Evening star., 1934-01-18
TERROR Of RACE
SUICIDE SCORED
Mrs. Thomas N. Hepburn
Attacks Fear Before
House Body.
By the Associated Press.

Mrs. Thomas N. Hepburn, mother Of
six children, including the actress, Kath-
arlne Hepburn, advocated the Pierce
birth control bill before the House
Judiciary Committee today with the
words:
The terror of race suicide is nom
sense, for women want children-but
they want them when they can afford
them physically and economically.
Race suicide talk is just as ridiculous
as that Of those who said, when we
women wanted the vote, that for them
to go to the polls would destroy the
home"
Accompanied by Mrs Margaret San
ger, Mrs. Hepburn was introduced by
Representative Walter Pierce, Demo-
crat. of Oregon.
Birth control advocates. led by Mrs.
Sanger and Mrs Hepburn, had marched
up Capitol Hill in such numbers that
Chairman Summers had to move the
hearing to the huge House caucus room.
which was speedily filled
He allotted three hours to the pro-
ponents and three to opponents of the
bill, which would so amend the crimi-
nal code as to permit dissemination Of
information by the medical profession.
Slim and youthful, in a small black
hat that tilted down over one eye, .
tailor trim fur-faced coat whose collar
stood up, Mrs. Hepburn stood at the
table head.
Before introducing speakers as legis-
latlve chairman Of the movement, she
stated, I'VE are not connected with any
commercial interest. We are here be-
cause Mrs. Sanger in her nursing ex-
perience Of 20 years became convinced
birth control was necessary for the well
fare of women"
Pierce, author Of the bill, contended
the present law prohibiting mail dis
semination Of contraceptive Information
was unenforcable, causing a bootleg
traffic" to spring up
"As Governor of Oregon. I made a
desperate effort to enforce the prohibi-
tion law" he said. II am a real pro-
hibltionlst personally and politically.
Yet my State voted repeal of that law
because it was being broken.
He said repeal of the anti-birth con-
troll sections Of the criminal code was
IN keeping with the repeal of prohi-
bition"
He said he was the father of six
children. and grandfather of seven.
Authenticated Mrs. Sanger, in a
green-brimmed hat with q brown band
and green suit, lashed out against
what she termed the absurd situa-
tion" Of the forgotten women"
She can have her child's teeth and
adenoids cared for at clinics. She can
send her children to get free lunch
cons. But she can do nothing for her
own most pressing problem" said Mrs.
Sanger
She told of having received more
than a million letters from mothers
crying out against their Guild bearing
burden
She quoted one from a mother aged
II with five children and IS q week
to care for them.
Yet this law provides five years
In prison and $4,000 fine to extend
adV1ce through the mails" she said
The American Conference on Birth
control and National Recovery closed
with dinner at the Mayfiower Hotel
last night after Mrs. Sanger and A
group Of delegates presented a petition
at the White House asking President
Roosevelt to "advise Congress Of the
Importance" of two pending birth con-
troll bills. The petition urged contra
ceptive instruction among families on
relief rolls.
The delegates who presented the petit
ton to Marvin H. Mcintyre, one of the
Presidents secretaries, included Mrs.
Thomas A. Hepburn of Hartford. Conn,
mother of Katherine Hepburn. the ac-
tress.