The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 12, 1920, Page 7

- A ‘““Babies’ Paradise” Japan Has National Holidays in Honor of Boys and Girls APAN is described by travelers as the “paradise of babies.” It has a national holiday, March 3, “the festival of the dolls” in honor of the small girls of the empire, and &nother holiday, May b5, in honor of the boys. American women who visit the country frequently express sur- prise that they never sée a Japanese baby cry, though there are hterally thousands of them in’ every street. Why babies are held in such high esteem and why Japanese babies so seldom are seen crymg, is explained by Mrs. ngora Hatoyama in the Dearborn Independent. “The first thing that comes into play is our in- herent worship for motherhood. In Japan woman- hood is not a whit more sacred than manhood. But motherhood! Ah, that’s different. Motherhood is woman’s halo.” A childless wife hangs her head in disgrace. But an expectant mother, before the baby’s ad- vent, finds the -entire nelghborhood entering into a conspiracy to help her in all tasks. 3 When the baby arrives it-is not pampered every time it whimpers nor is it handed around from one arm to another like a basketball. -The baby is dressed in loose garments like kimonos, with wide sleeves, without buttons and without pins; not even . safety pins. The Japanese house is without furniture and the floor is covered with padded mats, so there are no chances for head bumpings. Babies are encouraged to play out of doors. Whenever a carriage drives through a narrow street in Japan a footman runs ahead to warn #hildren. To hurt a child, even in accident, is a ““crime for which an lmported civilized code does not provide sufficient punishment, according to --the Japanese way of thinking. i Japan has never yet heard of a landlord who will not rent property to families with children and it never occurs to the Japanese family to leave the children behind when they take a holiday excursion. Should Protect Mothers The United States senate has under consideration a bill by Senator Sheppard of Texas providing for an annual appropriation, starting at $2,000,000 and increasing, year by year, until it reaches $4,000,- 000, for the protection of American mothers and children. The purpose .League states are without these laws. make a rectangle about a foot wide and nearly as long as the car body is wide. Leave ends of rope at the four corners to tie to the four hows of the top. Over this rectangle fit a ‘denim—basket about two feet deep. This will make a very satisfactory hammock, and one that can be used any time of the year. Baby carried in it will be happier than in mother’s lap and mother will have a pleasant trip. New York Elects Woman Doctor Elizabeth Van Renssalaer Gillette has been elected to the New York legislature from the Schenectady district. - Doctor Gillette ran on the Democratic ticket. She was the first Democrat elected from the district for 17 years and the first woman ever elected from the district. Her advo- cacy of the eight-hour day and minimum wage laws is primarily responsible for her success. Doctor Gillette has been a practicing physician for many years. She was for two years examining surgeon in the Gen- eral Electric company plant. Before tak- ing up medicine she was a settlement worker in New York City. “I AND R” LITERATURE Of 850,000 women registered for the election of November 4, 1919, in Chicago, only about 34,000 voted, or less than one in ten, according to the National Popular Government league. The initiative and referendum and other important amend- ments were decided upon at this election.- The initiative and referendum already are in effect in North Dakota, ‘South Dako Montana, Washington and Nebraska, but most of the other League women and others who desire to learn about the initiative and referendum, the “gateway amend-- ment” and other political reforms of like nature, can secure educative literature on these subjects free of charge by writing the National Popular Government League, 637 Munsey building, Wash- ington,\D. C. All kinds of dried legumes require soaking over night, and long, slow cooking. If beans are old and hard add a little soda to the water in which the beans are soaked and in the first boiling water. Woman Balks at Baker Army Bill T"fifi%%mmam'mmmr amwmmmwn%m;n . Leaguers Are Winning North Dakota Woman Sends Note of En- couragement and Verse La Moure, N. D. DITOR Nonpartisan Leader: I am incloging a contribution for the farm woman’s page and my photo. I am a farmer’s wife. My husband is a member of the League. We have lived in North Dakota 14 years. We have a pleasant country home one mile south of Independence, N. D, where we have spent 10 years farming. Iowa is my husband’s birth state. His parents came over from Germany 45 years ago. Illinois is my birth state. My forefathers came over from Ireland 200 years ago. They lived in log cabins in those days and fought the Indians and helped blaze the way for American