Evening Star Newspaper, January 11, 1931, Page 74

Fr4 Nathalia Crane, the child poet, whose works have been a literary sensation for years. She seems in a fair way to weather the crisis of growing up. BY GILBERT SWAN. ARNEGIE HALL, New York’s temple of music, was packed to the doors. High hats reflected the street lights as their mirrored surfaces bobbed from taxicabs and limousines. A very fashionable audience soon had filled every seat. Back stage in his dressing room a Faunt- leroyish child with slick hair flowing down to meet his collar was tuning up his violin. The vast auditorium was awaiting the arrival upon the stage of this predigious musical talent. ‘This lad was Ruggiero Ricci, aged 11—one of seven children born to a struggling ~ musician-father in San PFrancisco. With an amazing confidence for his years, young Ricci awaited the signal which would take him before thousands of seat buyers. His phenomenal gifts had become known far and wide. And then—just before the minute struck which would mark his entrance—an official order arrived from the Manhattan Municipal Building. The order announced that the con- cert could not go on. It was signed by Mayor James J. Walker. The very government of a great metropolis had taken time off from its myriad duties to take action on the case of a child in short trousers. A father and mother had against the alleged exploitation of their child. And a mentor-guardian-manager, Elizabeth genius of such a child—and that of his brother, too, for that matter. The Mayor of New York felt that he had mo choice in such a matter. He felt he must heed the request of parents until the courts decided. Hence the mayor must cancel the high out into the night, grumbling. g . flfius,twtbeduemhthne.lmlem Ricel found himself again a front-page figure. It was all very dramatic. But young Rug- giero, accustomed to facing litigation and sudiences, shrugged his shoulders and asked for ice cream. In such dilemmas he always asks for ice cream. Whatever temperament may be building in his childish body gives way at the moment to such youthful tastes as an 11-year-old might be expected to have. But whatever becomes of Ruggiero and his younger brother Giorgio, the tomorrows and the days after the tomorrows may have an en- tirely different slant on the status of front-page ¢hildren. The day may be just around the corner when eourts and mayors and even parenfs may be overruled by certain findings which have yet %o be made and which are now in the experi- mental process. The behaviorists, born of the school of Dr. John B. Watson—and since subjected to a number of variations and changes—have started 8 study of child behavior which may have pevolutionary effects in years to come. In the Horace Mann School, New York, a fabulation is now kept on children almost from the cradle. Card indexes chart the family background of thousands of youngsters. Efforts o apply simple behavioristic rules to the youngsters are under way in an organized Manner. . It’s all in its primer steps—but it's & begin~ Bing. And the cases of scores of young folk, Guite outside the immediate school life, are aatiers of laboratorial record. How far does Pprecociousness reach? Do prodigies depart from the ways of normal children? What opportunities slip through the tiny fingers of Jads and lassies whose parents are not endowed with fame and fortune to help them along? What becomes of prodigies after a certain period of time? ' 8hould ~they « be prometed during ~the prodigious years'for all they are worth, -Wefore the spell breaks; or is it better to delay their gifts towayd. the later years, of life?.. “In a dozen scientific sections a dozen such questions—and many more—are being raised. THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, JANUARY M, 1931, Scientists Are Now Trying to Discover Why Infant Prodigies Who Can Fiddle Like Kreisler or Read Sanskrit Often Lose Their Gentus. Ruggiero Ricci, an undoubted musical genius now, but what will he be when he grows up? He is shown here with his guardian and teacher, Elizabeth Lackey. Alsothedhdpludm‘mw with the very first reaction to life of a baby. Several such specialists in the psycho- analytical aspects of infant life are already t-day would be carefully reflected upon. ones would figure out the behavioristic cance. Why does the child behave this and that way under this circumstance that? Is the self-assurance and complete con- fidence of a Ruggiero Ricci, for instance, part of the child’s genius or an acquired character- istic? Bhould a child who can play the difficult All confusing questions. There will be more such children within the next few years—you can bet on that. Fon,hviewotvhahuhappenedtol number of the more celebrated prodigies, science is going .to try to make the world safer and easier for those who show giant potentiali- ties as children. There was, for example, the extraordinary case of young William J. Sidis, son of Prof. Yet he wound up while still a youth, embittered and morese, in & Greenwich Village voom where* he. lived for atime-slmest lMke. a'ireciuise. - e had found. that the world considered:his thinks~ ing radical and out of place. And he couldn't think of any other way, con.sldegn‘ his experi- - o * ] ) Dear old grandma and grandpa didn’t understand genius—simply walloped a prodigy’s northern exposure whenever he showed temperament. ences and background. He finally took a clerk’s job. Yet the chart of Sidis showed that at 6 months he recited the alphabet, at 2 he both read and wrote, he started school at 3, he had a master’s degree at Columbia ‘When most youngsters are starting high school, at 15 he was astounding the professors with his dis- courses on non-Euclidian geometry. Is science going to find new roads for such a lad to travel? Is the world to blame? CAN the new psychological researches fit such phenomenal youngsters into the scheme of things? Or take that other “wonder child”—this time a girl—Winifred Sackville Stoner. At 3 years of age this youngster could operate a type- writer and spell words. At 4 she had received a diploma in Esperanto. At 5 she could hold conversation in five languages. She became a guitariand- piano- player—a. student of world literature and histery.: Yet she never attended a school. Her mether ‘had ‘a definite educa~ tional fhieory. She did not consider Winifred a prodigy— Checking Up on CHILD WONDERS A phenomenon of the child actor wotii, Jackie Coogan has never been able to continue the same degree of suc- cess since long trousers came into his life. ! and never has. she once pointed out, are those with one particular talent de- veloped beyond all others. At any rate—Winifred is a grows WwWoman now. She has traveled about the world and she has participated in a dozen movements directed toward the betterment of things in general. Yet her domestic life is one that has bobbed in and out of the front pages for years. The world of the ordinary man has been in- volved, despite all her learning. Again, the inquiry arises—can a greater capacity for adaptability come from the school problems of backwardness, as well as prodigious development. ~ Il( the cases of many “front page” young- sters, adolescence has seemed to interrupt careers. Thus Jackie Coogan was the phe- could have brought about during prosperous times. The Federal scientists have been seeking for b factory rious possible uses for -the-bagasse. the bagasse has been turned into the past, but the ‘greater ‘part for fuel in the sugar factories. the present co-operation is expected lower cost, and restoring the prosperity w! is none too evident at present.