WAR BABIES IN GREAT BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2499, 28 June 1915, Page 3

WAR BABIES IN GREAT BRITAIN

EXAGGERATED STATEMENTS,

(By Telegraph—Fre3s Assn.—Copyright.)

(Rec. June 26. 5.10 p.m.)

■ ("Times" and Sydnoy "Sun" Services.) London, June 25. In the House of Lords the Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Davidson), in asking for statistics regarding the alleged probability of an increase in illegitimacy in Great Britain owing to war conditions, added that inquiries had been made by Bishops who did not find sufficient grounds for the credence of the allegation, while a responsible committee had shown that the evidenco obtained abundantly justified its scepticism. Ho did not dcclare that everything was all right, but the reports had been immensely exaggerated. The matter, he continued, was of great importance. . Lord Hylton, in reply, said that the Local Government Board did not pos-1 sess any information justifying the I statement that the proportion of legi-1 timate births had been affected by war conditions. His Department had specially inquired, and had obtained information corroborating the Archbishop of Canterbury's statement. The allegations which had been in circulation were grossly exaggerated. The board's inspectors had reported that it was unlikely that there would be an alarming increase in illegitimacy.