MARCH TO OBLIVION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 3, 27 September 1937, Page 3

MARCH TO OBLIVION

"We Are a Degenerating People," Says Doctor » _

i DECLINING BIRTH-RATE

OHBISTOHUKOH, Sept. 33. ''We are a degenerating people, and We have got into this condition because of moral decline," said Dr. A. B. O'Brien, in addrcssing a meeting of - 400 women, held under the auspices of the National Council of Women. ''Although I think artificial birth f control is fast leading us down the slippery path to destruction, still 1 look upon it not so much as the cause of our decay, as that it is ono of the symptoms in the" grand march to oblivion," said Dr. O'Brien. "That is, slackening of moral outlook, immoral* ity, birth control, abortion, sterilisa tion, euthanasa, and — finish. " The subject of the meeting was "Th« national danger of abortion and the recommendations of the Commission oi Inquiry." Resolutions were passed by tho meeting supporting the recommeudation in the report of - the Abortion Committee advocating rest'riction »f the promiscuous advertising and salo of contraceptives, particularly to the young, and the appeal-to the womanhood of New Zealand to consider the grave physical and moral dangerB involvcd in the practice of abortion. A ' further tesolution was passed calling upon both men and women to uphold and preserve the sanctity of the home and family life. "Moral Decline." "The alarming state of affairs recently brought to public netice by the Government report on abortion has shown," said Dr. O'Brien, "that not only has this beautiful young coujatrv one of the highest abortion rates in the world, but also that in this country, wliich is crying out for population, especially for healthy Bxitish stock, we have bccome so fat degenerated that we can find young men and women willing and anxious to Rill their own unborn children. Then we can find men so callous that, for the sake. of a little better economic position, or for added luxury and ease, they are Willing to compel their wives to risk their own lives and subsequent health in the process of destroying their own children. "That this is no idle statement is revealed by the fact that, between 1931 and 1935, 109 married women died of septic abortion, leaving 338 mbtherless children. These women were murdered by the abortionist, with the consent of their own husbands, and sometimes without th'eir consent. Further, this moral decline has brought us to such a low state of civic morality that we are unable to get a jury to convict suspected abortionists. " 120,000 Babies Short. Dr. O'Brien spoke of the "dreadful i trend of affairs," indicated by the | Doininion's rapidly ' declining birth- ) rate, and made the point that, although f in 1935 there were a quarter of a mil- I : lion more people in New Zealand than j j in 1922, there were 5000 "fewer babies. ! He quoted figures to show that the • Dominion was 120,000 babies short in : the last 12 years. Two things were de- i sirable and nlinost necessary to en- i courage the women of New Zealand to • produce more babies: — \ (1) More adequate pcovision for | children when they did come; and i (2) More help for mothers. "These doubtful remedies, birth con- ' trol and sterilisation, which are men- : tioned but not advocated by the committee on abortion, are being put for- j ward not, a£ you might think, to cure ] disease or to reduce mental defects, but : chiefly for social and economic reasons, ; and as a way out to save women from ; having criminal abortions performed ! on them, with possible. death, or, very j frequently, serious illness as a result," said Dr. O'Brien, in dealing with another phase of the situation. C/hange of Heart Urged. "So that, on our march through degeneracy to national destruction, things have arrived at such a pass that an enormous number of our girls and women say, in efEect, that self-control is impossible; that they must give way to the desire for sex indulgence, and that some way must be found, either by the doctors or by the Government, 'to enable them to indulge in their pas:sions without becoming pregnant. And i further, that if their precautions fail, ;then they ask that the Government • should allow them to kill their innocent baby in order to save their figures, or their purses, or to allow them to fulfil social engagements. And they ask that, if the Government will not allow them to murder their own unborn children, at least the Government should set up birth control clinicsr so as to prevent too many New Zealand children being born." Dr. O'Brien added that the only remedy worth considering for the present deplorable state of affairs was tho moral remedy. The medical remed,? was poor and unsatisfactory, for that was a moral evil. Nothing could cure the trouble, and nothing could save the nation from present evils and ultimate destruction, except a change of heart.