The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-10-09
Food And Medicine
Shortage Hondicop
Chimes sorphonoges
Giving Life And Health To
Thousands Of Wuifs
And Strdys

In no mans land, often not tree
or blade of grass has survived the
whitening fire of the opposing Jap
anese and Chinese armies. But today
it is not unusual for Chinese soldiers,
returning from accommodating trips
beyond communication lines, to bring
with them one or two "waifs and
strays." These are very small, ragged,
and often starving children who have
lost both parents and grandparents,
and who for months have been help
lessly wandering about, sleeping on
the bare ground, drinking rain water,
eating almost not at all.
One orphanage in China's North
west, built entirely in caves in a
sheltered hill, has given refuge to
hundreds of homeless children who
have been brought back by Chinese
soldiers from the "roadless areas"
Since Madame Chang Kai-shek
started child relief work in Hankow
early in 1888, three separate organi-
cations have been formed in China for
the sole purpose of rescuing and re-
habilitating some of the small frag-
ments of humanity who have formed
part of the streams of refugees who
have poured into Free China since the
, first Japanese divisions rolled south TO
the Yellow River. To date, more than
1000 of these waits have been given
homes, but thousands of others re-
main to be rescued.
Life in these China orphanages,
punctuated by bombings, is accom-
plishing miracles in health for starv-
ing and often diseased bodies, in spite
of handicaps of food and medicine
shortage.
+! Living inside caves as they do, the
children are put to bed at sundown
and are awakened at dawn. The day
begins with glass of boiled water
and water is drunk before all meals.
The children are taught to brush
their teeth, and clean their hands ano
face every morning. At night, thei,
feet are washed. Warm baths are pos
sible only twice a week. A daily check
is kept on the children's temperature
and medical examinations are giver
twice month. Baths, feelings, kin
dergarten and school classes and rest
periods all take place out of doors
Nursing babes and infants have a
daily half hour sun bath.
Babies past the nursing stage have
milk only three times a week at most
In the place of milk, they have soy
bean milk, chicken broth or vegetable
soups. Children are fed rice or flour
dishes with meat only once a week
for meat is scarce, and rice and foul
are expensive Millet and vegetables
make up the main diet.
A children's hospital is a primary
need in any orphanage, but in China
the best possible substitute in most
orphanages is a children's clinic at.
tached to the out patients depart
ment in the local hospital. Expert
medical advice is particularly neces
sary on admission, for many "waifs
and strays" are brought in by the
Auxiliary Service Corps of the army
from communication lines where the
army is operating.
Free China is still overrun b!
masses of refugees from the eastern
provinces, and there are hundreds OF
children in these homeless bands
many without parents. Most of Nine
Chiang's orphanages have givel
homes to many infant sons ant
daughters of soldiers taking part il
the nations defense.
The China Aid Council, one Of tht
participating agencies in United Chin;
Relief, is particularly concerned witt
filling the acute shortage of milk ant
milk foods, of concentrated vitamil
extracts, and of medical equipmen
, which exists in all the orphanages
These problems are especially acut'
in the Northwest, in Shensi Province
where difficulties of transportation
cut down the orphanages' supplies o:
even necessities.
Nine. Sun Vat Sen, widow of tn
founder of the Republic and one o
the Soong sisters, is devoting her eff
forts to equipment Of these "border
land" orphanages.
Toys, playthings and gymnastic ap
r paratus are almost unknown at som'
of the orphanages, and the children
are forced to use sticks as dolls, ant
: to make rocks and pine cones serv
as balls.
1t will be possible for some Of tn
, Chinese Industrial Cooperatives t.
manufacture toys and equipment, AM
: the American Committee that finan
cially aids these scoops" Qndusco
i, through United China Relief, alread,,
has sent funds to set up some toy
, making cooperatives in China's re
mote northwest. For, even whil
China is fighting for her life, China
, children must play.