What the Mayor (Councillor Walter Primett) described as "a gross and cruel libel on Luton" was nailed at a meeting of the Town Council on Tuesday evening, when he showed that the estimates of local war babies were exaggerated both in public speech and public mind.

What was commonly known as the war baby question was causing a lot of talk and agitation in the town, which had come in pretty thick for it, said the Mayor. A lady speaker at a meeting in Birmingham was said to have made a statement that 600 war babies were likely to appear in Luton.

As a result, a man from Queen's College, Birmingham, wrote to the Mayor [pictured, right] asking if that was a fact. He personally did not believe it, but he would like to know the true state of affairs. The Mayor replied, asking unsuccessfully for the woman speaker's name and address as her statements ought to be challenged.

Subsequently figures of 1,500 and 2,000 babies had been mentioned in public print in towns in the Midlands, and individuals had written to the Mayor enquiring if Luton was the town involved. As one of the letters was from a Government official, the Mayor believed it was about time something was done to verify the statement, which he knew was entirely wrong.

"Then the Local Government Board took the matter up and wanted a report based on reliable evidence, as the Government are enquiring to get to know if there is any truth in all these remarks with a view, if possible, to get legislation to meet it," said the Mayor.

"I am not going to condone this thing at all, but I say a more gross and cruel libel on a town has not been published. A lady inspector visited me, and I arranged with the Health Visitor to assist, and I think we have covered the ground pretty well. Eleven medical gentlemen have been seen, and they have stated most candidly the position, because rumour has it, I am told, that it is a fact that one doctor has over 80 cases, another 100, and another 70 on their books.

"None of these medical gentlemen have one case," declared the Mayor. "I am satisfied with the way the evidence has been got - nurses and manufacturers have helped - and up to this morning there are 13 known cases in Luton, and five suspicious cases. Two of the 18 cases have been in the Union House, both having had a child before. The reputed fathers in two or three of the 18 cases are local men who are now in the Army, and they were probably courting for some considerable time."

The Mayor repeated that it was a gross libel to make a statement that there were something like 600 to 800 and 1,500, and he was glad to be able to say so publicly, as he thought that what had been said was a libel on the men stationed at Luton and the morality of the young men of Luton.

The members of the Town Council, he was sure, joined with him in feeling a certain amount of jealousy for the honour of the town, and as when the matter was first brought to his notice he said he did not think there would be more than 50 cases, he was glad to think that it had come out even better. It was considered very satisfactory by the Local Government Board.

[The Luton News, May 6th, 1915]