The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-10-06
Capitalism Conuicted of Lnfanticide;
Reveal System for Infant Mortality
Fault Lies With Economic and
Industrial System, Coupled
With Lack of Thought for
Less Fortunate Fellows
(Crusader Service.)

L SAASoA~~s
entitled "The Price of Poverty" th'
conservative weekly "The Outlook,
interpreting the findings of the Chill
dren's Bureau of the United State:
Department of Labor in it's investi
cation Oh infant mortality in the city
of Baltimore, comes to the conclu
sion, which radicals long ago reached
with as ample facts at their disposa,
as those now revealed by the Chill
dren's Bureau, that "our economic
and industrial system, coupled with
our lack of thought for our less for
tunate fellows, makes us a nation OF
baby murderers." Says the "Out-
looks" editorial in full:
"It is a bitter fact that babies who
might live out the natural expec-
fancy of human beings and be use
full men and women in the world die
under one year of age because of
poverty. An investigation of the
causes of infant mortality in Balti-
more, recently completed by the Chill
dren's Bureau of the United States
Department of Labor, reveals the
fact more clearly than it has ever
teen shown before. Baltimore is the
largest city yet studied. In popula-
ton, the variety of it's industries, and
the prevailing rate of infant mortal
ity, it is a more typical American
city than any of the others thus far
studied.
Poverty Important Factor.
"In that city, typical of our urban
centers, poverty was found Ito be an
important factor. in infant mortality.
Differences in color and nationality
rather than poverty, it has often been
asserted. are responsible for the high
death rate of babies. In the Balti-
more investigation these elements
were eliminated. With babies only of
native white mothers under consider
alton, the facts showed that infant
mortality rose as the fathers wages
fell. In the poorest families studied,
about one baby in six died within
the year. Among the most prosper
Gus families the ratio was one in 26.
''The toll that poverty takes of in
fants is even heavier than the fig
Tres of the investigation show. En-
ployment Of mothers away from home
during pregnancy and during the
first year afterward is given as one
of the most frequent causes of
babies deaths. This, in the main, is
because of poverty. Except from
dire necessity, few mothers go out to
work during these periods.
"It is a sad commentary upon oul
civilization that this sort of condi.
tion exists. In real sense, the fact
convicts our body social of infanti-
eide. Our economic and industrial
system, coupled with our lack o1
thought for our less fortunate fel
lows, makes us a nation of baby muir.
derers. All that can be said in ex.
tenuation is that all other nations
are like US.
Relief to Come. Slowly.
"The bringing out of the facts may
or may not help to relieve the situa
ton. So far as relief from poverty
is concerned, the relief will come
slowly if at all. For other demon
strated causes of infant mortality il
may commence speedily. Babies Of
mothers under 20 and of mother:
over 35 years of age showed higher
mortality than other infants. Inter
walls of less than two years betweel
births were also shown to result il
an increased mortality rate. Unlik'
poverty, these are matters, measur
ably within the control of the family
can interesting fact brought ou
! by the investigation is that two dis
similar groups showed infant NOR
tality rates approximately those o
New Zealand, the lowest in tn
world. One Of these groups is for
eign-born Jews. The other is nativ
whites of the most liberal means
The highest ratios were found amon
the colored people. Poles, and tn
, poor native white families"