Evening Star Newspaper, February 1, 1931, Page 35

CITIES SWALLOW IDENTITY OF THOUSANDS ANNUALLY Increasing Populafion and Greater Tur-| moil Leave Brotherhood to chiety. Centers “Ports of Missing Men.” increasing populations and W turmoil and confusion, America's great cities are becoming more and more “ports of missing men.” Almost as securely as if they were In the grave itself, police and social mgency reports show, men and women are able to escape their pasts and hide their identities in such teeming human ant hills as New York, Chicago, Phila- delphia and Boston. For more and more such cities are becoming places where nobody knows and nobody cares, except organized society as a whole. The business of being “my brother's keeper” has been delegated by the in- dividual city dweller to the great in- stitutions—the police and the charitable organizations, These, of course, are more efficient, but they are restricted in their scope. 'They are not greatly bothered with the curse of the indi- vidual—curiosity. The big city dweller has perhaps approached nearer than ever before in history to the ideal of *“minding his own business.” ~And this works for both good and evil. | In the restless depths of New Yurk's) surging seven millions, the police com- | missioner reports, approximately 25,000 | persons—men, women and children— | vanished last year. All but 500 of them showed up again sooner or later. But these 500 vanished as cc npletely as if they had been swallowed by the,| earth. Yet they may be living just around the corner from their old asso- who are anxious to hear from Just Ordinary Folks, Few of these are criminals. If they were it would be “somebody’s business to look for them—specifically the busi- ness of the police department. But they are just ordinary folks, not sought for any crime. Many of them are of interest to nobody but themselves. So long as they behave there is no par- ticular reason to hunt for them, ex- cept as a generalized activity of the police. They are welcome to discard the weight of their old lives if they can. This phenomenon of vanishing seems pretty largely confined to the larger cities, with populations running over a million. In such a city as Washing- ton, where the population still is not large enough to preclude a speaking ac- quaintance with neighbors, the act of disappearing without leaving the city or never appearing on the streets would be precarious. Probably it very seldom happens. It is like trying to drown oneself in water which it not over the head. But the big cities have about crossed the mark where the water is over the head. Family quarrels and disturbances are the chief reasons for disappearances, it is shown in the statistics of several cities. Last year, in New York City, 2,540 girls were reported missing. There were even more boys, but they didn't attract so much notice. A boy usually can take care of himself. There is much more danger of the girl, inexpe- rienced with life, coming to harm. Although the conditions are general over the country, probably in no place have they been studied more intensively than by the New York Police Depart- ment. Here much of the responsibility is laid at the door of the changing status, both internal and external, of the family. It hasn't adjusted itself to a chenging social order, especially as this order is exemplified in the hectic, | oceanlike confusion of the city. In the very nature of things, the family is less closely organized. It can't be closely organized with the diversity of amuse- ments, the employment of women and the taking over of such domestic labors as cooking and washing by restaurants and laundries. There are not the same economic bounds to hold the members together. Besides, the conventions and the mores have changed. Sentiment and Training. But there is an eternal conflict be- tween this new order and the old ideas of what is fit and proper. Parents, es- pecially immigrants who come from so- cieties where the family is still a strictly patriarchal system, with the father al- most in the status of an absolute mon- arch, are bound by sentiment and training to the old order. They can't adjust their minds to the changes. ‘These seem to them very close to im- moral. Departure from the old stand- ards angers and shocks them. o Quite different are the ideas of the children. They have been educated in the new age. There is something more, even, than the old, old revolt of youth against its elders. Today it is a clash of two fundamental concepts of society. It is a hard position for youth, with no sentimental or educational bonds to the old ideas. Often, it sesms, the most | painless wav of resolving the conflict is to vanish. Such, at least, is the conclu- sion of Capt. John Ayres of the New York Bureau of Missing Persons. And the same ideas are echoed by sociolo- | gists everywhere. As for the economic side of the ques- | tion—the “poor man’s divorce” long has | been celebrated. Folks live up to their | incomes. In a big city they bardly can do otherwise. Life is keyed to a cef- tain pace, which varies pretty steadily in relation to the rise of income. The individual is caught in a vicious circle, | and about the only way to escape from | it is to disappear. It is easier than | dying and. so far