504 CONSERVATION 



ways ; and that, in every such contest, slates and territories, and such other 



the people themselves, in the long run, facts as have a bearing upon the health, 



constitute a significant, if not the deter- efficiency, character and training of chil- 



mining factor. For example, it is gen- dren," pointing to the fact that "the 



erally understood that Germany's sys- state has always jealously guarded the 



tem of popular education has weighed interests of children whose parents have 



mightily in her favor in her long compe- been able to leave them property 



tition with France. Again, the long- by requiring the appointment of a 



continued and fatuous persecution by guardian," and pointing out that "the 



French monarchs of the Huguenots, interests of the child who is not only an 



culminating in 1685 in the revocation, orphan, but penniless, ought to be no 



by Louis XIV, of the Edict of Nantes, less sacred than those of the more for- 



in consequence of which France lost tunate orphan who inherits property." 



more than a million of her most intelli- In the same spirit is the more recent 



gent, enterprising and industrious citi- utterance of Prof. Graham Taylor : 



zens, is recognized as a chief cause of "The child is coming to be as much 



national weakness long enduring. of a civic problem as it ever has been a 



In the light of such historical evi- family problem. Upon the normality 



dence, which might be multiplied at will, of its children the strength and perpe- 



it should seem superfluous to argue that iriity of the state depend, as surely as 



the conservation of human resources is the dependency and delinquency of its 



a national duty of the first magnitude, children undermine the prowess and 



Nevertheless, from the standpoint of menace the life of the state. The educa- 



the laissez faire statesman, no such duty tion and discipline, the labor and recrea- 



exists. Unemployment, unskill, pov- tion of the child figure larger all the 



erty, misery, disease, are matters of in- while in our legislation and taxes, our 



dividual concern with which lawmakers thinking and literature." 



wrestling with the mighty problems of For all of such utterances we may be 



tariff and currency have little concern, profoundly grateful as evidences of a 



Fortunate it is that President Roose- growing recognition of the importance, 

 velt, shortly before retiring from office, from the public standpoint, of the life, 

 established here, as in so many other health, well being and normal develop- 

 regards, a new precedent. On January merit of the citizen, and of the propriety 

 25-6 last there assembled in Washing- and necessity of legislation and admin- 

 ton, on the invitation of the President, a istration, municipal, state and national, 

 conference on the care of dependent to promote the highest well-being of 

 children. In this the President took every man, woman and child in the 

 the most lively interest, following its ad- Republic, 

 journment with a special message to & V 

 Congress declaring that "the interests of 



the Nation are involved in the welfare Where Is Conservation to Stop 

 of this army of children no less than in 



our great material affairs," urging the np HE conservation idea grows by what 



establishment of a Federal children's * it feeds upon. We began in this 



bureau, "which shall investigate and re- country by conserving forests, then we 



port upon all matters pertaining to the took up irrigation, waterways and the 



welfare of children and child life, and like until the movement was launched 



shall especially investigate the questions a year ago for conserving all natura; 



of infant mortality, the birth rate, physi- resources. 



cal degeneracy, orphanage, juvenile cle- Attention thus far seems to have been 



linquency and juvenile courts, desertion given chiefly to material, subhuman 



and illegitimacy, dangerous occupations, resources. Yet at the White House 



accidents, and diseases of children of Conference Mr. MacFarland urged the 



the working classes, employment, legis- conservation of beauty, quoting Mayor 



lafion affecting children in the several McClellan that, "It is the country beau- 



