after some six years, the general free provision was abandoned. Instead, hot soup was provided, which was given free to the poorest children, any others who wished being allowed to receive it on payment of 1.50 lire a month.[613] Footnote 612: [Footnote 5: For the following account, see _Lancet_ Reports, pp. 24-30. It is interesting to note that this scheme for making universal provision was introduced by the Conservative party.] Footnote 613: _School Feeding_, by Louise S. Bryant, 1913, p. 141; Il Patronato Scolastico Umberto 1 in Vercelli e la sua Opera al 31 Dicembre, 1912, pp. 5, 6. The "School Restaurant" seems to have been established in Italy to a greater extent than in any other country. A very large proportion of the children attend, and a great number of these pay for the meals. In 1908-9 it was found that in forty-three cities the average attendance amounted to 37 per cent. of the total school population; while in several towns the attendance rose to over 70 per cent.[614] Footnote 614: [Footnote 2: _Ibid._, p. 140.] (d) Germany In Germany little attention appears to have been paid to the question of feeding school children, apart from their parents, till the closing years of the nineteenth century.[615] In some of the large towns, at any rate, the arrangements that were made were quite inadequate. In Berlin, for instance, there was in 1890 no society whose chief object was the provision of school meals. A society which provided food for the poor generally had a branch which devoted special attention to the needs of school children, and gave a small sum, generally only 15s. or 20s. a year, to the committee of each parish school, to be used at the headmaster's discretion. Generally milk and bread were given in the headmaster's house.[616] About 1890 the subject began to attract more attention, especially in connection with the vacation colonies for school children; it was found that the children who were sent to these colonies, on returning to their homes, lost the benefit they had gained, owing to lack of food. On an attempt being made to continue the work of the colonies by feeding some of the children, it was found that thousands of others were also underfed.[617] In 1897 a Bill was introduced in the Reichstag by the Social Democrats to make provision for school meals in the cities. The Bill was defeated on the ground that it would increase the migration to the cities from the rural districts.[618] Some ten years later the agitation for national legislation was renewed, as a result of the discovery that from 44 to 46 per cent. of the conscripts for the Imperial Army were rejected on account of physical unfitness.[619] Footnote 615: "Prize Essays on Feeding School Children," 1890, pp. 65, 212-4. Footnote 616: _Ibid._, p. 65. Footnote 617: _School Feeding_, by Louise S. Bryant, 1913, pp. 17-18, 104. Footnote 618: _Ibid._, pp. 18, 105. Footnote 619: