Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-18
Frederic Haskin's Letter
W1LLTHE STORK STRIKE.


resources.
And-when the men OF Holland
were modified as q war time meas
ure-they were found to be IS per
cent efficient. as against our 60 per
cent. All this points out, say the
birth control enthusiasts, that it is
better to concentrate upon the quail
ity of our citizens than upon the
quantity. We all must admit that
Holland is very pleasant and
highly respectable little country.
They don't have birth control
clinics in Russia, and they don't
have them in China, and they don't
have them in India. twill also be
remembered that Germany was
strong for big families. Her popu-
lation increased 100000 in 80
years. and the German dreams
Of national expansion grew and
waxed strong until Germany pre-
cipitated the fearful world war.
An instance worthy of notice is
the sudden interest which the jap
a2ese government is showing in
birth control. During the last six
months Is Japanese officials have
sought Margaret Sanger to get the
benefit Of her wide knowledge and
experience in the work of educating
people in the real meaning and ad-
vantages of birth control as. she
sees them. They say that the jap
anese government agrees that the
overcrowded condition of their
country means birth control now or
a war of aggression 20 years hence,
and they have decided on birth con-
troll for humane reasons. Every
book on the subject which Mrs,
Sanger recommended to them is be-
ing translated into Japanese.
Margaret Sanger is the last per-
Son one would expect to find lead
ing a reform. She is the mother Of
three sturdy children herself, but
in spite of this, and her years of
strenuous work, she has the deli
cacy and prettiness of a wild
flower. And she is emphatically not
a wild-eyed radical. It is to avert
the revolution, to which some peo-
pie say the present economic con-
dition is leading, that she advocates
the birth strike. However misguid-
ed her opponents may feel her zeal
to be, no one who has talked with
her can fail to realize that her
patriotism and love of humanity
are SO strong that she is ready to
make any sacrifice for them.
81 feel" she said recently, "it is
SC important to, the welfare Of this
country where boards of imm:-
grant women are bearing children
u9wanted and unfit for life accord
ing to our standards, that. have
been willing to go to Jail for vOic-
ing my opinion"
Before she took up this work she
was a trained nurse. in New York
working among the two and three
room tenement homes on the lower
east side where families of a dozen
children were living in misery, and
also working in the uptown homes
OF the wealthy where there were a
dozen or more rooms and rarely
more than one or two children. The
poor mothers themselves, by beg
ging her to help them limit their
families SO that the children al.
ready born might be supported in
! decency, first gave her the idea Of
, teaching birth control. She went
abroad and studied it in England
France, Spain and Holland, and
came back here to see what she
could do to help her country.
women. Such men as H. G. Wells
Arnold Bennett, Gilbert Murray ant
Havelock Ellis, are backing her
Once when she was arrested they
wrote a letter to President Wilson
which caused him to have the cast
against her dismissed. 1t is hare
to imagine such delicate and gen
tie lady as Mrs. Sanger being ar.
rested.
But all the policemen don't dis
like me-" she said recently, with 6
quaint smile. Look at this lovely
bronze vase the chief of police o.
Tokyo brought me as ceremonial
gift when he came to get informa
ton for his country"
The question Of birth control i.
! being discussed more and more
freely, but it is still unsettled. Ar,
the women who have the right Il
vote also going to assume the RICH
to voluntary motherhood? Ar,
mothers going to demand propel
living conditions and sufficient foot
for their children, or else refuse t.
have the children? Will the storl
really strike?