New Mexico state record., 1921-02-04
CANE PA|GN AGAINST
BLINDNESS IS ON
WORLDWIDE EFFORT TO PRE-
VENT 1T AND TO RELIEVE
THE SlGHTlESS.
OUTCOME OF THE GREAT WAR
Winifred Holt, Founder of the Chain
of Light Houses" Is Leader in the
Work-Eminent Persons Are inter-
ested.
BY EWARD q. CLARK.

oy C"AuO o. SlAhN.
westinghouse committee, which
from its personnel promises aggressive
action, has been formed in Washington
AS a first basis of operations for a
rampaign against blindness in the
world. Other committees will be
formed In different cities of the United
States and throughout Europe. The
Intention is to intensity the present ef-
forts for the relief of the blind and to
conduct fight to prevent blindness.
1t was the World war which was re-
sponsible for the proposed intensified
campaign in behalf of the blind and
In behalf of those who are threatened
with blindness. The United States
had only 100 men blinded In battle.
but 1t has 10000 civilians who are
sightless. France had 5000 men blind
Ell as result of battle, and in Italy
1000 men lost their sight from war
causes. The figures of Great Britain,
Russia and other countries engaged in
the war are not at present available.
Winifred Holt Of New York, who is
an artist of note. has been In Wash
ington experimenting the formation
of the committee for the blind. She
Is the founder of the chain of Light
Houses for the sightless that have
been established during the past IA
years in this country and abroad.
New Methods Are Devised.
4 l.
the governments of the world and va
rlous state governments of the United
States have not been doing what they
could for the blind In the past, and
are not continuing after some kind of
manner to fulfill their obligations to
these hopeless ones, but the war and
the necessity of rehabilitating men
suddenly made blind has brought In
Its wake new methods of treatment
and also new means of making the
blind happy, self-confdent and self
supporting.
In the war against blindness all the
lessons which have been learned from
the treatment of the blind during the
war and since the armistice will be
utilized to help carry on the cam
paign. At the first meeting which Mrs,
Holt held in this city the ambassador
from France and his wife were pres
emit At the second the Italian gov
ernment was represented. In addition,
Of course, to representatives of the
United States government, including
Surgeon General Ireland. Miss Holt
has been working In France, and there
has succeeded In doing commanding
work in the rehabilitation of men
blinded In battle. Engaged In the
work with her are such Americans as |
Woodrow Wilson, William Howard |
Taft, Charles f. Hughes. John II. Fin
ey. Herbert !. Satterlee, William
Forbes Morgan and other Americans |
If high standing.
Work Of the Paris Light House."
Perhaps the most interesting of the
light houses" for the blind is one In
which Miss Holt labored In Paris.
There are pathetic and dramatic sto.
les told of the work In that light
louse where strong men suddenly
tricken with blindness were brought
nut of the despair of their condition
o become reconciled 10 their lot In
ife, and to determine not only TO
make themselves self-supporting and
seful citizens of the republic. bur
o help insomuch as In them lay to
spouse the cause of the civilian blind
nd to aid also in the work of pre-
ention of blindness.
Soldiers of the great war who were
linded in battle suffered a mental
eaction, the blackness of which prob
bly, no one but themselves can real
.e. Soldiers. with their sight shot
ut, were In a mood TO believe that
od and the world had deserted them,
nd apparently they did so believe.
lot the least difficult of the tasks
'hich confronted the workers among
he blind was that of bringing the de-
endent ones out of mental gloom.
ire Shows Need Of Records BUILDING.
Headlines in Washington news
aper of current issue read like this. ;
FIRE RUINS RECORDS
Priceless Census Papers Suffer
at the Commerce Building,
Washington has been waiting for {
'mething like this to happen. Con- !
ress has been told time and again G
lat one day 1t would happen. 1t is 4
1iy luck. perhaps, which saved scores
thousands of additional census rec c
'ds which were stored near those G
hich were destroyed by the recent a
e In the new Commerce building AT Q
ineteenth street and PENNSYLVANIA a
'enue. n
From time to time through the wears $
ashington correspondents have urged O
the people of the United States the /
'cessity of a fireproof building in g
ashington to contain government rec Y
ds which cannot be duplicated. and C
Ousands of which are absolutely nee "
sary to prove up" claims for pen- 4
ons. and the service records of mil r.
ms of men who fought for their
untry i'm one or more of the wars in
lich the United States has been on. 6