South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-10
CZECHOSLOVAKS DODGE
FAMINE IN FOOD BUT
DEATH RATE RUNS HIGH


Harvesting is going on in the
czechoslovak republic, and the fear
of famine is definitely removed. Six
months ago il looked, as If the
scenes from India and China-mil-
lions Of human beings starving TO
death would be repeated in fertile
Bohemia. where a famine has not
been known since the 18th century.
But America with its wealth and
with its remarkable organizing abil-
ity stepped i'm and fed millions at
a distance of six thousand miles
from its wheat fields and nearly a
thousand miles from the sea The
czechoslovak nation gratefully
acknowledges the great debt it owes
to the United States in extending 1t
credit and overcoming all the ply
steal. political and military Difficult
ties connected with the delivery OF
food from the heart of America to
the heart of Europe.
But if the nation as whole has
been saved, death still stalks bold
ly in the new republic and gathers
i'm by the thousands those who have
not yet learned TO know what life
-. namely the little children. The
greatest tragedy of these afterthe-
war days is the awful slaughter not
by arms violence, but by disease
brought on by Insufficient feeding,
lack OF milk and medicines. eX-
haustion of mothers and general
want.
Death Rate on Increase.
Think of the tragedy. both indi-
vidual and national, contained in
the following comparison: In 1910
there were 100000 children under
the age of IA in Bohemia, Mcravia
and Elesia: in 1918 there were only
2.S4S.OOO. over $4,000 young
lives hickered cut before the eyes
of their mothers who knew that
they could have been saved. If only
one had milk and medicines. Dur
ing the last year OF the war death
rate of babies under the age of one
increased in Prague from Il to 10
percent. in some of the suburbs
reaching as high as % percent.
Compare thai with the normal NOR
tally Of Zurich babies which is
only seven percent.
There are skilled physicians and
good hospitals in Bohemia. but
without drugs and without nourish-
ing food they can accomplish little.
Thus in the children hospital of
Prague the death rate in 1913 was
only three percent. but in 1917 II
was 90 percent; in the Founding
home the death rate increased from
six percent in 1914 to p percent in
1918. All the skill of the doctors
was useless without milk. and milk
was not 10 be had during the war
Very little Improvement in this re-
spect has been effected since the
armistice. Thus the general hospi-
tai OF Prague which formerly used
10 get 500 liters of milk day for
its patients now gets from 50 TO so
liters: in the maternity hospital
milk can lie given only 10 very sick
children: the ration is two liters
per day TO five children.
Milk Is Big Factor.
The lack of milk is the most Sc
rious factor in raising the mortal
ity of the babies. but there is a lack
Of almost everything else. New
born babies have TO be wrapped in
paper, as there is no clothing or
linen. Medicines are woefully lack
ing. especially cod liver oil. and so
famished for fats are the little
bodies that children actually like
this remedy Hospitals are over
crowded. Consumption which for
merly took small toll OF the chill
dren now kills them by thousands.
II is said that 80 percent OF babies
in Prague are rachitic, anemic or
tubercular Hospitals have no bed
linen. no underwear. no soap even.
There are not enough beds. and sick
/ children are placed in the still
warm beds Of those just died
many are refused admission every
day for lack OF room. Beds in the
wards are placed side by side. in
the corridors in the bathrooms.
Conditions are so terrible and the
I chances Of a baby TO live and grow
\ into a sound and healthy man or
woman are so small, that one is al
most glad OF the low birth rate. The
decrease is startling. In the city OF
1 Prague there were $50 births in
1914. and only 267 in 1918. In the
/ large industrial suburb OF Zizkov
there were 1854 births in 1910, 594
in 1917 and only $50 in 1918, less
/ than a NTH OF the normal