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Editorial
June 5, 1905
The Spokane Press
Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
What is this article about?
An editorial critiques the exaggeration of child hunger in U.S. schools, describing a New York breakfast program that fed few truly needy children, contrasting American prosperity with European poverty, and hoping the U.S. avoids such distress.
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Those Hungry School Children
Some times sympathy runs away with horse sense in this big-hearted country of ours.
Somebody said that thousands of poor children went to school hungry every morning. and that there could be little mental development while the stomachs were howling for food. It was even asserted that in New York alone 70,000 children went to school breakfastless.
Of course. if this was true it was a black eye for the people of the United States. If. with all our wealth and resources, a large percentage of the little folks do not have enough to eat it is time to say that the Republic is a failure.
So the breakfast scheme was tried out in New York.
There was plenty of good food. It did not run to strawberry ice cream or macaroons, and there was no candy at all. The menu was good soup, bread, etc.
Undoubtedly some hungry children were fed. It is a fact that some pathetic cases were uncovered and some real good accomplished.
But there was no rush for free breakfasts. and a majority of the children turned up their noses at the food and proved that they were doing very well at home.
In Europe it has been found necessary to feed school children. The general poverty there among the very poor is such as the people of this country can not even comprehend.
It is to be hoped that America will never know the need that is so common across the water and that the distress of its school children will always be found to have been exaggerated
It is not asking too much to hope that in the United States there may always be food enough for all.
Some times sympathy runs away with horse sense in this big-hearted country of ours.
Somebody said that thousands of poor children went to school hungry every morning. and that there could be little mental development while the stomachs were howling for food. It was even asserted that in New York alone 70,000 children went to school breakfastless.
Of course. if this was true it was a black eye for the people of the United States. If. with all our wealth and resources, a large percentage of the little folks do not have enough to eat it is time to say that the Republic is a failure.
So the breakfast scheme was tried out in New York.
There was plenty of good food. It did not run to strawberry ice cream or macaroons, and there was no candy at all. The menu was good soup, bread, etc.
Undoubtedly some hungry children were fed. It is a fact that some pathetic cases were uncovered and some real good accomplished.
But there was no rush for free breakfasts. and a majority of the children turned up their noses at the food and proved that they were doing very well at home.
In Europe it has been found necessary to feed school children. The general poverty there among the very poor is such as the people of this country can not even comprehend.
It is to be hoped that America will never know the need that is so common across the water and that the distress of its school children will always be found to have been exaggerated
It is not asking too much to hope that in the United States there may always be food enough for all.
What sub-type of article is it?
Social Reform
Education
What keywords are associated?
School Breakfasts
Child Hunger
New York
Poverty Exaggeration
American Prosperity
European Poverty
What entities or persons were involved?
New York
School Children
Europe
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Exaggeration Of School Child Hunger And New York Breakfast Program
Stance / Tone
Skeptical Of Hunger Claims, Optimistic About American Prosperity
Key Figures
New York
School Children
Europe
Key Arguments
Sympathy Prompted School Breakfast Program Despite Questionable Need
Most Children Rejected Free Food, Indicating They Were Fed At Home
Program Uncovered Some Real Hunger Cases But No Widespread Rush
European Poverty Necessitates Child Feeding, Unlike In America
Hope That U.S. Child Distress Remains Exaggerated And Prosperity Endures