Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-15
Hoover Child-Welfare Project
Viewed With Favor by Public

Sympathetic interest everywhere Is
reflected in newspaper comment on
President Hoover's project, financed by
a half-million- dollar gift from private
sources. to survey the needs of the
children Of the country and submit
the findings to an unofficial conference
on child welfare.
Such movement might we'll take
on significance comparable to that of
the commission recently created to
study the problems of law enforce
ment," says the Brooklyn Daily Eagle,
which. while 1t states that America
has done more for children than any
other country" still feels that with
all this care there remain many grave
problems touching upon childhood in
this prosperous country" A survey
of American child life ~is in order"
thinks the Albany Evening News, since
there has been no conference on this
subject since that called by President
Roosevelt a score Of years ago" and
this paper believes that whoever the
donors of this fund may be. they have
given money in great cause
The Nashville Banner finds both the
manner and content of President
Hoover's most recent call for a confer
ence alike interesting. In the first
place." explains the Banner "he now
proposes to assemble a representative
group of leaders who are concerned in
promoting child welfare with special
reference to health, but not until from
nine months to year shall have been
spent In intensive study of the situa-
ton as it exists, and all data likely to
be OF practical use shall have been col
lected. Both manner and method are
altogether characteristic"
Calling attention to the fact that
President and Mrs Hoover were we'll
known as child-welfare workers long
before Mr.. Hoover was much spoken of
as presidential candidate" the Ashe-
vile Times thinks 1T is natural. there
fore, that Mr.. Hoover should organize
forcement of the equality of oppor-
tunity for every child" and considers
the project worthy of an engineer who
wishes to become social engineer in
the leadership of the American people
during his years in the presidency"
It Is recalled by the San Francisco
Chronicle that "in Belgian relief work,
the work that first mad Mr.. Hoover a
world figure. the children in the desti-
tute areas became his especial care"
and. under his administration of the
relief agencies, Child mortality was re-
duced to lower figure than had OBJ
tanned in the pre-war period" Con-
tinuing, the Chronicle registers its be-
lief that under the auspices of a
President whose own experience and
achievements in the field of child well
fare qualify him as an expert, the con-
ference should prove of great value to
one Of the highest Of all public ques-
tons"
Announcement that the extra-gov-
ernmental body which will direct the
survey will be headed by two members
of the cabinet is an apt illustration of
the Hoover way of getting things DONE"
says the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin,
which is confident that "inestimable
of present conditions"
Many papers, while approving the
survey and conference, are careful to
note that the latter will have no legal
status. The conference sis not gov
ernmental undertaking." says the
Hartford Daily Courant, continuing:
THE faith of the President in volun-
tary cooperation rather than govern
mental regulation in the field Of in
dustry is well known. The effort to
extend such cooperation into the realm
Of social activities is one to which he
properly lends his influence"
While conceding that better provi-
sion for child welfare In the more back
ward sections Is decidedly advisable.
the Grand Rapids Press declares 1t
need not and must not take the form,