as the social factors are concerned, accomplishes about the same purpose. It is, of course a cow- | ardly act—but it may be easy and | painless. New Yorkers in Grooves. “Pew of us, I think,” said Capt. Ayres, “realize how large is the city of New York with her 7,000,000 inhabitants, many square miles of territory and her various communities, differing widely from one another in character. The | New Yorker lives pretty much in cer- | tain grooves. He goes to business usu- | ally by the same route, and goes back home that way. He falls into the habit of going to the same restaurant every day, or at least he is likely to be found at luncheon at one of several restau- rants, There he may meet much the same people. Some of them he knows, with others he has a bowing acquaint- ence. He has established himself in a rut of environment “Suppose, now, instead of going home by a certain subway line he takes some other subway or the elevated. He may change his office address by a block or s0. He finds it more convenient to go to some other restaurants or restaurant than where he has been taking his noonday meal. Weeks pass, and his friends and acquaintances begin to won- der. Three months go by, and they say, ‘Have you seen Bill Smith? What has become of him?’ Here is a dis- appearance. “Suppose,” continued the captain, “that one designs to disappear. His method would not be much different from what he might do unintentionally. He remains in the city and absents himself from what may be considered his haunts. If he has a job he changes it for work somewhere else. He leaves his old home and goes to a hotel or Jodging house, or settles in another borough. If he has lived in Manhattan, he goes to the Bronx or Brooklyn. He makes few acquaintances in his new surroundings, and even these he may drop by shifting his living place a few blocks. Here he is, then, traveling by diff2rent routes, with different groups of people, 50 few, if any, of whom are likely to pay any attention to him, anyway. Some Overdo Disguising. “An interesting case recently was that of a promoter who was being sought L2zause of some questionable stock op- erations. As he was wanted on a crim- inal chargs, his gase was not handied ' Ly this bureau. JHe sald that he bad never left New York; that he had kept away from his usual resorts—tke places where he had been seen—and that he had moved about in sections of the city strange to him. Whether all that is true I do not know, but it is not im- probable. “It is & strange thing that some men who wish to hide in New York are found because they have gone to too much trouble to disguise themselves. ‘They are likely to give themselves an artificial look which may attract the notice they seek to avoid. A man may change his appearance completely by raising a beard, instead of going clean shaven as had been his habit. Most men these days are smoothfaced, a beard or mustache recently grown may make a missing man conspicuous and lead somebody to note his appearance, who otherwise would ignore him.” One of the most mysterious cases which the Bureau of Missing Persons has handled in many a vear is that of Justice Joseph Force Crater, who at this writing is neither present nor accounted for in the American parade. Reward Futile So Far. Even though a reward of $5000 has been offered for information which would lead to finding him and the sharp eyes of the entire Police Depart- ment have been studying many faces, the jurist is still of the port of missing men. He may be far from this city of New York, if alive, or he may be living right here with the other seven millions. If that be true, in a community where citizens have little or no curi- osity about those not of their circle of acquaintanceship, he might be travel- ing every day to the Bronx or to Jamaica or Woodside instead of to lower Fifth avenue, Manhattan, as was his wont. Instead of having luncheon with a group of lawyer friends in a cozy and costly little restaurant down- town he may be eating in a West Side cafeteria or sitting with chauffeurs at the counter of some Fifth avenue “coffee shoppe.” Missing men do such things every day in the week in this gregarious Gotham. A striking instance of a “disappearer” going only a few blocks and changing his identity is recent in the bureau annals. He was a Jew, both in race and religion. When he was traced by detectives he was comfortably settled in a new kind of a job; was traveling to his work by surface car instead of his wsual subway: his name had become Irish and he declared he was a Roman Catholic. Asked where he attended service he gave the name of the church and of the pastor and showed knowl- edge of the traditions and observances of the faith he professed. Confronted by his wife, who had started the search for him, he glanced at her as though he had never seen her. His face was like the frozen mask of the skilled poker player. Eventually he was obliged to admit his identity, but his acting and his general procedure of ) unconcern were almost beyond belief. His personal appearance was little changed. He had simulated a new facial expression. however, which gave his features a strained look. Returns After 17 Years. Most adults who disappear intend to be missing. The percentage of thos~ who have amnesia