SAVING THE BABIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 56, 30 November 1918, Page 4

SAVING THE BABIES

WHAT LONDON HAS DONE. Next month Sydney is to have its baby week, and,-judging by the interest laid the enthusiasm displayed at the initial meeting held recently; in the Town Hull, the movement promises to be popular, says a writer in the Sydney "Sun." Evidently factors as drastic as the ravages of war have buen needed to arouse English-speaking nations to a belated duty towards their child life. London recently held a magnificently successful baby week, an interesting mother-craft exhibition taking plaoo in the Central Hall, Westminster.

Jiabies poured into the great metropolis. They were brought from far and wide, from every county, .from cities, towns, hamlets, and villages, and the National Baby Week was a happening of importance that for the time overshadowed the war. England had had only one Baby Week before, and its repetition owes a. great dual to the efforts and energetic interest of lire. H. B. Irving (Dorothy Baird), wife of the wellknown actor, and remembered by Sydney theatre-lovers.

Mrs. Irving has been for years interested in child welfare, ami afc' Marylebone is a voluntary worker in connection with the school for mothers. It was she who concretely framed the policy of this urgent movement, summed up as follows:—To arouse in every citizen a eense of responsibility for the children of the nation; to make each individual man and woman know of the terrible wastage of infant life now going on; to bring homo to them that if they only carod enough at least half the babies who die might live and qrow "up into strong citizens, and that tho proper oare of maternity and the improvement of the conditions surrounding it is national work in the truest possible sense-.

The fa.ct that 100,000 babies die every year in England made this appeal necessary. There were tragic figures, too, mentioned at Sydney's meeting in connection with" babies who should havo lived.

Again and again has it been asked wherein lay Germany's strength? In tho cradles of her past. AVe may not admire the Fatherland or its people, but whatever Germany reglected, children were regarded as the first charge of tho State and the greatest national asset. The maternity hostels, ereches, and hospitals contributed largely to the perfected man power- which defied tho world for to long;

That lesson is there for oilier peoples to profit by, and Sydney, if it is .really serious about its Baby Week has "the chance to' , set about good, work already delayed too long. A nation's babies are it« real wealth, but they have to be strong babies, healthy babies, with no flaws in their physique, iiossesshw? that superb vitality which is so essential in establishing that necessary standard towards wliii'h all progressive nations coiiti.iimlly aim.'

.Australia loses thousands of her babies from preventable causes every year, notwithstanding her ,bal.\v clinics', 'health' boards, relief boards, day nurseries, nursing aids, and other organisations.

Now, what is Sydney's Baby Week poing to achieve? Something worth while, it is expected; every live woman's club, circle, lengue, or association is represented on the committee, and the utterances of their representatives should be Komethincr more than pleasant optimistic jargon filling- the ear with a plethora of promise. Those 23,00!) Australian' dead babies who sued back to Maeterlinck's Kingdom of flic Unwanted in quo year are demanding' this, and their spirit pleas must not fall on deaf ears.

The wedding took place at Knox Church, Dannevirke, recently, of. Miss Alice Ross, daughter of Mr. "John 'Boss, of Maliarahai'a, and Mr. Butlor, a returned soldier. Tho Rev. A. Grant performed the ceremony, and Mr. A. Best was best man.

The fine work accomplished bv tho Order of St. John in fighting tiie in-niienz-i epidemic will in all probability receive substantial recognition a<s soon as normal conditions havo been reestablished m tho city (says the Auckland "Herald ). Air. J. H. Giinaon (Mayor) president of the Order, which for the last two years lias been associated with the Ked Cross hoci,ety as u joint committee in war work, stated that the work of the Order in connection with the epidemic mis been so goorl, particularly in regard to iHirsuijj and visiting, that he felt sure some form of recognition of such hue, seir-incrificing efforts would be general;,v approved. Mr. Gunson added that it would be impassible to publiclv rerojjnise all tho organisations that hail worked m> fa:{.fully in the cause of lmnianity during the prevalence of the epidemic, but the Order of St. John was universal in character, and its work was of outstanding merit.-

A storm in a'teacup has been raised >n Mv York (writes Miss Zara Douglas, a Sydney singer who visited America in 1915, to her friends)' by 0110 of tli'o local .papers advising young Frenchwomen to marry members of the American forces In France.. Letters for or ngainst tho suggestion have flooded the Press. Tho <'ld ninids. wished to start a league for the protection of American sweethearts, '.'he vory thuuglit of the wonderful chances in the American matrimonial market for French girls bus touched Iho latter, who believe• that every soldicT who leaves an American port' v.ill fly at once into tho arms of a French admirer. One spinster, who evidently thought she had lost her last ehpee, wanted the President to puss- a regulation forbidding soldiers to marry!