The herald., 1922-10-19

where the conditions surrounding child
life as they are here France is trying to save
the babies. and American women with the help of
women Of some other countries are pioneering
along the way of salvation.
Once upon a time an English novelist, now too
little read. wrote IA book called: PUT Yourself In
His Place" There was character In the book,
DR.. AmbOyne who was forever putting himself In
the other fellows place. that he might get
proper and unselfish viewpoint. SO when one
comes to France he must put himself in the
Frenchmans place. and judge things ''human-like."
am framing this letter in the heart of the devas-
tated region. | am sitting on the doorstep of a
wooden barracks in which there are 20 young wOm-
en- members Of an American committee, known fire.
quently as the Anne Morgan committee. All of
these girls are trying to do something to help not
only the stricken peasants of this land, but with
foresight, attempting to help the future genera
tions.
On the other side of the barracks are the ruins
Of once fine chateau. Scattered over reaching
plains are the sites Of once prosperous villages.
On the right look at the fire and shell-blasted re-
mains of a noble forest whose underground maZes
must not be trod today lest you kick the
punger Of an uneXploded shell the trigger of
hand grenade and thus secure passport TO
country from which you can't get back The set
ting of this scene is an inspiration for work. The
girls work hard.
Before leaving the United States read stories
of a decreasing birth rate i'm France / took the
reports to mean literally what they said. The
other day in the chamber of deputies a member
rose to speak of certain existing conditions trying
to the soul Of Frenchmen, and closed his speech
with these humpnly tragic words: And in the
meantime, France is being depopulated"
Such words as these start man to thinking and
urge him to an attempt to find out the truth
Hence in part the visit to Anizy e-C Chateau which
is one of the centers of the activities of the Amer
lean committee of which Mrs. A. NJ. Dixie is the
president and Miss Anne Morgan the vce-president
Everybody knows how women in America work
to save babies, to instruct mothers and to send
good books circulating through what generally
may be called the threading communities. First
for the babies. On the steamer coming from Amer
lea asked French woman If IL were true thar
France had such a low birth rate that In time the
country would become depopulated. Her answer
was: "The birth rate is high enough to keep the
population of France stationary at least The
trouble is that the children die because of the ab
sence Of certain safeguarding means and because
Of the reluctance of some of the mothers to adopt
new Methods"
which the American committee is doing about This
| matter. She said IF the lives of the children
can be saved France has babies enough TO keen its
| population growing. Public health service of the
| right kind is what is needed. The death ratio
| among the children can be decreased greatly and
| the season Of fear be made to pass"
| LaOn, or part Of it, stands on a mighty hin In
the heart of the embattled territory of France but
| the American committee there reduced the YEARLY
death rate among the children from So in the tbon
sand to "a in the thousand. This proves something
and one does not need further demonstration be-
cause Laon is typical.