Welsh Journals

THE WELSH OUTLOOK NOVEMBER, 1916 NOTES OF THE MONTH The Theory We gladly print the following note of the State from a correspondent. I should like to enter a note of protest against Mr. J Arthur Price's discussion of Sir Henry Jones's political theory in the October number of the Outlook. The reference is not quite explicit. but I take it to be to the lectures delivered in the Cory Hall, Cardiff. It is true that there Sir Henry Jones used and emphasised the words Th e State owns us but he laid equal stress on the comple- mentary truth that we own the State.' He was careful to illustrate this double relationship by referring to other cases in which mutual possession is a form of spiritual experience utterly distinct from one-sided ownership- My father, my son,' my wife, my husband.' The whole point of his argument was that such relationships involve rights and duties on both sides, and rest upon the completest respect for the moral personalities participating in them. Mr. Price selected one half of the statement, and does not so much as hint that Sir Henry Jones said anything about the other half. By the same logic Mr. Price might just as reasonably argue that Sir Henry Jones approves of wife-beating, and sees no good in the prevention of cruelty to children. With the wider issues of Mr. Price's article, I have nothing to do I have no doubt that he is dealing with a perfectly real tendency of Imperialist thinking all over the world. But as a criticism of Sir Henry Jones's position, it appears to me very misleading and unfair." We fully endorse our correspondents view. We do not, of course, necessarily agree with the views of all our contributors. For example, the two opening articles in this issue are open to very diverse criticisms. Saving Child Someone had the happy idea of Life founding as a memorial to the late Canon Barnett a Barnett House as a centre in Oxford for the study of the social movements in which the head of Toynbee Hall was so deeply interested. The house is used as the headquarters of the Oxford Committee of the Workers Educational Association and as a meeting ground for social workers and teachers. Under its auspices a few days ago, Mr. Samuel, the Home Secretary, made a helpful speech on infant welfare work. He referred with pride to the fact that our infant mortality has been reduced by nearly one third in a little more than ten years, and emphasised tie Local Government Board circular which bids local authorities not to reduce expenditure on this branch of their activities, for there is still a vast amount of preventive work possible. "The deaths before birth were as many as the deaths in the first year of life. Putting the two together the wastage was not far short of one-third of our potential new popula- tion." The Government were prepared to en- courage and subsidise in every way authorities prepared to attack the problems with suitable schemes. A complete scheme should consist of several parts (I) An arrangement for the local supervision of rmdwtves: (2) arrangements for an ante-natal clinic for expectant mothers and a system of visita- tion (3) a maternity hospital or beds at an existing hospital where complicated cases of pregnancy could receive treatment, and prompt attention be given for the confinement of sick women (4) post-natal work-arrangements for the treatment of complica- tions after birth, systematic advice and treatment for infants, continuance of clinics, dispensaries available for children up to the ages when they were entered upon the school register, and systematic house visitation of infant children not on the school register. This is a comprehensive programme, and nowhere is it more needed than in Wales, where indifference is rampant, and where attempts at reform are certain to meet with opposition from many members of the medical profession-we regret to say. Only quite iia