The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-05-15

B. Spence. head OF the famous school
| for girls in West Fifty-nfth street.
| is secretary. For twenty years Miss
Spence and Miss Charlotte Baker, her
partner, have been Interested In md i
ing homes for babies and have placed
more than 200 children In families
where the children have loving care
and every possible advantage. AS
ISOLATED with Miss Spence In the new
Committee arc Bishop william T. Man
ming OF the Protestant Episcopal
diocese OF New York: DR.. and hra
Henry Dwight Chaplin. and Miss
Josephine Plows-Day. an English
woman familiar with the work of the
| English society.
DIR Chaplin is one OF the foremost
baby specialists in New York and
aided in choosing the children adopted
by Mrs. Finley J. Shepard, formerly
Miss Helen Gould. and by many other
families of wealth in the city. Since
Mas spence started her adoption
nursery girls attending her school
nave taken a deep interest In the
work OF finding homes for children,
and among the babies that have been
placed are many who are now the
legal sons and daughters of persons
Of social distinction and large pos
sessions. The fifteen English babies
are spoken for by men and women
who will give them every comfort
and luxury. In this respect these pill
erims of the twentieth century cer-
tainiy diner from those OF the seven-
teenth, whose names some OF them
may bear.
This international philanthropic en-
trrprise is interesting and commend
able. but it awakens many conjec-
lures in the average American mind.
2'he question that presents itself is:
Why import babies when there GER
tainly is large supply OF homeless
cnes in this country? Strangely
| enough, the answer is that III Is diin-
cult to obtain children Tor ADOPTION
Eere in the United States. Although
! there are approximately 15O. 900 in the
asylums of the country. men and
| " omen Who desire to obtain them for
ADOPTION. complain of difficulties In
| procuring desirable babies. In some
cases there is interminabie red tape
wisely interopsed, no doubt, and In
| Others there IL reluctance 10 give
I'D inmates of asylums that must de-
pend on full houses IL they are TO be
assured OF support.
| The wise. modern idea OF dealing
with the children who are born with
out benefit of clergy Is to encourage
| the mothers to care for them and 10
! prevent that most hideous of social
| crimes, the mothers surrender or de-
sertion OF unwelcome babies who
| c ,me into the world. There has been
| recently a growing interest in the
adoption of children and this will In
crease, but the fact remains that, as
long as the world permits the neglect
/ the cruelty and the injustice which
become the lot Of the children VINO
are wards Of the state, II canno'
truthfully boast of being civilized
! lhe war has Drought home the real
ization that children are commercially
| the most valuable asset of any ma
ton, but we are too slowly making
the most OF that realization. The
| Children's Bureau of the United
States Department of Labor was one
step forward and much may be ex
pected of the new Department Of Pub
lie welfare-when IL finally over
comes all its foes and IL definitely es-
tablished.
Meanwhile, greetings and good
wishes to the nfteen English babies
who will be American citisens of to-
morrow. May they live long and
prospsr. Through their good luck
there may come fairer fortunes for
American babies and new interest in
mch work as IL being 90 quietly and
so successfully accomplished by such
local Institutions as the House OF