Evening star., 1921-12-14
Uncle Sam and the Babies.

Uncle Dam dUu LuC OooASS'
That it is eight times as safe to be
a soldier as to be baby in America
and that private philanthropy and
individual interest have had centuries
Of opportunity and have utterly
broken down in the face Of the ac-
cumulating perils" of infancy. is the
basis upon which the Burlington Vt)
Free Press independently justifies
Uncle Sam for coming to the rescue
hy means of the Sheppard-Towner
act. This law, passed in the recent
session of Congress will. as the KAN
.,as City Times independently says.
make possible federal cooperation
with the states in carrying aid to the
families most in need of the service
both information and assistance in
maternal and infant hygiene" of
which there is. in the opinion of this
paper, urgent need" in many Sec
,ions. The Chicago Journal demo
cratic), however, thinks that "in free
and comfortable America such cases
ought to be rare" and voices dissent
from "spoon-feeding interests and In
stitutions. looking after the kitchen;
in word, paternalism.
The outstanding arguments against
the measure concern its alleged in
fringement upon states rights and
what is described by some of the
papers as it's socialistic tendency.
while some of the papers. which do
not share these objections, express
some doubt about the expediency OF
admin stration. In the first class Is
the Columbia IS. C.) Record (demo-
cratic). which feels that the consti-
tutional guarantee of the most lib
erty consistent with public welfare
has been abridged, in laws ordering
us about our premises and
how we shall mind the baby" That
the baby is not completely protected
from it's parents. however, is shown
by the Elmira Star Gazette dnde-
pendent). which calls attention to
the Specific clauses protecting par
ents in their right to liberty OF ac-
ton" "a more insidious way of en-
croaching upon the rights OF the
states could not easily be conceived,
thinks the San Antonio Light Gnde-
pendent). thought the Norfolk Vir-
ginian-Pilot independent democratlc)
finds nothing inconsistent in "a fed
eral bureau concerned with minlmlz-
ing the hazards of childbirth. when
already the government takes an
effective interest in the diseases Of
animals and the Affections of cotton.
and the Buffalo News (republican)
sees a precedent fol. such activity
in the federal aid to education and 1 to
gonian independent republican,
thinks "there will be little disposi--
ton to bubble over academic and
legalistic issues if in the end the
people are aroused to a great need
and educated in the means Of pre-.
venting Ven a profoundly regrettable and
conceded waste" and the pittsburgh
Press independently feels that "as a
precedent for future progress in well
fare legislation the act is Of more
than ordinary importance: ,r sne
neapolis Tribune (republican), that
in due course the whole responsible
inv can be localized, permitting the
government to withdraw its helpful
aid"
The Topeka State Journal (independo
merits of the work to be undertaken.
thinks there 'is possibility that the
law was designed more to provide
Jobs for the faithful than to confer
benefits on the public" and believes
its enactment probaoiy ,,.al can ,nte pe
federal politics" since the desire to
win the woman vote and the ever
present necessity for more political
Jobs probably induced many Congress
men to vote for it." Since the objects
however, through existing agencies,
the Norfolk Virginian-Pilots dnde-
pendent democratic) concern over ad-
ministration problems takes the line
that if the federal gift is burdened
with conditions unduly interfering
with the methods and practices ap-
proved by local conditions. 1t will! In
many cases go begging" ut may be"
concludes the Hartford Times (demo-
cratic), after reviewing some OF the
difficulties, that what the proponents
of this law are trying to accomplish
can't be done. but certainly 1t Is
worth trying"
Records assertion of the practically
unanimous opposition of the medical
profession" to the bill. the Raleigh
wonders If it did not exaggerate
little. There was some objection to
it, but IL practically the entire med
ical profession was opposed. 1t was
certainly very quiet in it's opposition"
while the Allentown (Pa.l Call dn-
depe ndent) believes that the country
has at last seen the wisdom and
care. "This is the. very. best law
passed by the special session Of Con-
gress," in the opinion of the Wichita
Eagle independently, and the San
Francisco Call independently states
that "it Is not revolutionary, not rad
icaI, not paternalistic, not anything
but a sane, long delayed effort to do
even a half-educated farmer would do
for his horses and cows."
A Patriotism Of Doubtful Quality.
Every now and again some wild
alarmist wakes up to the fact that
this country is in danger. The red
To-, nd