or, other brain dis- orders and have really forgotten who they are is very small. A hiding man of an easy-going temperament, not be- trayed into self-consciousness, may be able to drift along for years without being identified. The other day an aged wanderer appealed to the Travelers Aid Society for help, saying that he had decided to return home. He was asked if he thought he could be welcomed there. “Oh, yes” he replied. “Sure, they will be glad to see me. Had a little trouble with the wi and walked out on her 17 years but I've decided to let bygones be bygones.” Another wanderer was finally traced to Los Angeles, where he had been go- ing on for six months as an “old man extra.” He had had steady work and was thoroughly happy away from his own habitat. By chance some one saw him on the screen and recognized him, as his personal appearance was un- changed. Young girls dissatisfied with their en- vironment make up a large proportion of thy missing. Oddly enough, many of thése, who are residents of New York | City, come in contact with the Travel- ers Ald Society, which seeks to help strangers arriving at railroad stations and steamship piers. A favorite ruse ameng them is to appear, baggage in hand, at one of the terminals. Some even leave the city, baggage in hand. and arrive here by train. They will then say they are just in from Boston or Chicago, or whatever occurs to them. Questioned by the agent, they answer glibly enough and may give an address as their's in their supposed | home town. Some are quartered at the “Guest House” of the soclety in East Forty-fourth street during their search | for a job. Investigations are set on foot through the branches of the society in the cities | named by the runaways. Often the addresses are fictitious, or if real, the person is not known there. Moved Every Year. A sad-eyed girl from San Francisco, as she said, although she had never been there, proved to have been missing for the last seven years from her home in Brooklyn, from which she had taken French leave. She had obtained a posi- tion in Manhattan, where she had never worked before and had gone to live in the Bronx. Her identity was finally established by a peculiarity of her up- per teeth. Every year she changed her address and made as few acquaintances as possible. The average girl of her type knows only about 50 persons in an environment. She moved when she had | more than that on her list. Many New York City girls appealing to societies and clubs for help in getting established say they come from Boston. There are many runaway girls who are from some place in Massachusetts, such as Lawrence, and most of these, to con- ceal their real home, say they are from the American Athens. Pittsburgh is another port of the missing from which wanderers hail, when reaching here. ‘Their homes are really Scranton, Allen- town or Altoona. An unusually large number of girls reported as missing in various cities are finding_their way to New York these days. Many of them are driven by the lack of employment in their families; others have taken the opportunity to escape from uncongenial surroundings. A new factor in the situation is the intercity bus lines, which are now much used by the disappearing. The termi- nals of busses are not easily looked over by the police and as yet they are not covered by the Travelers Aid So- clety. Passengers can also alight from the busses before they reach the regular stations. Tt is likely that these routes (‘”t" be more closely observed in the uture. Many Make Good. It is not to be assumed, according to Miss Murray, that the hundreds of girls who are missed from their homes are likely to fall into the path of danger. They are striking out for themselves in the adventurous spirit of uth, throwing le conditions which grown distasteful to them. Arrived in the city and hlvin’ proper guidance, many have made and have had no cause to regret the step they took. Glaring instances of ill treatment do THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, If We Cancel War Debts ers Would Have to Pay Them Out of Their Own Pockets, Says Banker. American Taxp. BY FRANCIS H. SISSON, Noted New York Banker. N casting about for causes of the present world-wide economic de- pression and in seeking relief from the burdens it imposes, the question of international debt settlements has been brought prominently to_the front. It seems pertinent, therefcre, that in view of the widespread mis- understanding concerning this problem some of the facts regarding the situa- tion should be presented for considera- tion. Sentimental, moral and economic appeals advocating the cancellation of these debts are constantly being made, with what warrant the facts may re- veal. Both the spirit and the judgment of the American people and their Gov- ernment officials have -been frequently challenged in public and private state- ments concerning the problem pre- sented. and the question naturally these criticisms are justified. The Story the Week Has Told BY HENRY W. BUNN. HE following is a brief summary of the most important news of the world for the seven days ended January 31, 1931: x x ¥ x BRITISH EMPIRE—On January 24 by a practicaly 2 to 1 vote the cotton weavers of Lancashire re- fused to negotiate with the mill