Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-04

N EW ClI1, May oU.--An INTEREST,"
N ing novelty in foreign importations is
being introduced in New York this sea-
son. 1t is babies-British Enthusiastically
selected and free from all home ties, ready
for adoption in childless American homes
They come in both sexes and in both
blonde and brunette colorings, SO that the
would-be adopter has variety from which
to pick his favorite baby type. Each is
beauty as defined in babyland, and is guaran-
teed to be under one year old. All are bar
gains! No such infants could be procured for
adoption in this country In fact, it is be-
coming increasingly difficult to find any
American babies at all that may be adopted
wholly and legally, with all rights reserved.
That is why they are being imported from
England, which has surplus supply to
spare.
They are being brought to this country
through a cooperative arrangement with the
National Adoption society of England and the
newly formed British-American adoption
committee of this city. The first fifteen in
fants, accompanied by doctor and five
nurses, arrived on one steamer several days
ago, and were distributed evenly among three
New York adoption nurseries, affiliated with
the committee. All of these fifteen are now
bespoken, and the committee has cabled for
another supply.
AS soon as it was learned that the babies
had arrived, the nurseries were besieged by
scores Of eager women, some in fashionable
|
some not, each trying to persuade the nurses
in charge to give her one Of the youngsters.
Even while the infants were getting used to
their new cribs and the fascinating, bright
colored pictures on the nursery walls, their
fates were being decided in the front offices.
Most of them, we are informed, are to go
to families who are socially prominent in
New York, and will doubtless inherit consid-
cradle wealth when they grow up. But the
British baby is not necessarily snobbish. He
does not insist upon wealth; but merely a
good, comfortable home, where he will re-
ceive excellent care and the personal atten-
tion and affection that all babies require.
Large Demand for Babies
| That there are plenty of such homes only
too anxious % adopt infants is shown by the
large number of requests received every
year by the adoption nurseries in New York
| requests that can't possibly be filled by the
meager supply of babies turned in by the
city hospitals. The many founding asylums
are crowded with children, of course, but not
| the kind that people want.
"The average person who wishes to adopt
child,' says Miss Clara B. Spence, secretary
of the new adoption committee, desires
| baby rather than half-grown child even
one three or four years old Sweet innocent
| little babies, less than year old, are ex-
| tremely difficult to obtain. Owing to the
rules and red tape connected with founding
homes it is impossible to find a home for
| babies unless they conform to certain relig-
| ious denominations.
:In England there is an oversupply of ba-
bies who may be adopted and full surrender
given. Many people who have lost sons in
| the war in England have taken babies into
| their homes, but still there is an oversupply,
and since our list for children-for babies
not older than one year-cannot be supplied
| from this country, we are turning to Eng
| land.
lone reason for the oversupply of English
| babies is the fact that the adoption laws in
| England are not favorable to adopting. There
a child may have but guardian and an
adopted child cannot inherit property, while
| in America the legally adopted ci4ild is an
heir just as any other member of the family"
| Miss Spence, who is principal of Miss
| Spence's school for girls on West Fifty-fifth
street here, has been interested in securing
| good homes for children for number of
| years. She and her assistant, Miss Charlotte
| Baker, have placed over 200 children with
excellent families, and each has herself
adopted child. They have two adoption
nurseries to their credit: private one of
their own and another financed by the Spence
Alumnae association. They are also inter-
ested in the Alice Chaplin nursery, the pioneer
! in it's field, started several years ago and
still run by Dr. and Mrs. Henry Dwight
Chaplin.
In his hospital practice DR.. Chaplin long ago
| discovered a curious fact about babies. He
found that their absolute requirement in