The Washington herald., 1920-10-12

problems.
Mr.. Hoover said
MY mind is perhaps more hlled
with the problems Of child life than
most laymen's. During the past
six years ! have had the respon-
sibility of directing the organiza-
tion and administration in special
support required by some 100000
infants and children in Belgium
through four long years of war
famine. since the armistice again in
care Of a horde of 100000 children
in Central and Eastern Europe, of
whom 100000 still remain upon
our hands. I have thus been brought
close to the great tragedies Of child
life in great laboratory of mass
action.
Owes Obligation to Children.
With this background I wish to
preface this discussion of child
problems in my own country with
what believe must become a
fundamental national principle. This
is, the nation as a whole has the
obligation of such measures toward
its children as a whole as will yield
to them an equal opportunity at
their start in life. This respon-
sibility and duty Is not based alone
upon human aspirations, but il is
also based on the necessity to Sc
cure physical, mental and moral
health, economic and social prog
ress by the nation. Every child
delinquent in body, education or
character is charge upon the
community as a whole and a menace
to the community itself. The chill
dren of strong physique, of sound
education and character, are the
army with which we must march to
progress.
Through the cumulation of ef-
forts during this $50 years of our
national life efforts by a myriad of
devoted voluntary agents. with gen
erous State and national action, we
have done more for our children
than any other nation. Yet few
of our communities today can point
to all its children as 100 per cent
sound in birth, health, education,
and moral surroundings. Such per-
fection will probably never be at
tained. but most communities are
lamentably behind the possibilities
of this ideal. During the war the
problems that arose in connection
with the mobilization of our great
army and with the food supply Of
our country brought US a fine in
trospection OF our failures. and we
must not lose our awakened sense
of responsibility
Must Concentrate On Minority.
TT is upon some phases of pub
lie relations to our deficiency below
the ideal that I wish to speak to-
day. Although you are devoted pri-
marily to hygiene, l know that you
will agree that all the problems OF
/ birth, health. food supply, educa-
tion, labor and housing are so in
terwoven that they must march step
! by step.
If We were to take broad sur
vey of the children of our nation,
we could say at once that probably
| SO per cent OF them are from the
/ IiOiiltS VI HlSn ana eu =
ucation; that the high character of
/ their parents, with facilities fur
nished by the State in our public
! school system, need give us but
| little anxiety as to this great ma
! jortty. 1t is upon the reduction OF
the remaining 40 per cent that our
solicitude must concentrate itself
Nurse Stan Decreases Police Need.
1T appears to me that the opera
tions of practical public interest re-
volve around two center points
first, for infant life prior to the
school age, and second. for child life
to the age CT adolescence. The hrst
case must center in our homes and
in the second case must center most.
ly in the schools
THE first problem, except for the
phases of poverty. becomes largely
one of education. The most practi.
cal step yet evolved has been tn,
creation of the community nurse
with the stimulus thus given tc
community interest in the problem.
of child birth and infant care.
see no more reason why our loca
governments should not support q
staff OF community nurses than thai
they should support a staff of police
men. Certainly. such a staff will
ultimately decrease the necessit,
for police.
Pure Milk supply j. Vital
There is another service owed b,
the organized community to infancy
and childhood as well-that Is tn,
provision and protection of milt
supplies. We need insistent recoe
milton OF the fact Of the interdepen
dence OF the human animal upon hi.
cattle. The white race cannot sur.
Vive without its dairy products ans
no child can be developed on shor
or bad milk supplies. The knowl
edge or this phase Of infant weIfar,
is more backward amongst parent,
OF town and city children thar
among country children, becaus,
without much special thought ther,
Is available to country children am
pie milk supplies. There does lie IL
the country equally with that O.
most cities and towns the fupda
mental question Of pure milk. w,
nave yet to develop public con
science up to the compulsory slaugh
ter or all tubercular cattle. The in
Vestisations of the Food Admins
tration during the war showed :
woeful lack Of appreciation of tn,
need OF milk for children eenerall,
IN the poorer sections of the large,
cities. Any study OF the nutritiona
oiem for children in the elite
quickly divides itself into malnutri
tlon due to poverty and that due t,
ignorance on the part of parents