owners on the “more looms per weaver” issue The lockout therefore involving 200,000 or more weavers continues. At the closing session of the round- table conference on India Premier Mac- Donald of Great Britain read a declara- tion of the intentions of his govern- ment respecting India, from which I quote as follows: Digest would not suffice, and the business is of supreme interest and importance It should be premised that, whereas the conferees definitely decided on fo mation of an Indian federation th reached agreement concerning certain features only of the constitution therefor. “The view of his majesty's govern- ment is that responsibility for govern- ment in India should be placed upon the Legislatures, central and provincial, with such provisions as may be neces sary to guarantee during the period of transition the observance of certain ob- ligations and to meet other special circumstances, and also with such guarantées as are required by the mi- norities to protect their political lib- erties and rights. “In such statutory safeguards as may be made for meeting the needs of this transitiona! period, it will be a pri- mary concern of his majesty’s govern- ment to see that the reserved powers are so framed and exercised as not to prejudice the advance of India through the new copstitution to full responsibility for her own government. “The round-table conference delib- erations have accepted by all parties that the. cen- tral government should be a federa- tion of all India, embracing both the Indian states and British India in a bicameral Legislature. “The precise form and structure of the new federal government must be determined after further discussion with the Indian princes and represent- atives of British India. ; “The range of subjects committed to it will also require further discussion, because the federal government wiil have authority only in such matt:rs concerning the States as will be ceded by their rulers in agreements made by them on entering the fzderation “The connection of the States with the federation will remain subject to the basic principle that, in regard to all matters not ccded by them to fhe federation, their relations will be with the crown acting through the agency of the viceory. “With a Legis'ature constituted on a federal basis his majesty’s government come to light. As, for instance, a lonely girl who was sitting weeplt:s on a bench in California was accosted by sympathetic” ger. SHe induced {7 Fisti*Page.), will be prepared to recognize the prin- ciple of the responsibility of the execu- tive to the Legislature. “Under existing conditions, the sub- Jects of defense and external affairs proceeded on the basis | | | ‘The financial obligations that resulted | frem the World War imposed upon the | world a set of problems of great magni- tude and complexity. In the manage- ment of these problems financial history offers no adequate precedent. In spite of the numerous efforts that have been made to reach a final solution of the questions of reparations and inter-ally debts, these obligations are still the subject of active discussion. This is particularly true since the world-wide business depression has adversely af- fected the financial position of numer- ous governments and created a doubt |in some minds as to whether the exist- ing obligations could be met. The American citizen must face the obvious and unavoidable conclusion that if the foreign debts are canceled he must pay higher Federal income taxes. | and that it should be scrupulously lived [On the payment of reparations or of The principal and interest of the Lib- erty loans, floated to raise the funds for | For any foreign government to repudi- |Should fail to meet its indebtedness the | these foreign loans, must be paid, and | ate its debt to the United States it is | United States could not turn to others arises how far, under careful analysis, |if the foreign debtors are released from | contended would be to strike a blow at | or_the payment ' payment the income tax payers of this'the very foundations of international ' | will be reserved to a governor gen:ral ‘lnd arrangements will be made to ‘place in his hands the power necessary for administration of those subjects. | “Mor:over, as the governor general | must as a last resort be able in emer- gency to maintain the tranquillity of the state and similarly be responsible | for the observance of the constitutional | rights of the minoriti's, he must be granted the necessary power for those purposes. | _ “As regards finances the transfer of financial responsibility must necessa:ily be subject to such conditions as will insur2 the fulfillment of obligations in- curred under the authority of the secretary of state and maintenance | unimpaired of the financial stability | and credit of India. “Subject to these provisions, the In- dian governm:nt would have full finan- cial responsibility for methods of rais- ing revenue and for control of expendi- | ture on no-reserved services. This will | mean that under the cxisting condition, | the central Legislature and the execu- tive will have some features of dualism which will have to be fitted into the constitutional structure. “The provision of reserved powers is necessary under the circumstances and some