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Mr. Allen's home is situated on one of the stately avenues of our city. It is always a pleasure for him and Mrs. Allen to have the neighbors drop in when he is at home, which, as far as possible, he aims to be at each week end. Though he has many matters of interest in his own city and elsewhere one soon discovers that he has one absorbing topic on which he is ready to discourse at any time, and before one is aware of it, one finds oneself listening to some new development of the problem of the crippled child.

'How,' I ventured to ask him, 'did you become interested in the crippled child?'

At once he leaned back, and his mind began to traverse events of former days.

'Before my real interest in crippled children could be brought forward,' he said, 'I must sketch in a little of the background. The shocking Memorial Day accident in 1907 resulted in an appalling loss of life. This was due in large measure to the lack of proper hospital facilities, and the crushing sense of our inadequacy in this respect led to the movement for a hospital in the city. The task was laid upon me to undertake the raising of the requisite funds. Up to this time I had been engrossed in business affairs. I had been traveling in one direction; I turned and went in the other. The hospital was soon an accomplished fact. On October 30, 1908, it was dedicated and opened. For the next ten years I devoted my entire time to the new institution as its treasurer and manager.

'Soon after, a little boy, affectionately known as "Jimmy," was admitted. He was brought in by Dr. H. D. Baldwin, one of the members of the staff. Through "Jimmy," I might say, was aroused my first real interest in crippled children.'

'Was it "Jimmy" that led to the building of the Gates Hospital for Crippled Children in this city?' I queried. I had often heard that this was so, hence my question to "Daddy" Allen. Very quickly came the answer,

'It was "Jimmy," for his condition set some of us thinking seriously. Dr. Baldwin said to me one day, "Why don't you do something for crippled children?" I was not aware that there was any great need. I commenced, however, to make inquiries, and found that most people were as ignorant as I was of the existence of crippled children. Even the city school superintendent knew of only two or three, but he promised to institute an inquiry in the schools, and over twenty were found. A survey of Lorain County was then made, disclosing at least two hundred crippled children. Others followed in nearby counties with similar results. This convinced me that we sadly needed a special hospital to care for these children. I suggested the need to the Hospital Board, and was told to go ahead-if I could raise the money. This was not difficult to do because my appeal touched a responsive chord in the hearts of many. School children sold paper bricks, a handsome subscription for $25,000 was given by Mrs. W. N. Gates, (now Mrs. Ada Gates Stevens) as a memorial to her husband. From all sides money flowed in freely, and on April 5, 1915 Gates Hospital for Crippled Children was opened, and we felt that we had added something unique to our hospital facilities.'

'What did you expect when the Gates Hospital for Crippled Children was opened?'

'We expected that crippled children would pour in from all over the state, but much our surprise this neither happened the first year nor the second.'

'What was the reason for this condition of things, may I ask?'

'We had expected our institution to be a Mecca for all crippled children in Ohio, but a study of the situation led us to believe that we were tackling the problem at the wrong end. We had to reckon with the fact that children, owing to parental diffidence and other causes, could not be brought a great distance from their homes. It became imperative, therefore, to devise some plan whereby the proper medical attention might be made more nearly available for the child We had thought, and quite naturally, that our task was to bring the child to the facilities; we found that we had to consider how to bring the facilities to the child. We also discovered that hospital care in itself was not enough; it became of all things most desirable to institute a systematic plan of follow-up work, so that these children, after the period of acute hospital care was over, might be safeguarded against relapse and furthered in their course toward complete betterment. So the idea of one central institution in the state, to which all children might be brought, was not so much discarded as found to be impracticable. The inevitable result was the elimination of the centralized plan in Ohio for the care of crippled children. With this fundamental principal in mind, I began to seek some way of working it out, and succeeded in interesting the Rotary Clubs. With their support, a real step forward was made. And on May 8, 1919 the "Ohio Society for Crippled Children" was formed. According to our best wisdom at that time, and it has proved essentially sound since, it was thought that the most satisfactory results could be secured by dividing the state into eight districts, each with its own center. Thus the facilities, which of necessity were of a highly specialized kind, were placed at an average of one hundred miles from the child rather than three hundred miles -and farther; and it has been our experience that by this method we have been able to render service to a greater number of children than would otherwise have been possible."

'This, of course, could not have been possible without adequate legislation,' I took occasion to interpolate, 'so how was this secured ?

'To put it mildly, it was not the easiest thing I ever attempted to do, largely because there was then pending in the legislature a bill for the appropriation of $90,000 to purchase a site for the building of a great hospital to care for crippled children, It was difficult for a while to persuade the Governor and others that this expenditure would not at all solve the problem. Finally we gained our point. The hospital was not built; and the first bill affecting crippled children- was signed in 1919 by Governor Cox. Two years later when Governor Davis signed a further bill providing legislation according to our ideas, the state of Ohio ushered in a new era for crippled children on this continent. Thus was formed what is known as the "Ohio Plan," which had for its aim the care, cure, and education of all crippled children in Ohio.'

'What made possible the "International Society for Crippled Children," and where was is formed?'

'It was the manifest success of the "Ohio Plan" that led to the creation of the "International Society." The work in Ohio began to attract the attention of men and women outside the state, and led to inquiries as to what was being done and how, and whether the same thing might not be initiated in other states. I spent more and more time speaking to groups of Rotarians about the success of the "Plan" in my state. Many were profoundly interested, and even Paul Harris came down from Chicago to see me. A meeting of representatives from Michigan, Illinois, New York, the Province of Ontario, as well as a large number of Ohio people, was held in Toledo, October 13, 1921 to discuss what was being done in Ohio, and to consider the possibilities of extending the "Plan" into other states. There and then was born the "International Society for Crippled Children".'

'How do you set about introducing the work in a new state?' I then asked.

'As the saying runs, "This thing was not done in a corner." It would be difficult to find a state in the Union, less so now, of course, than formerly, where some people could not be found with considerable interest in the welfare of crippled children. It is this kind of people, often orthopaedic surgeons, teachers in schools, representatives of state departments, social workers, Rotarians and members of other service clubs, whom we call together, and discuss with them the possibilities of the work in their own state. I could tell many an interesting story concerning these initial gatherings, of the enthusiasm generated, the plans laid down, and the fine sacrificial work projected and accomplished.'

'What do you mean by taking the crippled child early and seeing him through?'

'It is a scientific fact, emphasized by all medical experts, that the best results are obtainable if the child is taken immediately after the onslaught of any crippling disease, or as soon after as possible. The earlier the child is taken and cared for, the greater the chance for recovery. We are assured by those competent to speak that fifty per cent of the crippled children need never have been so handicapped, but for an ignorance of the knowledge of what early medical attention means. Ninety per cent of the children affected by those diseases become crippled before school age. How necessary, it therefore becomes, to get the child in those tender years when the possibilities are great. I remember once attending a clinic in Chicago, at which Dr. Charles A. Parker was examining a child about eleven or twelve years of age, who had a withered arm. I asked the parents how long it had been that way, and they told me several years. Nothing had been done for the child, because they did not know that anything could be done. I asked Dr. Parker what the chances were for obtaining satisfactory results, and he said eighty per cent, and the time necessary, about a year. When I inquired what attention would have meant to this child if given when two weeks old, he replied, only two weeks work, with one hundred per cent results. By "'seeing a child through" we simply mean giving him the best physical care possible, the best education which he can assimilate, and the fitting of him for the best place in life, for which he is suited. The phrase, "take the crippled child early and see him through" sums up our whole philosophy on its practical side.'

If I may inquire, what is the goal toward which you are working?'

'Nothing less,' he promptly replied, 'the gradual elimination of the crippled child from the picture of life, or as we say, the complete eradication of crippledom.'

'What constitute the real values in this movement?'

'I should be inclined to say economic and spiritual. When I say economic, I mean that we definitely save cripples from being a burden to themselves and their families, and make of them happy, self-supporting citizens who take great pleasure in making the utmost use of their limited faculties, if a complete cure has not been possible. While this is a strong side to this work of reclamation, and I can appraise it fully, yet to me the problem is a spiritual one because it means the development of all the capacities of a child, until recently largely left aside in the race of life. There is another aspect to this matter which pertains to the many throughout the country who have become interested in the work, I know many men who never tasted the real joy of living till they became interested in some child, and determined, as a real god-father, to see that it had every advantage which science, education, and sympathy could secure for it.'

In conclusion I asked him, 'What has the movement meant to you personally?'

'Like the others to whom I have refered I am deeply sensible of the joy and happiness it has brought me to be interested, in this humane undertaking. My aims and objects have become so much a part of myself hat it is difficult for me to stand aside, so to speak, and estimate their value. I can wish for nothing better than to spent and be spent in this great work, and continue to labor for an increase in the number of those all over this land who are striving with devotion and success to do something worth while for crippled children.'