CHILD TRAFFIC IN GERMANY

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12259, 9 June 1914, Page 7

CHILD TRAFFIC IN GERMANY

SISTER'OF MERCY'S FIGHT. HAMPERED BY THE POLICE. Berlin.. April 23. Sister Henrietta Arendt, a, Sister of Mercy, is again stirring up all Germany by her revelations regarding the ''Kijiderhandel" or traffic in children. The traffic in cliildren, the buying and selling, the giving away with or without some reimbursement "for the mother"—is declared by Sister Arendt. to be an appalling social evil in Germany, notwithstanding the Government denials that such a traffic exists.

There is . ■ Jittle doubt th.lt Sister Arendt has proved the existence of child traffic in Germany, at least to some .degree. The large percentage of illegitimate births, which in Berlin runs as high as 22 to 24 per cent, of the whole, makes this traffic possible. Evidence of it may be found in the advertising ' columns of the newspapers,where, under the guise •of "adoption,", children are openly offered for a price.

| Attired in the garb of a Sister of [ Merry. Sister Arendt, with her calm, pleasant, nunlike face, looks anything but the social reformer and terror of the ''White Slayers" in Germany that she is. For years she has waged her rnfripaign single-handed. Even the police planed obstacles in her way. Dressed as a slatternly ppasant woman or disguised in the flashy dress and jewellery of a woman of. the streets, she visits the worst brothels and dives to find and rescue "little white slaves." An a childless wealthy woman in search of a child to adopt, she answers many advertisements where children are offered for sale. To-day she is '"mother" of a total of 12?o children whom she . rescued, adopted or "bought." She i.s more feared by "professional" dealers in "white slaves" than the police, who do not regard with favor her incursions into this field. Wither have the police relished her revelations in her works. "Little White Slaves." "The Thorny Path of Mercy," "The Experiences of a Police Matron," i

"People Who Have Lost the Path," and her "annual reoort" for 1913 on child traffic.

Sister Arendt was the first police matron appointed in Germany. The idea- was borrowed from America. She resigned in 1908 from the Stuttgart police, where she had the title" of "police assistant," to devote her entire time to fight child traffic. From the proceeds of lectures and the sale of her books, together with an occasional donation from philanthropic persons, she has managed to contirii\e her crusade. Even the police are beginning to change their attitude toward her and acknowledge that she is giving valuable assistance. EVIL SPREADING EVERY YEAR.

"It is a sad fact/' Sister Arendt said in an interview this week to the New York Sun* -correspondent, "that the traffic in children is increasing from year to year. Moreover, it is one of the most up-to-date businesses for the professional as Well as lay or occasional criminal. Not alone do unmarried mothers who have been deserted by the fathers of their children and who are unable or unwilling to care for their offspring sell the child for a large or small remuneration, but in many instances married couples endeavor for one reason or another to find a purchaser for their children. It is through the advertising columns; of the daily papers that the traffic is chiefly carried on. It is unnecessary to say that a very large percentage of the advertisements offering or wanting children for "adoption" are frauds, as I have ascertained personally in hundreds of cases, and that the advertisers are unscrupulous persons who object first of all is to obtain money. "Here are a' few advertisements taken from Berlin papers:—

"Girl, 2 months old. to be given away, only rich people, in exchange for high remuneration. Address, A.F. Pretty clever boy, 4 years, given away by poor woman to rich people only for a consideration. Address A.B. Adoption: What childless couple will take two nice, healthy boys aged 9 and 10 years? They are of good parentage, and only well-to-do persons will he considered." Address 0., 436. "A letter sent in reply to the last mentioned advertisement and stating that a wealthy family would be willing to adopt the two boys resulted In unmasking the mother. She had formerly been a waitress and now rents ' furnished rooms for gentlemen ' in Stuttgart. She admitted that she was engaged to one of her lodgers, a post office employee, and wanted in the first place' to get rid of her two children, and secondly' to obtain enough money thereby to start housekeeping in a .suitable manner. WANTED £SO FOR EACH.

"Tlie woman wanted at first £SO for each boy, but finally agreed to sell both of them ,for £70." Eventually ,1 was able to provide a home for these two unfortunate children in the Rescue Society of the Good Shepheid, in Stuttgart. This case is a mild one compared with many others which I have had to deal with in the past ten years. "Who buys children and for what purpose are they bought ? is a question which one naturally asks. The answer may be generalized by saying that the buyers are mostly white slave agents. "I am 'frequently asked how it came about tbat I have identified myself with # the -work of fighting this nefarious traffic in human beings. In the year 1903 I was appointed police matron at the city-prison in Stuttgart, and as a matron there naturally had opportunity to study humanity, and especially* criminality, at close range. Numerous instances of child maltreatment were brought from time to time to my notice, and upon a personal investigation of the cases I discovered that a more or less systematic traffic was carried on by unscrupulous midwives and their whereby children were disposed of in one way or another. . "Through the energetic steps which I took in bringing these eases to the knowledge, of the public prosecutor, and through publicity in the press it was not long before my name was prettywell known to these individuals, and as you can easily guess I was far* from being well liked bv them. "When I left Stuttgart I applied to the Berlin police' department for police support here in my fight against the traffic in children. My request was rejected on the ground that the Royal Police Presidency in Berlin has not ' department for the Kinderhandel (child traffic).' Since then, however, the police in various cities have given and are giving me their support."