such reservation has, indeed, been incidental to the development of most free_constitutions. “But every care must be taken to prevent conditions arising which will necessitate their use. It is, for in- stance undesirable that the ministers should trust to the special powers of the governor general as a means of avolding responsibilities which are prop- erly their own, thus defeating the de- velopment of responsible government by bringing into use powers meant to lie in reserve in the background. Let there be no mistake about that. “The governcrs of the provinces will be constituted on a basis of full re- sponsibility. Their ministries will be taken from the Legislature and will be jointly responsible to it. The range of provincial subjects will be so defined as to give them the greatest possible meas- ure of self government. “The authority of the federal gov- ernment will be limited to the provi- |sions required to secure its administra- ticn to federal subjects and to dis- charge its responsibility for subjects de- fined in the constitution as of all- India concern. “There will be reserved to the gov- ernor general cnly that minimum of special powers which are required to secure in exceptional circumstances the preservation of tranquillity and to guar- antee the maintenance of rights pro- vided by statute for public services and the minorities.” My understanding is that it is pro- pose: require a two-thirds vote of both thambers to overthrow a cabinet of the central government. “Finally his majesty’s government considers that institution in the provinces of responsible government re- quires both that the Legislatures should be en'arged cnd that they should be based on a more ral franchise, “In framing constitution, his D. C., FEBRUARY X Drawn for The Sunday Star by J. Scott Williams. | country must be taxed to meet them. | There is no other source for these funds | but the pocket of the American citizen. | Against the possible economic advan- | tage of improved foreign buying power through cancellation this immediate fact must be weighed, and in view of its political importance it would be un- | fortunate if cur debtor countries were misled in their appraisal of the possi- | bilities of the situation. For it seems | most unlikely that any change in the | present policy of our Government can | or will be made. The policy of the United States Gov- | ernment with respect to the war debts | has been based on the principle that | the indebtednsss of foreign governments | to this country is an internationl obli- | gation in the full sense of the phrase | up to by all the governments concerned. majesty'’s government considers that it will be its duty to insert provisions guaranteeing to the various minorities, in addition to political representation, that any differences of religion, race, sect or caste shall not in themselves constitute civic disabilities. “His majesty’s government will con- sider shortly a plan by which our co- operation may be continued, so that the results of our completed work may ble seen in the new Indian constitu- tion. “If in the meantime there is a re- sponse to the viceroy's appeal to those now engaged in civil disobedience, and if they and others wish to co-operate | on the general lines of this deelaration, :teps will be taken to enlist their serv- ces.” Mr. MacDonald did well to empha- size the immense obligation of the con- ference to the report of the Simon Commission, its work having the look of a logical adaptation and expansion, of that remarkable document. He fe- licitously emphasized that in- framing the constitution for India not merely British constitutional structure and ex- perience were being consulted, but also those of the United States, France, Germany, Japan, etc., without bias or prejudice whether or not his overture (see quotation above) to the members of the All-India National Congress, the extreme Nationalists will be welcomed or flouted by those gentlemen remains to be seen. Much hangs thereon. At any rate, no doubt King George “had reason” in assuring the conferees that they had “opened a new chapter in the history of India.” On January 25 the British authori- ties in India ordered Mahna Gandhi unconditionally released from impris- onment; likewise the incarcerated members of the All-India Congress ‘Working Committee. At the same time the ban of fllegal- ity on the Working Committee was removed. The Mahatma had been in Jjail since May 5 last. If the response is what the British authorities hope, no doubt there will be a general am- nesty. Civil disobedience is now rather dormant, but the boycott is going strong. > Gandhi is in Bombay discussing the situation with the other Nationalist leaders. There are said to be some 23,000 persons in prison of the 54,000 convicted in connsction with the civil disobedience campaign. On January 26 there was a debate on India in the Commons, in which both Stanley Baldwin, leader of the of the Liberals, acceptance of the results of the round- Chui ‘who results. Said Conservatives return to power, it will be our duty to implement the work of the conference. We must all strive for the federation of India without denying ‘tence of difficulties.” On canuary 28 drastic amendment putes act passed its those bitterly condemned