Evening star., 1940-01-07
Women Mobilize
From 81 States
To Fight Paralysis
Mrs. Roosevelt
Points Out Progress
Of Movement

VI movement
Led by Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt,
women from 81 States mobilized
yesterday in the annual campaign
to fight infantile paralysis.
Starting with Nationwide
broadcast from the White House,
during which Mary Pickford and
Dorothy. Thompson spoke, the con-
ference Of women leaders concluded
with a banquet at the Carlton last
night.
Wishing the women Godspeed
in their work in their own COM
munities to combat the dread dis
ease through raising funds during
the Presidents birthday celebra-
ton, Mrs Roosevelt explained that
the situation today is very different
from that which faced the country
at the beginning of the movement.
100 Chapters Already.
To-day" she said, I'VE have an es-
tablished national organization ded-
icated to all phases of the infantile
paralysis problem. The National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis,
which was founded in January, 1898,
Is functioning body which already
has more than 700 chapters in all
parts of the United States"
Explaining that local chapters are
the custodians of so per cent of the
funds raised by the campaign of the
Committee for the Celebration of
the Presidents Birthday, she said
that these chapters are of vital i'm
portance when an epidemic strikes
particular community.
Last year." she pointed out,
"there were approximately 1900
tnfantile paralysis cases reported
for the year-about four times as
many as in 1885,"
Preparing for Coming Summer.
Discussing the epidemicS which
struck two sections of the country
last summer, she said, I'VE are try
ing to raise the ammunition with
which to fight during the summer
of 1910. We must always be ready
with enough money to do every
thing necessary and to meet every
need and emergency"
Miss Pickford warned Nothing
must stand in the way of complet-
ing something which may avert
tragedies for children right here in
the United States"
These children" she said, ARE
victims of an undeclared war, a
war waged by an unknown, unseen
enemy. Nothing at all must stand
in the way of our giving these chill
dren the chance at least to escape
the horrible deformities of the
past"
The one-time queen of motion
pictures, who also attended the BAN
quet in the evening, spoke with dra-
matte intensity as she pictured the
hopeful little faces, smiling above
their splints and braces" and termed
tEem the strongest encouragement
any of us can find"
Research Still Needed.
Miss Thompson pointed out that
some of the worst childrens diseases
have been conquered by science but
almost nothing is known about the
cause of infantile paralysis and not
enough about treatment and pre-
vention of Gripping after effects.
Still lacking, she said, are Suf-
f1cient distribution of equipment for
dealing with the disease, or for the
rehabilitation of victims. Funds are
also needed. she went on, for re-
search into the cause from which
we may yet hope to find a true
preventive and a sure cure"
Every parent or prospective par
ent," she said, "every one of us
ought to give his or her contribu-
ton, however small, to aid the fight
against the children's enemy"
Mrs. Stanley Reed, wife of the
Supreme Court justice; Mrs. Cliff
ford B. Marsh of Buffalo, N. Y;
Miss Margaret Arey, orthopedic
nurse in Charleston, S. c., and
Miss Dorothy Ducas, director of
women's activities for the National
Committee for the Celebration of
the Presidents Birthday, also spoke
during the White House broadcast
which was followed by tea in the
State dining room.
Among those attending the White
House meeting in addition to the
State representatives were Mrs.
Cordell Hull, wife of the Secretary
of State; Mrs. Charles Edison, wife
of the Secretary of the Navy; Mrs.
Henry Wallace, wife of the Secretary
of Agriculture; Mrs. Charles Evans
Hughes, wife of the Chief Justice of
the United States; Secretary of
Labor Perkins; Representative Mary
Norton of New Jersey; Representa-
tive Caroline O'Day of New York
and Representative Edith Nourse
Rogers of Massachusetts,.
Mrs. Roosevelt, guest of honor at
the banquet in the evening, ex-
pressed the Presidents thanks for
the work the women were volun-
teering to do. She concluded an
evening dedicated to talks, mostly
OF scientific nature, dealing with
progress in the fight on infantile
paralysis and the great amount Of
work yet to do