The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-04-19

H"" mann M""|"I -
this morning.
Miss Martin held up half a dozen
-Four are from promoters OF Wild
cat enterprises. soliciting stock sub
ecrptions. ono 10 from a lady who
wants 10 marry you and one Ia a.
appeal for aid for the starving ehil
drcn of Germany
Edo not answer the first four.
File them la the waste basket.
Let me read the starving baby
prospectus. I havo never SEEN a
starving baby and II this lifera
turc il literally illustrated my
generosity h apt 90 be consider.
ably stimulated"
ar. Skinner. cappy'a general man
aver In tho lumber department ans
who. with Captain Matt Peasley
manager OF cappy'h Blue Star Navl
cation Co. had been standing b.
awaiting an interview. exchange
Eiancea. Mr.. Skinner cleared hi.
throat with a propitiatory "a,hom
mmmmr'
Yes. Skinner. my boy. Get u on
your chest" cappy urged without
glEncing up from the appeal. 'Nevei
having had a baby Of your
realize you are now about 10 unioat
a cargo Of baby information on me
Il was about 90 quote from q
poem Mr.. Skinner replied. humbly
when you quote "A poem" Capp,
rctortcd, ITS n poem with a stins
In Ia tail. Let 'er gog'
Mr.. Skinner quoted;
Organized charity. serimped
and iced.
In The name Of a cautious,
statistical Christ
Enough" cappy shrilled. "whal
arc you driving NJ. skinner"
I'm driving at this. air. Stats
ucs prove that OF every dollar col
lected for charity by any orEAnla
ton operating on n large scale. p
per cent goes TO tho solicitor. IS pei
cent 10 the overhead OF tho organ
ization and 20 per sent 10 the char
ity. I'm n member OF the Chhritici
Investigating committee Of th'
Chamber OF Commerce and I know,
That's regular. Skinner. TIT
sick and crippled veterans OF the lat,
war are operating on about % pei
cent Of the funds allotted by the con
grcss. 20 I don't see why you ahoult
offer an objection 10 starting German
babies on that percentages. by th'
time they're old enough 10 go 20 wal
and get whitfield. they1l be- philoso
phleal and accept 70 per cent for life
They will refuse 10 believe that any
body gets more. Misa Martin. wei
send a check for n thousand dollar
10 the German babies"
How do you know they'll get Il
or any part OF g." SIR. Skinner chal
iengcd. and Matt Peasley. n Yankee
nodded affirma,iyoly.
Il don't arc Il boot in a hollow
whether they get Il or not. and ! d
not wan, 10 know. what want q
do "a 20 sleep nights. and how can
sleep when / know little German
babies arc lying awake becaus'
they're hungry and ] haven't offcrc'
to feed them"
lis Il your fault or mine that tho.
are hungry Matt PeasIey strucl
In.
"of course /, Isn't. Is It thei
fauit7"
"No-o.o. bu, then"
"Heraus init en-. Matt. The wa
Is over and the only people who ar
busy waving the bloody shirt ar
those members OF the old soldier
CARNATIONS who Horved in non-cs.''
blatant organizations during the grca
war and have gone In for profession
al patriotism ever since"
Wei. / think there's something
queer about this never.endlng driyl
for European baby relief. cappy
Seriously. ] do" his big soninlay
protested. Writers who have beer
there tell us how high the infan
mortality has been since the war
why II runs up 10 20 per cent II
some places.
''Other writer's drag in n mass o
statistics 20 prove the devastating
effect on birth rates Of various coun
tries suffering economic privations
Now. II 10 per cent OF the babies bori
are dying and II OF the 100 per cen
that are born 80 pcr cent aren't be
ing born at all, why does II becom
necessary TO support a human dc
ticit7"
cappy sat up and blinked. Thei
he damned his spcctaclcs down q
the extreme end of his nose. slid on
TO the edge Of his chair and glare,
over tho rims OF his spectacles at hi
sonin.law. Say II again. Matt. an
say Il slowly" he murmured in al
awed voice.
Matt said Il again-slowly. Capp.
sighed. what you're trying {
prove. son.in.law." he declared. II
that two things which are eaunl {
the same thing are not equal to cacI
other. In other words, We have {
have n controlling interest OF 81 pc
cent births over 40 per cent death
before any nation Is justified in rai'
ing n Save the babies appeal?"
"well. something like thnt," Mat
admitted. And It does seem tina
Germany ought to take care OF tina
two per cent increase herself. Sh
hasn't paid anything on her repai
ations bill to speak OF.
whats she doing with he
money!"
"Papering hen houses with II.
I suppose. Matt. But that's not
the fault Of the kids"
"YelI, II we were expected TO
take care Of German babies only
I'd be In favor Of kicking In, Just