WOMEN DIVIDED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19338, 31 May 1937, Page 12

WOMEN DIVIDED

'■MOEE BABIES" CAMPAIGN CANNON FODDER FOR WAR LONDON. March 5. ,„ Vigorous arguments for and against a campaign to increase the birth rate were put forward yesterday by women delegates at the 'annual meeting of the National Council for Equal Citizenship. A resolution', moved by Mrs. E. M. Hubback, on behalf of the'executive committee, urged that a campaign should be undertaken to check the declining population. She advocated : The establishment of family allowances.

The provision of such an increase in social services as would make the economic position of people with children at least as favourable as that of those without.

The provision of a more adequate maternity service.

Several delegates protested against the resolution oil the ground that it was advocating enormous families to proviuc "cannon iotkler" for the next war.

Mrs. N. Shackletoiij, of Liverpool, speaKing in favour of the resolution, said that they should make use of the schools to bring! home to girls their responsibilities as future citizens, and to educate them to expect a good standard of conditions for their children.

Mrs. Helena Normanton, of London, senior practising woman barrister qf the English liar, strongly opposed the' proposal, saying that she distrusted it terribly, bhe felt that this resolution, togetner with.the whole agenda of the conference, was in line with what Hitler anil Mussolini wanted.

"I think all these prophecies about what is going) to happen as. a result of the decline in the birtii rate are' very exaggerated," she added. "The only thing that women in any country can do to prevent war is 1 to stop the supply of 'cannon fodder.' "

The resolution was carried by 29 votes to 12. ' '