The Waikato Times With which is incorporated The Waikato Argus. MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1918. INFANT WELFARE IN GERMANY

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13840, 19 August 1918, Page 4

The Waikato Times With which is incorporated The Waikato Argus. MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1918. INFANT WELFARE IN GERMANY

Sometimes we in New Zealand are apt to (latter ourselves that we are ahead of the Mother Country in matters of social or political development, when, as a matter of fact, there are no real grounds for the suppositions. There is no doubt, however, that in the matter of "child welfare," thanks to the scientific ardour, skill, and personal enthusiasm of Dr. Truby King, this Dominion was considerably in advance of the United Kingdom, and the selection of Dr. King to organic the new movement in England is in itself testimony to this fact. What is perhaps not so generally known is that Germany was moving in this matter long before Great Britain. If we remember rightly, Dr. Truby King, on his return from England some five or six years .■.•go, stated that the saving of infant life was at that time being studied scientifically, and carried out in practice, in Berlin, whereas the subject had hardly begun to attract attention in England. The war has made the question of saving child life one of paramount importance to every nation engaged in the conflict. This being so, a report recently issued by the Intelligence Department of the English Local Government Board, as to what is being done at the present time in Germany in regard to infant welfare, is invested with peculiar interest. The importance of tin! question so far as Germany is concerned is shown by the fact that there has been a heavy fall in the number of births. The first three years of the war reduced by over 2,000,000 the number of babies who would have been born had peace prevailed. Some 40 per cent, fewer babies were born in 1916 than in 1913. The heavy birth-rate in Germany for many years after the Franco-Prussian war, combined with the almost stationary population of France, gave Germany a great advantage, in view of a future conflict, which thoughtful French statesmen could not help noting with concern. Of late years, however, the infection of racesuicide* seems to have reached Germany. The birth-rate which was 39.1' per 1000 in the period 1871-1880, had fallen to 31.9 in the period 1901-10, and in 1912 it was as low as 28.3. In 1913 there were 1,839,000 live births in Germany; in 1916 there were only 1,103,000 —a decrease of 40 per cent., as compared with 1913. The corresponding figures for England and Wales (785,520 in 1916, against 881,890 in 1913) show a decrease of 10.9 per cent. But it was the increase in infantile mortality, soon after the beginning of the war, which gave the German Government chief cause for uneasiness. In Prussia, in the third quarter of 1914, the rate rose from 128 to 143; in Saxony from 140 to 242, and in Bavaria from 170 to 239. The main cause of the rise, according to observers in Germany, lay in the economic distress which followed upon mobilisation. The excitement and general mental disturbance caused by war conditions also had a serious effect on the welfare of infants and young children. Nevertheless, it is worthy of note that the records for England and Wales do not show any abnormal mortality among infants during those early months of the war.

During 1915 and 1916, a considerable improvement was shown in the infantile death-rate in Germany, and no doubt this was largely due to the energetic steps taken by the Government and local authorities. Separation allowances are not given to all soldiers' wives in Germany, as a matter of course; "necessity" must first be proved. Provision was, however, made for maternity expenses, including a special allowance for breast-feeding for 12 weeks after confinement. Steps were taken to bring about the formation of local societies for promoting infant welfare, and the establishment by the societies of infant welfare centres. In 1915 there were nearly 800 such centres. In many towns infant welfare is now a branch of municipal activity. There is a growing demand for an Imperial law making the adoption of infant welfare measures compulsory on all local authorities. Among the steps already taken may be mentioned the establishment of creches and homes for young children, payments out of municipal funds to unmarried mothers (so as to protect illegitimate children), the control of the price of milk, with preferential treatment of expectant and nursing mothers, etc. By an Imperial decree in October, 11> 1 f., the supply of full cream milk was restricted to children, expectant mothers, etc. Schemes were also arranged for the issue to the same classes of additional rations of certain foods—generally Hour, semolina, rice, rolled oats, etc., and in some cases butter, fat, eggs, and meat. In practice it does not seem to have always been possible to carry out these instructions, but they show the verygreat importance attached by the German Government to the question of repairing, as soon as possible, the huge loss of population caused by the wastage or war. We, on our part, hope, as a result of the victory on which we are determined, to hand on to our children, and our children's children, a great heritage of freedom. Hut they, in their turn, will have to be always on guard, and prepared to defend that heritage. To do this successfully sufficient manpower is, above all things, necessary, and every life that is now saved will be a life gained later on, when it will be of especial value.