New-York tribune., 1921-11-13
Birth Control
Clinic To Be
Started Here
Mrs. Margaret Sanger An.
nounces at Conference Ad-
vice Will Be Given Women
by Staff of Physicians
$1,000 Given to Fund
Laws to Check Births De-
clared Farce; Likealed
to the Volsfead Act

Mrs. Margaret Sanger, leader in the
birth control movement, who served a
thirty-day sentence in 1917, after her
birth control clinic in Brooklyn was
raided, announced last night at the
Hotel Plaza that new clinic would
be opened within few days at 317
East Tenth Street, under the auspices
of The American Birth Control League.
This announcement was made in an
address by Mrs. Sanger at a dinner
given Harold Cox, editor Of "The Edin-
burgh Review" by the first American
Birth Control Conference. She said
the clinic would be equipped with con-
establishment, she declared, meant that
birth control agitation had become a
real, definite movement, capable of ac-
complishing it's desired purposes.
Staff of Thirty Physicians
1t was made clear last night that at
this clinic birth control advice and in
formation would be given only to
women who, because of disease or
physical infrmities, desired to avoid
child birth. No. interference is ex-
pected from the police or city authori-
ties. A staff of thirty physicians will
be available for the Tenth Street clinic,
it was said.
Subscriptions totaling $1,000 to q
fund for the maintenance of the clinic
were received last night. The fund is
expected to reach substantial proper
tions.
Mrs. Sanger has been active for sew
eral years in an effort to establish
birth control clinics. She became in
terested in the subject of birth control
in 1912 while serving as a visiting
nurse on the East Side. In 1914, she
was indicted by the Federal grand jury
for alleged violation of the birth con-
troll statutes. The indictment was dis
missed in 1916. She was arrested in
1916 for the opening of a clinic in
Brooklyn and arrested the following
year on the same charge. She was con-
victed and sent to the Queens County
penitentiary for thirty days.
Legislation prohibiting birth control
act, declared Andre Tridon, Psyche
analyst, yesterday in addressing the
conference at the Hotel Plaza. The
only result he had observed prohibition
had accomplished, he said, was the re-
placement of healthy, inexpensive beer
with perfumed wood alcohol at high
prices.
"Whether it is legal or not" DIR.
Tridon said, birth control is being
practiced by the masses, with the ex-
ception of the ignorant. Breaking the
law is not criminal act. but duty
when it is for the benefit Of the com
munity."
DR.. Tridon urged the members of the
conference not to wait for legislation,
which, he said, was usually years be-
hind public opinion, but to bring about
the formation of circles throughout
the country for the distribution of ac-
curate information concerning birth
control. An important step, he said,
would be accomplished when parents
and physicians were brought to the re-
alization of the necessity Of enlighten-
ing children an biological subjects.
u. S. Far Behind Europe
Harold Cox, a member of the British
Parliament, declared that the United
States was many years behind England
and Continental Europe in its apprecia-
tion of the need for birth control.
"This subject" he said, "is one ei
the great fundamental problems, be
increases in population must have
room for expansion. This was the
question with Germany. 1t is the rea
son for the urge in France to large
birth rate, and it is the underlying
point of difference between the United
States and Japan. In England we have
birth control, and there is no Law
against the dissemination of informa
tion on the subject"
James Maurer, president of the Penn
sylvania State Federation of Labor
criticized the advocates of large fami
lies, who, in most cases, he said, wer,
childless themselves. Birth contro
information, he asserted, was usually
available to people of wealth and socia
standing and was denied "the masses
who frequently find themselves in kee,
industrial competition with their chill
dren."
Worldwide Control Urged
Other speakers were DR.. Lothro]
Stoddard, of Brookline, Mass; DR.
William j. Robinson, of New Yorl
City; Professor Herman M. Bernelo
Moens, of Holland; C. v. Drysdale. o,
London, England, and Miss Mary Win
sor. of Haverford, Pa An open letter
was addressed to the Internationa
Disarmament Conference at Washing
ton, urging that all nations should pub
licly recognize the Importance Of we'll
distributed birth control among al
classes "as a means of raising tn.
standard of human life and of guar
anteeing the peace of the world"
resolution was adopted asking tn,
Surgeon General of the Public Health
Service to undertake medical research
troll Of disease.
The conference gave a dinner last
night at the Plaza in honor Of Mr.. CO,
and tonight it will close with a mas,
meeting at Town Hall, at which the
subject of birth control will be de.
bated.