Mr. Baldwin: the bill O the. trades dis second reading in Conservatives, and Lloyd George, leader ' imj declared their hearty 1931—PART TWO. almost overnight: credit. For the United States volun- tarily to cancel the debts our Govern- | ment holds would be not only to im-| | pose upon the taxpayers of this country | | a disproportionately large share of the | total war burden, but also to set a | dangerous przcedent by violating the | ipnncmle of fulfillment of international obligations. Each Nation Responsible. As a corollary of this policy it fol- lows that the United States Government is not concerned with the reparation obligations or with the debts owed by | | the former belligerent European nations | to one another. The debts of foreign | governments to the United States are | the definite obligations of those govern- | ments and were not made contingent | other debts. If any foreign government | h nt: _consequently, each (Continued on Fourth Page.) the House of Commons, 277 to 250. All the Conservatives present voted against it, and they were joined by eight Lib- | erals, headed by Sir John Simon. One Liberal voted for it. All the other Lib- | erals abstamned from voting. The bill | now goes to committee, where it is cer- | tain to be much amended, where not| improbably it will be deprived of its sting. But, at any rate, the government has escaped defeat. Winston Churchill has resigned from | the Conservative Committee, otherwise known as the “shadow cabinet.” That is, he detaches himself from the Con- servative party machine—important. | Dr. Weston Hurst of the Lister Insti- | tute of Preventive Medicine, in Lon- don, announces discovery of an effec- tive infantile paralysis serum. ok * FRANCE.—On January 24 President Doumergue invited Senator Pierre Laval, | who only the other day failed in that emprise, once more to attempt to form a cabinet. M. Laval is a moderate of the Left Center ,who was minister of labor in Tardieu's last cabinet and who is a close friend of Tardieu and Briand. He is of an engaging personality. Be- fore inviting M. Laval the Presldent‘ urged Briand to undertake the post, but | the latter represented that he would be | more useful to France and the world by continuing at the foreign office. As premier he would have to suspend his | activities in behalf of his grand project of European federation. | On January 27 M. Laval announced | formation “of a cabinet. It is Right- | Center and much more Right than M. Laval desired; this by reason of the re- fusal of the radical Socialists to par-; ticipate because M. Laval insisted on including one member of Louis Marin’s Nationalist group. Tardieu's last cab-| inet is almost reproduced in respect of both personnel and assignment of port- folios. M. Laval is minister of the in- terior, Briand foreigr® affairs, Maginot war, Flandin finance, Tardieu agricul ture. M. Laval expects the same fol- lowing in the Chamber that Tardieu had. but more support in the Senate. The new cabinet presented itself to the Chamber on January 30 and re- | the eighth grade to college gra 3 [PSYCHOLOGY NOW HELPS PUT PEOPLE IN RIGHT JOBS Corporation Formed With Belief Tre- mendous Improve ments in Produc- tion and Happiness Are Possible. BY ALBERT EDWARD WIGGAM. F every man and woman and every boy and girl of working age in America could be placed tomorrow morning in just the job each could do and liked best it would be pretty safe to wager that three things of immence importance would happen First, the Nation's wealth would probably be doubled; second, at least half of our people would make twice, or possibly five times, as much money as they are making now, and, third, more thani hali of our people would be twice and maybe 10 times as happy as they are| in their present jobs. If you doubt this consider that a recent survey by the Y. M. C. A, very | incomplete for the whole Nation, indi- cated that at least 4 persons out of 10 are extremely unhappy in the jobs | they now have. Furthermore, ery school teacher, school principal and superintendent and every college dean is wrestling with the problem of ad- vising anxious, soul-torn young men and women what to do with their lives. | Every serious voung man and woman is struggling wita this same heart-search- ing, mind-wes¥ying question of choos- ing the right life vocation. I myself have traveled for 20 years over the United States lecturing to lyceums and chautauquas, to collegss and univer- sities, to women’s clubs, Rotarians, Chambers of Commerce, sales conven- tions, educational conventions and the like. And the one question that I have been asked far more frequently than any other—no matter what I lectured about—was: What aid can science give to parents in helping their children choose the most effective careers? Or, what aid can it give to boys and girls and young men and women in solving the same great problem? Must Know Selves. So if I were asked from my own life experience what is the great American question, what is the one greatest heart problem in the lives of our people and the one greatest problem in our business and industries I would say it is just this: First, how to give to our young people a knowledge of thtm- selves, their capacities and aptitudes, and, second, how to give them a