freedom. It is the same today with the League farmers except they do not live-in log cabins. They are fighting Big Biz and blazing the way.for economic liberty. It will be a long fight, no. doubt, but they will win just as sure‘as our fore- fathers conquered the Indians. I find the farm woman’s page quxte interesting; all it lacks is more contribu- tions. I save all the farm woman’s pages; they will be interesting to look at in™” years to come. Everybody likes to read the woman’s page; even the men read it. MRS. MARIE HEGARDT. This is one of the poems written by Mrs. Hegardt: HAPPY NEW YEAR .Goodby, old year, goodby, You brought us joy and you caused us to sigh, And now we march down on the by-way of time, Undaunted by mountains we still have to climb, Mrs. Marie Hegardt « Till at last we will come to the end of the way And looking back on the dying year again we will say Adieu, old year, adieu; we welcome now the new. How About This Page? 3 Calumet, Mont. Editor Nonpartisan Leader: as I am a farm woman and have no near neighbors, so have plenty of time for thought. Why discuss household problems in the Leader? Every farm paper: and woman’s magazine does I"always have suggestions to make," of the bill is to remedy conditions dis- closed by statistics of the United States department of labor, which show that 16,000 women die in child- birth each year in the United States, and that of every 10 children born, one dies before it is one year old. Half of these deaths oceur before the child is six weeks old. A large share of the deaths, beth of mothers and children, can be traced to lack of proper care. olhe money proposed to be appro- pnated iz to be divided among the states, in proportion to their popula- tion, if the states’ meet it with an equal. sum. A BABY HAMMOCK Many a weary mother has stayed home rather than hold baby on her lap for a long auto trip. She need not do this, for it is very easy to make a - hammock to be suspended back of the front seat of the car, and here let the baby sleep. F. C. Hathaway, county agent of Walsh county, N. used such a hammock for two chil- dren, and each has ridden many ~ hundred miles in this way. He gives the following directions for ma.king such a hammock: ' Take two pieces three-eighths-inch rope each long enough to reach from one top how around back of the seat to the other. D., has Splice into these two short pieces to nated as Ohio member of the Woman’s National Democratic committee, has resigned from the committee as a protest against the compulsory military training bill indorsed by Secre- tary of War Baker. In response to letters urging her to reconsider her decision Miss Allen wrote Democratic headquarters: ; “My decision is final. I agree with you that being a Democrat is MISS FLORENCE E. ALLEN of Cleveland, Ohio, who was desig- - more than skin deep. There is something in me deeper than party affilia- tion, however, and that 1s the determination to fight the causes of war 3 wherever I find them. To my mind compulsory military service is one of those causes. I could speak my mind upon it and Jhold the position I occupied, sponsor- ed as the measure was by Mr. Baker and unrepudiated by President Wil- son. “I do not consider. that I have left the party. I have resigned a posi- tion in the party, but I expect to work with the Democrats if, on the whole, they maintain democratic principles. But compulsory military service is so.subversive of the whole structure of our democracy that I can not understand how a Democrat ‘can propose it.” in Cleveland. She lost a brother, Lieutenant Clarence Allen of San Francisco, in the war. What do the women readers ‘of the Leader think about Miss Allen’s stand? Was she right or wrong in 2 ~tell us what you think. I still fail to see how Miss Allen is a practlcmg lawyer: resigning her position? Write and that. Why not have our paper unique ? Let us discuss woman in politics and her problems there. . Here are some. subjects for discus- sion: What do they say of women who are’ interested in public matters in your neighborhood? What can --you do about it? Are the women interested? If not, how can you get them interested ? Is your husband interested enough to go and vote? long time; he doesn’t care much now. Please let us talk of these things and see if we can’t get more good done in the world if we drop the discussion of pots and pans for awhile. ‘We worked like soldiers for the Red Cross—now let us go to it and do as good work in politics. And please may we have the page in the Leader as - our special organ or publicity page where we can help one another by our experiences and suggestions? If you should publish my letter please sign just with my initial. MRS. C. EDITOR’S NOTE: We are inclined to agree with Mrs. C. But we want to make this page whatever the ma- jority of the women readers want it to be. What shall it be, recipes for apple pies or discussion of what wom- en can do in public affairs, or a little of both? Write and tell us. oy i Mine wash’t for a 4 i X