Evening star., 1918-03-31
AVE 100000 babiesl Give the
children a square DEAR"
With this slogan the Chill

GGS children square deaf!''
'"" With this slogan the Chill
dren's year" campaign will
be launched next Saturday-on April 6,
the first anniversary OF the entrance Of
the United States into the war-by the
children's bureau of the Department OF
Labor and the womans committee of
the Council of National Defense.
SO far-reaching is this campaign to
be in its scope that it Is hoped that
every child in the country will beneht
thereby. So broad are the lines upon
which the work will be conducted that
MIS- believed that the foundation will
be laid for a nationwide Improvement
IN child welfare work which will result
IN Better babies and better children in
the generations to come.
Every year 100000 children under hve
years of age die in the United States
In addition. $4,000 mothers die annu-
ally. Public health authorities agree
that one-half of the deaths OF infants
are easily preventable, while they claim
that II children are well born and well
cared for the death rate among infants
will practically disappear. These same
officials also believe that the death toll
OF. mothers is largely unnecessary.
4 X
During the next twelve months save
the life of baby.
This is the first time in the history
of-rhe world that the civilized nations
have recognized, through organization.
that the power and strength of a peo-
Y11k IT,
cradle; that maternity must be pro-
tected by surrounding it with the sani-
tary conditions and welfare comforts
which will enable children to be well
born and well cared for. Babies healthy
in body and mind means that the homes
Tor 1ncurables. institutions for the fee
pie minded, blind aSylums and hospitals
Tor undeveloped children may be large
iy eliminated, and that the funds which
gottor their support may be spent in
tne education and wholesome amuse-
ment of the young.
winch Is engulfinE the greater portion
or The globe is the alarming increase
IN lnfant and maternal mortality which
mas occurred in all the warning nations
and only been curbed when extraordi,
nary preventive measures were adopt
ed s'With the decrease in the birth rate
consequent upon war, there is also a
consequent increase in the infant NOR
tality rate through the withdrawal
from the home of many mothers who
must NIL the places of the wage earn
ers. as well as I'LL up the ranks of those
VINO have gone to the front In all of
the European countries the mortality
rate among women and infants in
creased to such marked degree dur
ing the hrst year of the war that the
question became hardly less vital than
theA-war itself and was checked onIv
when thorough system of protection
1ished.
In 1915 and 1917, under the ausnices
oI the General Federation of Women's
Clubs and the children's bureau,
nerion-wide BABY week" Campaigns
were held In consequence new sense
OF civic responsibility for infant life
was aroused in thousands of localities.
NhIIe many new activities proved the
concrete result of the work. Nursing
services. clinics, children's conferences
peter milk and food supplies and bet
laws were among them
III is upon such a framework there-
f6re, that the children's bureau and the
Moman's committee of the Council of .
manent structure of infant and child .
care which will not only meet the ,
needs OF country at war, but will in
sure to America future generations of ,
cnHdren s Whleh nave received the care
Of every baby born into this world.
The general program to be carried ONT J
turing the twelve months of the cam
paign has been prepared by the bureau
the woman's committee of the
Council of National Defense has been ]
built up far-reaching organization. {
under the department of child welfare I
4 Fhich should insure the greatest possf.
be. benefit being derived from the /
gear-s work.
In every state a state chairman of the
of child welfare has been 9
named. under whose supervision will J
xork the local ohairmen of the yari- :
'assunits carrying on the work through :
,Rt the state In all there are more :
han 5,100 local units of organization,
which vary in number in the Individual
'tate, according to the size of the state
md the thoroughness of organization.
R1nois has more than 1000 local units,
or instance. and California nearly 500. /
Jessica B. Peixotto, professor of
I9cia1 economics at the University of
Jalifornia, is executive chairman of
he department of child welfare of the ,
woman's Council OF National Defense, I
IRds,nnder her leadership will be rail- /
isdt to the standard of "children's year. I
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