The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-03-02

! spreading through France good Am
erican ideas OF hygiene for mothers
and babies. But American hygiene,
to win converts in France, must look
and sound French. So Frenchwomen
are. now reading little books like
Future MAmans", and are curtously
F, studying the posters and charts the
Americans OF the Croix-Rouge have
| put up.
Future Mamans' is 80 very French
with it's picture Of q joyous-step-
ping Breton woman Offering her
precarious wares for sale, a basketful
Of irreslstibly adorable babies in one
| hand and tiny infant held by th5
wings, in the other.
It is the cover design Of q pamphlet
published by the Children's Bureau
| Of the American Red Cross in France
| telling the women refugees ana 9TH
ers suffering the physical hardships
| OF war, how to take care Of their
health and of their babies. So simple,
kind and wise is this little book,
that, reading #, one cannot help
| thinking that to these women 1t
would seem as If Life had taken them
into her confidence, and given them
the simple answers to some Of her
hardest problems.
Little Things Count.
And so, as a matter of fact, she has
done, through great specialists in
child welfare; and truly-as the Red
Cross has learned in France - such
simple, definite instruction may make
| all the difference between the tragedy
of a life SCARED and broken by the
ravages of war; and the usefulness
Of a life Of growing health and hope.
Perhaps ii may be the very bridge
| from despair to happiness.
This Is one OF the objects Of the
educational child welfare and public
| health campaign begun by the Chill
dren's Bureau of the American Red
Cross, which is helping France in her
fight against infant mortality and
lberculosis-stealthy enemies no less
to be feared than invading armies,
and still to be reckoned with after
the signing of the peace.
Working together, the Children's
Bureau and the Rockefeller commits
sion have equipped public health
exhibits, sending them into French
towns and cities and villages. These
are mounted on large motor trucks,
carrying moving pictures, models,
photographs and literature. Lecturers
accompany them, holding confer
ences on tuberculosis prevention and
cure, child hygiene and prenatal
care, and giving instruction and
demonstrations
In cooperation with the French,
this material has all been most care
fully and thoroughly adapted to the
French mind, and all Of the books,
pictures, posters, cards and panels
have been illustrated by French
artists and made just as French as
possible.
Posters Are Witty.
The posters are full Of witty, anus
ing, sometimes radiant illumtnatiOns,
like that of the babies crusade, with
standards, reminders of certain
inalienable rights. Indeed, looking at
the simple wood-cuts which surround
a set of health notices for children,
one is struck again with that French
pictorial knack, which amounts to
genius for lending a certain glamour
even to such subjects as teeth clean
ing, and to such injunctions as not
to stoop or dawdle, but TO take deep
breaths, an irresistible fascination.
Science Back Of All.
Behind the charming cartoons, the
wise and kindly books and the entire
plan OF these travelling exhibits. is
the science of child specialists; the
skill Of the workers; the imagination
Of the artists and the enthusiasm
and hearty cooperation Of such
bodies as the French Ministries Of
Munitions, Of Education, of Labor,
and of the Interior, Of the great social
agencies of France, and Of French
doctors and nurses.
When the first of these conferences
was held in Charities, the young
mothers of the city were extended
this invitations:
1.-THE American Commission, which
came for the purpose Of bringing its
maternal sympathy to all French
children, win be happy il you accept
its invitation to come on Thursday,
Jan. 10 at o'clock. to the lecture
room in the city hall, to make the
acquaintance of your American
friends and drink a cup Of chocolate
with them, while talking about the
things that interest the mothers OF
all countries"
over 1000 visitors attended the
four day conference, according to the
journal de Charles" The project
OF the department of ure-et-Loire, |
OF which the Charles is the center |
officially opened the meetings. His |
speech is quoted in this Journal.
United Forever.
'In France, he said, tuberculosis |
kills annually 10000 persons-these /
are the ante-bcllum figures. Today |
the situation is aggravated. The |
American Mission has a whole pro- /
gram, q vast and beautiful program /
adapted not only to the needs but to /
the very spirit Of our people, to our 4
methods and to our social customs /
for our American friends, our Ameri- i
can brothers, have mot come to try /
out systems, to apply theories. They
have come only to do good. For that 4
we thank them deeply
New ties are being created daily,
and every day we are drawing our
union closer: because they viii be
linked to us in grief and sacrifice.
.hese ties are lndestructble. They
unite forever the sister republics,