The Indianapolis times., 1927-09-05
RED BOGEY
Federal Children's Bureau
Points to It's Record as
:, Busybodies CRY "Bolshe-
vistic" and "Conomunis-
tic.
BY RODNEY BUTCHER

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5.-Some
folks with nothing better to do have
spread around the word that the
Federal Children's Bureau, which IS
part of the Federal Government,
T, was bolshevistic and. communistic.
Investigation appears to disprove
the charge and to make one Won
der why in the world the red
hunters ever picked on the chill
dren's bureau.
The fact seems to be that the
estimabie women who operate the
bureau have incurred the ldispleas-
ure of certain interests by their
support of the child labor amend
ment and the Sheppard -Towner
maternity act.
Most Of the attacks to date have
gone flat. Grace Abbott, the chief
of the bureau, has personally super
intended the puncturing. A great
many American mothers doubtless
will be glad to hear this, because
they write to the bureau for infor-
nation at the rate of about 100000
year.
What Bureau Does
The Bureau has distributed near
ly 100000 pamphlets and leaflets
in its work for the benefit Of
mothers and young children. Most
Of them were the we'll known book
lets: Parental Care" Infant
(So,o - o~d U(,I,;Id Nora T,haea
volumes undoubtedly have saved
thousands of lives.
A mother out in the prairies who
saved her own life and her baby's
because she had learned what to do
until the doctor came from "Pre..
natal Care" probably is not excited
over the charge that the Children's
Bureau has indorsed a book by
Nine. Kollontai, the soviet anbas-.
sadress to Mexico. 1T appears that
the bureau long ago asked the
Library of Congress to complete a
photography on maternity benefit
systems in foreign countries, and
that the photographer referred in
his report to Nine. Kollontai's work,
as "the most comprehensive study
on maternity in any language" The
Kollontai book has never been.
translated into English and the Bu-
reau never recommended it to any,
yofie, but some of the lady patriots
here have raised an awful hoop-te-
doc about the matter. 81.
Meanwhile, the Childrer's R,t-
reau points happily to the fact that
r1orty-f1ve States have accepted the
provisions of the federal maternity
act. This act was passed in 1921
1or the purpose of stimulating in
terest in maternity problems, which
some States had not been able to
handle owing to Strengthened A.
nancial circumstances. IAN appro-
priation Of $1,00O0OO a year was
granted to be divided among the
States accepting the provisions of
the act, chief among which was
that they should match the amount
given them by the Government.
state programs are passed upon by
the chief Of the bureau. AS a re-
suit of the act, Sheppard -Towner
nurses are on the job all over the
country and the Child Health CEN
ters have come into being.
Studies Maternal Death Rate
The bureau itself was created
about twelve years ago and imme-
diately made comprehensive sur
vey OF infant mortality-the first of
its kind. 1t found the maternal
death rate. in the United States to
be higher than in any other ccun-
try in the world except Chile. 1t
estimated that $4,000 mothers were
dying unnecessarily every year in
childbirth. 1t has since made many
other inlportast surveys, including
those of indenture systems and the
child marriage evil. 1t has always
cooperated with the various States.
Figures show that the bureau. in
1 It's State cooperation program for
7 betterment Of maternal and child
health, last year reached 944220
children land 179,464 expectant
mothers. It appears that 20,l55 pre-
natal and coild health conferences
were held, at which 1854 mothers
and 159,244 children received exami-
nations by physicians. Nurses held
6,407 conferences affecting 7,46O
mothers and 1880 children who
were advised and aided. And 1888