Review .of Reviews, 2011/06. 



Impressions of the Theatre, 



169 



have made the clergy too often the subservient apolo- 

 gists for every infamy the State may commit in the 

 shape of foreign war or domestic injustice, it is im- 

 possible to deny that Major Barbara was not alto- 

 gether without grounds for the extreme position which 

 she took up. Constantine may not attach any condi- 

 tions to his fatal donative, but timeo Danaos et dona 

 ferentes. 



The third act of " Major Barbara " is amusing as 

 M Candida " is amusing. But that is all. It enables 

 Mr. Shaw to air many of his amusing paradoxes 

 about modern society, and to launch his satirical 

 shafts against various forms of popular folly. But 

 so far as Major Barbara is concerned, it is an after- 

 climax, and singularly unconvincing at that. Her 

 lover, the Greek professor, who is always quoting 

 Euripides, released from the big drum, is adopted 

 as the heir to the Undershaft cannon factory, and 

 Barbara joyfully dedicates herself to work as his 

 wife for the welfare of his workmen. Her chief rea- 



son seems to be that they are strong and well to do, 

 and therefore, one would imagine, in less need of her 

 ministration than the wastrels of the shelter. It is 

 not exactly clear what faith she is going to teach 

 them. Possibly she intends to popularise the sparse- 

 ly-attended meeting of the Ethical Society despite 

 the prejudice that the workmen had against the pre- 

 sence of an Agnostic in the midst of high explosives. 

 But you feel that Mr. Shaw has forgotten all about 

 Barbara. He is only thinking of using Undershaft 

 as the oracle of the wit and wisdom of Shaw. The 

 first act is a humorous skit upon the managing 

 mother, in which everything is sacrificed to Mrs. 

 Undershaft. The second act is Barbara's. The 

 third belongs to Undershaft himself. Barbara's de- 

 cision to spend her life among the workmen after she 

 has married Adolphus is a survival of the old Salva- 

 tion Army enthusiasm, which survives her loss of 

 faith in the Army itself. But whichever way you 

 take it. the denouement is disappointing and uncon- 



vincing. 



STATE PREPARATION FOR MOTHERHOOD. 



Two papers in the Independent Review deal with 

 this subject, which apparently is beginning to claim 

 something of the attention it deserves at the hands 

 of the nation. Mrs. Edith (Deverell) Marvin writes 

 on " The Mothers of the "Future," and exclaims on the 

 fact that the Code scheme on Domestic Economy 

 has remained unaltered since 1879! The teaching 

 has been stereotyped and unintelligent in that sub- 

 ject as well as in cookery and laundry and sewing. 

 The writer pleads for co-operation and co-ordination 

 and for uniting all branches under household man- 

 agement. The crux lies in the teaching and in the 

 inspection of the teachers. She recommends a cen- 

 tral school of household management and hygiene in 

 London — in connection, if possible, with Lonjlon 

 University — and another in connection with a NT3rth 

 of England university as pioneers. 



Mona Wilson discusses Infant Mortality, and the 

 effect on it of the mothers' employment. She urges 

 that for the sake of the child the mother should not 

 return to work until six months after confinement. 

 She would gradually extend the present legal limit of 

 four weeks to the full half-year. She assumes " that 

 the ultimate solution will be found in some payment 

 for motherhood." She presses for a separate enu- 

 meration of married women working under the Fac- 

 tory Act. She discountenances the creche. 



A NOTABLE FRENCH EXPERIMENT. 



She asks for experiments after the pattern of the 

 Mayor of Huddersfield, who offers one sovereign to 

 parent or guardian on a child attaining its " first 

 birthday," and refers especially to the scheme suc- 

 cessfully worked at the little Commune of Villers-le- 

 Duc: — 



During the period 1800-1893, tlie death rate in Villers-Je- 

 Duc was high; speaking roughiy, one child out of every 

 four died within the year. The mayor took the question 

 seriously in hand; and for ten years no infant death oc- 

 curred in tlie village, and there was only one still-born 

 child during fifteen years. This extraordinary result has 

 been achieved by the establishment of a free medical aid 

 fun 4. Any woman who has not sufficient means to make 

 arrangements for her confinement conducive to her own 

 safety .and that of the child, receives assistance, if she 

 reports herself after seven months' pregnancy at the 

 mayoral office. She is required to undergo examination 

 by a midwife of her own choosing. Medical attendance 

 then and during the confinement is also furnished, if 

 necessary. If she consents to stay in bed. a payment of 

 a franc a day is made to her for six days after tlie child's 

 birth. A sum of money is also paid to tlie mother or 

 nurse at the end of the year if the child is produced in a 

 healthy condition. It may be safely assumed that the 

 results of such an experiment are not limited to the 

 reduction of the death-rate and tlie prevention of still 

 births. A general improvement in the health both of 

 children and of mothers must necessarily follow. 



The writer suggests that philanthropists might de- 

 posit a sum of money to be used for the benefit of 

 women who reported themselves at the hospital after 

 seven months' pregnancy. Another suggestion is the 

 establishment of small convalescent homes in con- 

 nection with the maternity hospitals. The few 

 months before and after birth well provided for 

 would reduce infant mortality and improve the 

 national physique. 



In Pearson's Magazine for January the editor has 

 an article on Infant Mortality. He says that the 

 total number of deaths in England and Wales in 

 1904 was 549,393. Of this number 137.490 about 

 one-fourth — were children under one year — that is 

 to say, approximately one-seventh of the total num- 

 ber of births. Half of these children died from 

 preventable causes. The problem still remains, 

 How are poor mothers to obtain a supply of pure 

 milk for themselves and their babies? and How are 

 all the other remedies, such as proper diet, sanitary 

 housing, etc., to be obtained ? 