working knowledge of the requirements for suc- cess in the occupations open to them, with a view to ultimately placing them in the life work in which they would find the greatest happiness and success. For if we should translate my opening statement into the broader and more penetrating words of Dr. J. McKeen Cattell, leading psychologist and presi- dent of the recent International Con- gress of Psychologists at New Haven, we would say: “If everybody were trained and se- lected for his work, there might result a revolution in industry as great as that brought about through the intro- duction of machirery. It is not unrea- sonable to assume that the production of national wealth would be doubled if every one, from the feeble-minded child to the President of the allowed to do the work he can do best way. The scientific control of conduct may become of greater importance than the uses of electricity and steel.” Sets Up Psychological Corporation. ‘These were the words with which Dr. Catiell announcsd the organization of what is probably the strangest and most unique corporation ever set up, namely, | the Psychological Corporation of Amer- ica. It is now composed of some 300 psychologists of recognized _scientific standing—such as Dr. James R. Angell, presicent of Yale University: Dr. Ed- ward Lee Thorndale of Columbia Uni- versity; Dr. Walter Dill Scott, president of Northwestern University, and Dr. H. L. Hollingsworth of Barnard College— mostly located in universities and col- leges scattered frcm Maine to Cali- fornia, who have agreed to provide “mental testing stations” for people seeking advice in regard to educational, vocational or personal problems, and they also plan to promote many other “useful applications of psychology. The corporation is unique for at least two reasons—first, one of its chief pur- poses is to appraise and measure by the best methods available people’s abil- ities and aptitudes for different occu- pations, their traits of personality and temperament, something wholly new in the history of mankind; second, it is, so far as known, the first corporation ever organized under the law whose object is the advancement of its own science, and whose earnings above necessal ‘overhead mus: be devoted to researc] in its own scientific field. Plan Wide Researches. If a business corporation down in Wall street should organize with the object of seeing how well it could con- duct its own business and" all the earn- ings were to be devoted to further study 0 see how much better it might con- duct its business in the future, we should hardly expect large financial support. But’ this i very much what | these psychologists propose to do. They propose, first, to see how well they can do their own work, a large part of which nowadays is measuring people’s minds and studying their behavior. They then propose to use all the money they make outside of the small fees necessary to pay expenses of the business for tech- nical researches to find out how much better they can do the job of measur- ing people’s minds, estimating their probable behavior and helping to fit them into the right job—indeed, help- ngl'nn ]fll them into ;lflt itself. ployers everywhere are ing for this very kind of service, and c):\yln; de- partment stores and industries have already employed psychologists to aid them in selecting employes. On the other hand, there are now listed in the census reports more than 1,000 human occupations. No wonder boys and girls are bewildered as to which one to fit themselves for. In grandfather’s time there were probably not 50 distinct oc- fi:gaflnm. :}I;I{l evfi;\ in father's time the was nothing like so bewildering im%mg, L del and en we think, too, that several mil- lion boys and girls are pouring out of our schools every year, all the way from luation, a majority of them knowing very little about themselves or what they could do or even what they would like to do, the probiem seems staggering. One psy- chologist relates that while he was try- ing to find out what a certain young man would like to do the lad said, with entire sincerity, “I'd like to be & retired business man.” I have often applied for that job myself, but have fi'fl found it already filled by applicants w] had proved themselves qualified for its duties and responsibilities. ceived a vote of confidence, 312 to 258. ous, but there is fair reason to expect that it will last long enough to pass the budget and enact a ‘“national equip- ment” measure on the lines projected by Tardieu. The “ministerial declara- tion” will receive attention next week. Gen. Henrl Berthelot, who was Mar- shal Joffre's chief of staff at the out- break of the World War and who after- ‘himself table conference. The only im it dissenting volce was that,of Winston | fecs “If " the | conf Some Have Found Selves, Of course, a good many have alre: found themselves and know what they want to do. write this ph my boy of 15, by t in of ¢ , W] father has Since my find st this mamen my a ‘moment cational & 8 3t g g boys' and girls’ minds and tell them offhand just what occupation they are “cut out for.” As one psychologist has urged, you should not ask, * it am I cut out for?” but “What occupa- tion can I fit myself for?” This is be- cause every ome, even a moron, can fit himself to do quite a number of things both successfully and hlpglly In fact, the old notion that somewhere there is just the right sized hole for every square peg has baen exploded by scientific psychology. Both the and the holes can be adjusted. in Soth size and shape, to a considerable de- gree, especially by training the emo- tions, interests and attitudes.