This permission was refused in deference, it seems, to ecclesiastical opinion, to certain reactionary political forces which, in the House, were opposed to it, and to popular prejudice. It is possible that by the time this book is published the Ministry of Health may have changed its attitude. At present, however, information on contraception can only be obtained from a few private organizations such as those of the Malthusian League in Walworth and Kensington, of Dr Stopes in Holloway, and from another centre in the Edgware Road. The Malthusian League has worked quietly, unostentatiously, and, so far as its means allow, with the utmost effectiveness in one of the poorest quarters of London. For what it has done there can be nothing but praise. But however valuable the work of these organizations, they cannot possibly meet the requirements of our large slums, where such information as exists is handed about by irresponsible midwives and gamps, often with the worst results. It also seems desirable to the writer to restrict the often vulgar publicity by which this subject is frequently attended, and to which attention was drawn when the objections to Birth Control were reviewed. After the first blast of criticism which it would evoke from the baser organs of the press, such a sanction from the Ministry of Health would render further newspaper advertisement of Birth Control superfluous. If it does not cease of its own accord steps should be taken to suppress it. How best can this sanction be obtained? Clearly through an appeal from the medical profession. An expression of unanimity, or relative unanimity, from doctors in this country as to the desirability of this sanction would constitute an argument which the Ministry of Health could not easily ignore. If the sanction were thus obtained it would be open to those medical men who had approved the measure in this country to invite their colleagues in other countries to follow in our footsteps. It would seem best to begin with Germany and America, where there is reason to suppose that such an appeal would meet with response. If support were forthcoming from these countries, others might be approached――such as Japan, Italy and perhaps India, in which last the suffering caused by an excessive birth rate and a high early death rate is immense and almost wholly avoidable. In this way the medical profession in whose hands the health of each community lies would take the first step in the direction of an international control of population, and would thereby lay the basis for a genuine and permanent world-peace. * * * * * Transcriber’s Notes: ――Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). ――Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected. ――Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved. ――Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.