Evening star., 1932-11-17
BY JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.
.ROM time to time during the past
six months numerous formal re-
-

Rum Ulflc 70 JlIIlc uu1 LIS hAAS PoSb
l. six months numerous formal re-
ports concerning conditions In
i the city of Washington have
been compiled and published by
skilled investigators for the information
of the public. But the current cam
paiRn of the Community Chest has sug-
gested the advisability Of new, less
formal inquiry.
What are the facts at the present
time? How much suffering is there in
the Capital of the richest. most fortu-
nate Nation Of the world? Is 1t true
that helpless babies are starving? Is II
true that mothers and fathers are going
mad with pain and worry? Is 1t true
that community social morale Is in dan
ger OF breaking down? In WORD, is
the Community Chest campaign neces-
sary?
The constituent agencies Of the Chest
of course, would answer all these queS-
tions in the affirmative. But, supposing
a prospective contributor should decide
to investigate for himself, what would
he be likely to find? If he were to Sc
out into the highways and byways Of
the city in search of real, authentic
poyerty what would he see? If he were
to talk with clergymen, physicians
school teachers. policemen. business
men and social workers, who are In
close and constant touch with condi-
tions, what would he hear?
Washingto ton Hasn't Escaped.
I was assigned to make a survey OF
the kind indicated. When 1 undertook
the work 1 knew that any one Of the
different agencies OF the Chest could
! show me typical cases Of pathetic need
But wished to see for myself and to
hear for myself So I went. out alone
as any other reporter might go.
/ soon found that the notion that
the worldwide depression has spared
Washington is false. The fact. Is that
| it has worked just as much havoc here
as elsewhere. Conditions would be even
worse than they are were it not fol
the Chests work last year.
I wish every person in Washington
who has employment and comfortable
home could see four little sisters as
| saw them in the nursery OF Neighbor-
| hood House, 470 N street southwest
Their story is representative OF many
The parents of these infants brought
| them here from Roanoke about Il
months ago with three other children
The father confidently expected to flnc
steady work in the city. He was dis
appointed. With nine mouths to iced
| his capital did not last very long
About November he decided TO walH
back to his former home, in the nope
that he might be more successful where
| he was better acquainted. He left hi:
wife and brood of seven with only
few dollars for immediate needs. Fol
a week no word came from him. BY
| the end of that time the children wert
starying and i'll. The mother, dis
traught with anxiety, collapsed. Neigh
bors brought notice of their plight Il
| the settlement house. A devoted wom-
an with 26 years experience in solv'
| ins difficult human problems, hurried tC
their assistance She summoned TN
help of other agencies. The eldest chile
was sent to O farm in Maryland. In'
next four in order were carried 10 I'M
settlement house nursery. The remain
ing two we're left with the motner ane
a nurse was found to wait upon tneIi
and her. The father was located a
a nnission refuge in Richmond. He haC
walked that far but was too Ill anc
weak to go farther.
Children Couldn't Smile.
went to see the four babies in their
temporary shelter They were alive anc
on the road back to normal health, ou'
onlv a glance was necessary TO unoer
stan Stand that they would have been lifeles:
corpses had it not been for the Com
munity Chest, the organized co-opera'
/ tive philanthropy Of the city. Some un,
known contributor to last years func
made 1t possible to save them.
! When I came into the room, the!
looked I'D at me with puzzled. sick nlut
ewes There was little Of the color Of
life in their thin faces. 1t was useless
to try to make them smile. A hurt
empty stare was my only reward
each case The tiny countenances, gray
white and drawn with pain, seemed fro-
zen in misery.
But now they are getting five meals
a day and plenty Of cod liver oil. The
treatment will be continued until they
are restored to proper well-belng
Meantime, cooperating agencies VII
help the poor, broken mother, and trS
TO find work for the discouraged father
Another child / visited in the same
settlement house is himself contrib
utor to the Community Chest. He has
been q guest at the day nursery since
he was 8 weeks old. Now he is year;
of age. He has returned only recently
from the hospital, where he surren'
dered his appendix without struggle
I found him fully dressed for the first
| LlIle III d IOIlS WIlICs "A lloAAy LsSA>
fellow of whom any parent would b'
proud, he wore upon his blouse Com
munity Chest button. He told me thai
during lis stay in the hospital, tht
doctors, nurses and other friends hac
put pennies in a glass jar for him, ano
at last he had accumulated dollar
With such wealth in hand, he felt that
he was in a position to do his bit" i
was his own idea. He summoned
Chest representative and paid over tt
her 100 pennies She made out his care
with tears in her eyes.
Mother Collapsed.
At Friendship House, another Char
acter building" agency of the Chest
saw 80 little children whose mother;
are working and whose fathers are
seeking work The day nursery take:
care OF the infants while the parents
fight the battle. One little boy
wanted to meet had been taken away
but I heard his story. He has lost hi
mother in manner piteously sad. She