Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-04
BENGAL PRESENTS HUGE TASK
IN WAR ON TUBERCULOSIS
Conditions Told by Mrs. Flor
ence C. Forester, on
Visit Here.
Evil of Child Marriage De-
cIared Shock for
Civilization.
BY GRETCHEN S. SMITH.

A story outrivaling the most extrava-
giant flights of fiction. supporting with
added testimony the claims OF Katf-
crime Mayo's sensational book, Mother
India" has been brought to Washing
ton by Mrs. Florence Campbell For
roster of 100 Rhode Island avenue,
who has returned to this city for brief
visit after a residence of more than
eight years in the province of Bengal,
India. For three years Mrs. Forester
has been conducting an intensive cam
paign in the Orient against the spread
Of tuberculosis, claiming that the dis
ease Is more widespread in India than
In any country in the world.
1.-THE death of an American woman
In Calcutta, in November, 1929" said
Mrs. Forester, drew attention to the
fact that there was no anti-tuberculosis
work In all of Bengal. and it was the
means of calling together at the Y. w.
G. A. a group of persons who Volun-
teered assistance to start an anti-tuber-
culosis campaign. The woman who had
died was young American who at II
had married in California Hindu
claiming to be Christian. After the
marriage he took his bride back to
India, where he forced her to live in
native village under the most appalling
conditions of poverty, filth and lack OF
sanitation. My attention was called to
the condition of this poor girl when she
was in a dying condition from tubercu-
lcsis."
tuberculosis in india" explained
Mrs. Forester, lis spread through many
causes, which make the fight against
disease a difficult one. The enormous
family groups living together under the
same roof, eating without any utensils
whatsoever, an entire lack of santa
ton, the continued prevalence OF child
marriage, breaking the health OF In
dian mothers; the religious beliefs and
practices, one of which Is that the wife
Is an inferior being and is never per-
mitted to see the sun or have the SUM-
shine In her rooms, or go out OF doors-
these things, combined with entire lack
of enforced education or any universal
standard of education, all tend toward
the rapid spread of disease among the
Hindus in particular"
Difficulties Are Many.
No country In the world presents the
Gificulties in combating disease as does
India, contends Mrs. Forester, who said:
"In country like India, where there Is
population of 318,000000 persons,
with innumerable religious, super
stitions. unbreakable customs and
the spread of disease until we
can establish some standard of
sanitation. However, we have already
met with much success in the work we
have started in educating the people IN
prevention of disease" At q recent
health exhibition held by Mrs. Forester
In Calcutta, she said that Hindus OF
ali classes swarmed to see the exhi-
bition.
women from the 'purdahs' Of the
rich maharaiis were permitted to come
to the exhibit" she said. They came
In automobiles, wearing fortunes in jew
els, but with dirt beneath their gar
ments. They looked curiouSly at the
pictures and the wax exhibits, but threw
aside the pamphlets which were given
them, as not one of those women, wear
ing thousands of dollars worth of jew
els, was able to read or write"
Mrs. Forester was one Of two white
women who three months ago was priv
ileged to attend the ceremony of the
Emerging of the three rivers" q cele-
bration which occurs but once in every
In support of Miss Mayo's story of
the prevalence OF child marriages in
India, Mrs. Forester continued:
Bride Years Old.
1.-TWO months ago I ATTENDED the
marriage ceremony of the 9-year-old
daughter Of one of the most important
Hindoos In Calcutta. She was married
to a man % years of age. When that
baby came into the ROOM" said Mrs.
Forester, "she was wearing more than
q hundred thousand dollars worth of
jewels. After her marriage she was
yelled and taken to her husbands home.
After the ceremony that happy, light
hearted little girl would never be per-
mitted to look upon the sun again.
Until her wedding day she was just q
happy little child playing in the beau
tiful garden of her fathers home. From
the day she became married woman
she could never go forth into the gar
dens again.
THE extremes of. dire poverty and
untold opulence was demonstrated at
that, wedding. Up in the purdah, or
women's quarters. my friend and were
permitted to visit. The women sat on
the floor feasting OF of the great pro-
fusion of dishes of the wedding feast
When they had finished, the leftover
food was put in large watts and placed
outside the brides home for the thou-
sands OF 'untouchables' who were gath
cred waiting. These poor creatures fell
upon that food like ravenous beasts.
The lowest class in India is just above
the point Of starvation all the time
The maharajahs or rulers possess