Evening Star Newspaper, March 13, 1932, Page 44

Why Not Turn the Movies Into Schools? BY KATHLEEN NORRIS. I wonder if there is not some way in which certain classes may be given by the movies and certain others over the air? If our children's minds receive a deeper impression with the help of the organs of sight and hearing than they possibly can without either aid, then why not take advantage of modern miracles and use them? It would be a great thing if we could make history, science, mathe- matics, poetry, the drama, live for our children. They are feeding on husks when they satisfy themselves with the shallow comedy, the poor pretense of mirth over which they spend so much of their time nowadays. Their taste is being affected by it; they will not lose the impression they get in childhood. and our whole race may some day be the poorer for this waste of time, these false standards of life. HY is it that a 12-year-old boy who fumbles at th> nine-table in muitiplication, and can't name six Presi- dents of the United States to save his life, can follow the comic strips with intelligence and concen- tration, and remember every detail of & cartoon comedy for an entire year? Are we educational fanatics possibly overlooking a great opportunity here? How about teaching the children through the movies? How about run- ing a historical film, nicely and enter- tainingly done, with good actors, and having an examination afterward? faults that still mar even the best movies. An earthquake had to be stressed, making the crucifixion only an anti-climax. The divine figure was a Hollywood actor whom we had all seen as & crook, and a lawyer, and a hero, and a lover, many times. Every great artist has painted this scene; every | great poet has sung it; every great writer has had his say. It remained for a movie to make it live or make the great shadow of it live behind the taw- | dry presentation. One woman came out | into Broadway clutching at a stranger's arm, | “Weren't there enough criminals for Would it work? I ask the question them to get after without making up & seriously: I have no idea on the subject | flimsy excuse to kill Him?" she Qe- myself. But what I do know is that|manded, with trembling lips every child in the country leaps into| It would be a great thing if we could sudden vitality and interest where the | make history, science, mathematics, comics, the radio comedians, and the poetry, the drama, live for our children. movie farces are concerned, and that it | They are feeding on husks when they is not _believable that these distractions | satisfy themselves with the shallow leave him anything like the vigor that | comedy. the poor pretense of mirth over his parents used to bring to their| which they spend so much of their time lessons, a generation ago. His capacity | nowadays. Their taste is surely being it CHAPTER LXXVIL HE Garden of Proserpine . . . she had reached it, Judy told her- self drearily. The land of dead dreams and withered loves . . . the country where nothing seemed to matter. Nick was going back to China . . . She would not see him for five years, | if ever . . . Well, it didn't matter . . . Nothing really mattered. She was tired. She wanted to be left alone. If she went softly through life nothing would harm her again. Just keep from | feeling too much . . . Love? Once she had loved Stan and Stan had been killed. Once she had loved Nick . . . she had thought she would be happy forever if she could be with Nick. And now the path was free—she could go| ahead and no one would stop her. And her love was dead sea fruit in her mouth. . Better drift . . . