THE RED CROSS AND INFANT WELFARE.

Northern Advocate, 19 August 1919, Page 3

THE RED CROSS AND INFANT WELFARE.

As it seems probable that the Red Cross Societies of the world will take up the teaching of the hygiene of mother and child as a main section of work during peace, we shall try to give a brief history of the movement in this direction, piecing it together from information received from Europe. In wartime the American Red Cross Society was the only one which had a special section devoted to Infant Welfare. It had Infant Welfare centres in France and Italy, and leading pedeatrests came over from America to take charge of these stations.

In December, 1918, a large meeting of the Babies of the Empire Society, presided over by the Lord Mayor, was held at the Mansion House, London. Among tn e speakers were Lord Pluhket, Sir Arthur Stanley (chairman of the Executive Committee of the British Red Cross Society), Dr. Palmer Lucas (head of the American Red Cross Infant Welfare Section at Paris), and Dr. Triiby King.

At this meeting Sir Arthur Stanley said he thought that the British Red Cross might do something with regard to the health of mother and child as a portion of their activities now that the fighting had ceased. PROPOSED CO-OPERATION OF BRITISH RED CROSS IN INFANT WELFARE WORK. In January, 1919, preliminary suggestions for British Red Cross cooperation in Infant Welfare work were made at a meeting of the British Red Cross, presided over by Sir Arthur Stanley. The following statements and proposals were submitted to this meeting by Sir Alexander Roger, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Babies of the Empire Society:— EXISTING. NATIONAL AND LOCAL SOCIETIES. At the present time there are about a dozen National Health Societies dealing with Infant Welfare. All are situated in London, except one in Glasgow and one in Dublin. - There are in addition over 1000 local health societies. Of these many are controlled and financed by Local Authorities. Some are partly municipal and partly voluntary, while there is a large number of purely voluntary local societies.

'Of these Local Health ■ Societies some 800 are affiliated to the National League for Health, Maternity, and Child Welfare in London.

In addition to these purely British institutions there are a number of active societies in the British dominions, principal among them being the New Zealand Society.

These many societies at home ..nd in the dominions are responsible for an immense amount of activity, and have accomplished great work for -he Empire; but it is obvious that with so many forces at work there is much overlapping and wasteful effort THE RED CROSS IN WAR AND PEACE. iDuring the war the Red Cross have amply proved that voluntary effort must exist in addition to purely Government effort. It has also estalblished a world-wide reputation for organisation and economical administration, and it seems obvious that the Red Cross should lead voluntary organisation in peace just as in war. The great American Red Cross have already announced their intention of devoting their energies and funds to rearing a great race in the United States, and it is most gratifying to know that the British Red Cross are prepared to help Infant Welfare work in this country.

I suggest, therefore, that the British Red Cross should be invited to take without delay an active interest in the work, and devote its attention to co-ordinating effort and improving and extending the work wherever possible. PROPOSED COUNCIL. A Central Advisory Council, to be called the "British Red Cross Infant Welfare Council," should be formed, composed of 20 to 30 men and women representative of all phases of Infant Welfare work in London, the Provinces, and the Dominions. EXISTING SOCIETIES FREE TO PURSUE THEIR WORK. The individual efforts and specialisations of the various existing societies should not be curtailed, except to avoid overlapping, and it should always be borne in mind that too much central control inevitably extinguishes enthusiasm. RED CROSS REPRESENTATION. Wherever the Council thinks desirable it should have representatives on the committees of the various National Societies.

FUNDS. All societies, National and Local, should continue to rais<> as much funds as possible, and the Red Cross should make good shortages out of a Central Fund. It is, of course understood that grants would be made only after the Council is satisfied that the applications are reasonable. PAYMENT BY RESULTS. In this connection the Council should allocate funds more readily to those societies where methods and results are of a higher standard than others. This would at once establish simple and effective control, and would raise the standard of work immeasurably. PROPAGANDA. The Council should have under its control a well-paid publicity staff to deal with press and general propaganda. The press alone, if supplied with the right kind of matter, would help enormously in the work. Bare reports of meetings are wholly insufficient. There should be a continuous supply of well-prepared articles of every-day interest appearing in all parts -of the country. It seems to me that too much attention has been given to the lower classes in Infant Welfare work, and it has been assumed largely that the middle and upper classes do not require tuition and advice. The great press-reading public should have authoritative matter on the subject continually before them. I think I have said enough for the moment to show that the Red Cross, if it accepts responsibility for Infant Welfare work in the Empire, will give the work an s immense impetus, ■and at the same time it will make a fitting continuation in peace of the wonderful work it has accomplished in war.