United states Supreme
/ Court in declaring the Federal Child
Labor Law unconstitutional.
The aw had been in effect nine months
and had fept thousands of children from
+. heavy. unhealthy toll IN factories. Many
| people were dissatisfied with this law, be-
cause II was only Of benefit 70 q portion
of our child population. hat AZ least i VAS
= step III the right direction. and the
liberal elements were bitterly disappointed
r. have il repealed
NOT 80 SERIOUS
Bnt this setback has not proved N be as
serious as ii seemed at the time A NUM-
| Der of States have child labor statutes
protecting tho Juveniles as effectively aa
! the repealed Federal Law The Depart
rnent of Labor backed BY sweeping war
powers. Is consistently keeping - the
spirit 81 The child labor law even though
Il X naw dead stter Moreover tie
action of the supreme Court served AZ an
Impetus 10 the leaders of the fight for
child welfare, u awakened many who had
been indifferent and recruited new work
ers Never before have they been 50
active. 20 determined or 20 successful
TIE sttitude II the Department oi
Labor = definitely expressed IN 2 state
fnent reecntlv made Nv Felix Frankiurter
chairman Ut the War Labor Policies
Board w must resist To the utmost
all destructive tnroads on children Our
school children lp to the age of IL should
not be touched
Nevertheless. since our entrance n the
var. ii spite of All humanitarian and
literal efforts. there has been a great IN
crease n child labor This NAV be At
tn btued 70 Severa causes. lncludin.
the lure 81 hlgn wages ~ indifference u