ON ABORTION

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1937, Page 6

ON ABORTION

ADDRESS TO WOMEN

A DOCTOR’S -WARNING

(Per Press Association—Copyright),

CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 23

Dr A. B. O’Brien, addiessed a meeting tor women'ill the Saivation Army Citadel on the population question, the meeting was held under the auspices of the Liiristeluirch branch of the National Council for Women, and there was an attendance of 400. Mis s M. G. Havelaar presided, and, associated as speakers with Dr O’brien, were Miss Hendrie and Dr Francis Bennett. The subject of the meeting was “The national danger of abortion and the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry.”

Resolutions were passed by the meeting supporting the recommendation in ■the report of the Abortion Committee advocating restriction of the promiscuous advertising and sale of contraceptives, particularly to the young, ami the appeal to the womanhood of New Zealand to consider the.grave physical and moral dangers involved in the practice of abortion. A further resolution was passed calling upon both men and women to uphold and preserve the sanctity of the home and family life. The alarming state of affairs recently brought to public notice by the Government report on . abortion has shown,” said Dr O’Brien, “that not only has this beautiful young country one of the highest abortion rates in the world, but also that in this country, which is crying out for population, especially for healthy British stock, we have become so far degenerated that we can find young men and women willing and anxious to kill their own unborn children.

“My contention is that birth control is being actively promoted because of commercial greed, and for tli benefit of those who promote it. While our Parliamentarians deplore the lack of population and verbally advocate child welfare,.immigration, larger families, etc., they allow into the country, through the Customs Department, thousands of pounds worth of stuff each year which they know is used only to prevent New Zealanders being born.”

“We can find men so callous that for the sake of a little better economic position,, or for added luxury and ease j 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 193 L and .1935 109 married women died of abortion, leaving 338 motherless children. These women were murdered by the abortionist, with the consent of their own husbands, and sometimes without their consent. Further, this moral decline lias brought us to such a low state of civic morality, that we are unable to get a jury to convict suspected abortionists.” Dr O’Brien spoke of the “dreadful trend of affairs,” indicated by the Dominion’s rapidly declining birthrate, and made the point that, although in 1935 there were a quarter of a million more people in New Zealand than 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 desirable and almost necessary to encourage the women of New Zealand to produce more babies:—

(1) More adequate provision for children when they did come; and (2)'More help for mothers.

“My view, is,” 'ho continued, “that we are a degenerating people, and that we have got into this condition because oi' moral decline, and, though I think that artificial birth control is fast leading us down the slippery path to destruction, still I look upon it not so much as the cause of our decay, a., that it is one of the symptoms in the grand march to oblivion. That is, slackening of moral outlook, immorality, birth control, abortion, sterilisation, euthanasia, and—finish.

‘•‘These doubtful remedies, birth control and sterilisation, which are mentioned but not advocated by the committee on abortion are being put forward not, as 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 frequently, serious illness as a result,” said Dr O’Brien, in dealing with another phase of the situation. “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 effect, 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 their passion* without becoming pregnant. And 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 child, ren, at least the Government should set up birth control clinics, 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 the moral remedy. The medical remedy was poor and unsatisfactory, for what was a moral evil. 'Nothing could cure the trouble, and nothing could save the nation from present evils and ulti-

mato'destruction, except a change o heart.