Evening journal., 1918-03-19
ELM MOOATE PROGRAM
Ct V(HEN'S Council
Will Promote Child Welfare
enc Assist in Liberty
Loan Campaign
FORM COUNTY UNITS
To CARRT OUT PLANS.
The woman's Defense Council of Del

The purpose Of the meeting was TO
consider tho adoption OF a new form
OF organization for the county defense
units, to discuss plans for the child
welfare program which Is 10 be the
main work Of the year, and 90 hear
reports from committee chairmen Mrs
Charles R. Miller. state chairman, pre-
sided at both the morning and after
noon sessions.
At the morning session the follow
ing brief outline Of the defense program .
for the year was endorsed and copies /
ordered sent to every member Of the /
committee:
Broa6 Pmpose-To mobilize and put /
at the service Of tho country the ef- I
forts OF all the people.
/. BY the education Of individuals 10 /
understand their duties towards the
community In which they live, towards
the United States, and towards the ma
tions at war;
2. BY stimulating the production Of
food. and an increased output Of es-
sential industries;
3. By the conservation o. food, fuel
and other commodities;
4. By the conservation Of human re-
sources, including child life, public
health, women In Industry.
The meeting also adopted the follow
Ing plan Of organization for county
subdivisions, which plan had been
formulated by the National Council of
Defense, Mems Division, ana adopted by
the National Woman's Committee:
1. The school district TO be the unit
Of county and State organizations;
2. Each school district 10 have a
committee to be known officially as the
| Community Council, directly respons-
! ible 10 the county unit, and through
The county unit. an official part OF the
state Defense Council;
3. Each Community Council 10 have
/ a chairman and an executive secretary
who will assume responsibility for re-
/ celving and transmitting oil instruc-
/ tions on defense work, securing the
! proper sub-committees to carry out the
work and reporting 10 tho county unit.
{ The. chief policy In reorganizing the
county units will be 10 use existing
committees and agencies for war work,
wherever they exist; to avoid duplica-
tion in activities and organization: and
10 reach the individual In every com
munity, with the necessary information
10 enable him 70 do his full patriotic
duty to the country and 10 the nations
at war.
A new element IN this form OF defense
/ organization Is the joint service OF men
and women on the Community Coun'
ellis, the national committees recon-
mending that one-third Of the mem.
! bers IN each case should be women. i
Is recommended also that the teacha
in the rural school should be membei
4 ] TArrnnf1 and fT
earded schools that the principal o
one Of the teachers be q member.
] Child Welfare Program.
The Child Welfare program for th'
{ year, as recommended by the Fedora
? Government, through the Children
Bureau and the Defense Council, Gov
ers the public protection Of mothers
10 infants and young children, with a view
e 10 reducing the very high infant NOR
J tality rate in this country. As a fun
! damental IN this FIRST section, tn
. Woman's Defense Committee has intro
b duced a bill for the'regulation Of mid
= wifery at the present session OF tn
= Legislature.
g Last year. according to the score
9 tary's report, 10000 children, under
70 years, died In the United States. i
e Delaware the number was 955, In Wi
:. mington. 57i. These figures were con
3 trasted with the death rate OF sol
I diers at the front. which Is estimate
Z, 10 be about two out Of every one hun
dred. On this basis. 70 children unde
5 years died IN Wilmington for ever
p two soldiers who die at the front,
p England awakened 90 this situatio
d only after a year Of sacrifice Of chill
e dren's lives by neglect at home. al
l. during the second year Of the war. ap
: piled Government funds and expert ac
ministration to the reduction Of infar
4 mortality. America is now planning
4 follow Englands example.
q The other divisions Of the work {
4 the "children's year" win include HON
4 care OF children. maintenance Of hig
- standards In education and child labc
regulation, proper recreation for a
children, and suitable attention to th
detectives, dependents and delinquents
The program Of the year begins wit
a weighing and measuring contest
J. all children under 5 years In the Stai
during April and May. When the II
, FAINT welfare chairman announced TN
"a the Delaware child welfare commitU
( was supposed 10 weigh and neasul
q every baby in the State OF see that IN
n was done, and send card index OF u
ID babies to Washington, the executi'
oommittees Of the defense gasped, ar
A lively discussion resulted as TO no
this work could be carried out. TT
Anal conclusion was that the publ
. health nurse was the main solution, az
IN that every individual who could
u nressed into service must rally arour
the nurses and physicians who we
is ready 10 assist In the work.
IN There was amusement at the repo
Of . NJ Miss Julia Lathrop's suggestion tn
,n fbe ministers should aid in the can
.) paign Of weighing and measuring I
preaching a sermon on weighed IN u
he balance and found wanting
lg n was the opinion Of the child ST
r. dsnts present that under-nourishme
en- us general among the children or u
II state, not that they did not set enous
.ic N eat bu that information as to Il
nroper feeding Of children was q
general.
i iberty Loan Campaign
Durlng the morning session Of q
nefense conference, Mrs. Henry Ride
II Iv. chairman OF the Woman state Ii
erfv Loan and James II. Hughes Al
1 Hall Anderson, chairman and seer
ed sarv of the Kent County Mems Comm
az tee discussed with the Woman's Sta
cr Committea the advisabIiiy OF a Sta
ID, natrioiic rally In Dover on April S
al aid in launching the campaign for I
pal I. .ihertv Loan. and securing general
ed terest in the program OF defense wi
l. fafN1