- However, these “mind readers” and “character readers” will tell you by the shape of your head or your body build or—heaven save us!'—by the color of your eyes and skin just what you are “cut out for” and whether you are “asthenic,” or “psychoplastic,” or or “dominating,” or “ag- gressive,” or what-not. Most of the people I have known personally fihg have consulted these “psychologists’ have been told they were dominating and aggressive and were cut out for executives. We will all pay money to be assured we are extraordinary, but the only ones who get any “picnic” out of this sort of hocus-pocus, so far as I can find, ere the persons—some of them honestly self-deluded ignoramuses—who sell the hocum. Many Psychologists Available, T thereiure esteem it a privilege to urge young people to seek vocational advice and “character reading” either from persons who are members of the American Psychological Association, of which there are about 1,200, or from persons who have a good standing as medical psychologists and psychiatrists, or persons whom your school principal or _superintendent récommends. For you must not gather that no one except those 300 members of the Psy- chological Corporation is q to give very reliable vocational counsel. Most large city schools now have voca~ tional counselors, some of them very competent, e.pecially in knowledge of the occupations in their own vicinities. In fact, at this point of contact the Psychological tion desires to co-operate with all institu- tions and agencies both for the training of vocational counselors in public schools, business houses ments” for use in their work. i opetigot catmot Sread” our ic psyc] - ml’n%" ht‘:r judge your qunlnuw llfim’?:: a jol any way except you nmu.merouabeh.m d xaemm.:ld v. ur AN . Theyl?elaon he cannot read your mind is just because mobody on earth can read anybody else’s mind—or even his Nation, were | {3 050 and were trained to do it in the best|ibeq 10,000 Minimum Need. As T have said, about 300 agreed to e:‘uom about age, bu;-:l cumstances, schooling, one had, how well or ill he has succeeded in them, the applicant's outstanding sonality traits as he sees them, etc. is filled out and sent to When the applicant arrives and gets lTn"d' the examiner, as he usually calls himself, gives him some tests of general intelligence. may occa- sionally hear or read criticisms of intel- ligence tests. Most popular criticisms of intelligence tests are by persons who know very little or nothing about them, or else they are echoes of arguments that very properly are going on all the time among e: tal psychol upon technical points involved: for ex- ample, whether they measure “heredity” or “environment,” inborn ities or education. In fact, the public is nmo more capable of comprehending the real questions involved in the heredity-en- vironment problem—or, indeed, the mble‘l::s" o‘( memaxl’An meu\n‘:;menb- n of compre] of relativity or the probl‘:-g‘o! enm{ that is, whether the universe is up or running down. But you can be assured that all competent psychologists believe intelligence tests and many be- havior tests and tasks are a great aid in helping both them and you in get- ting at your fitness for particular occupations. Pick Job Your Own Size. Indesd, right here is one thing that these psychologists have done that most character and mind readers have not—that is, they have made extensive studies of what the major occupations require in the way of both intelligence and training in order to do well in them. For example, if they have found that good stenographers rate about 110 on their tests they would be real friends, should they find your mental rating was 95, if they would suggest other oc- cupations in which you would be much happier and more likely to succeed. If engineers are found to rate around 120, it would be very unwise for a boy with & rating of 100 to try to become an engi- neer. He should get interested in some- thing else; as we say in fllhttnl.nn!‘ck a job of his own size. The most uj Py person in the world is the one who g.u a job too big for him, and the next most unhappy is the one who has & job too little for him. On straining to do the impossible and the other has too much idle time for worry. ‘The word “worry” brings us to what may be the next test the psychol gives you, a test for finding out how much or how little you worry—your poise and self-control. One of the best “instruments,” as they call these tests and rating sheets, is known as the “per- sonality schedule,” devised by Drs. L. L. and Thelma Gwinn Thurstone of the University of Chicago. It aids both you and the examiner to get a pretty clear picture of your minor worries, fears and amaum’aé wurhntus. in ;:rllt you have any, or ngs out your freedom from these difficulties. Of course, if you show serious mental disturbances, he advises you to see a ‘“clinical psychologist,” many of whom are with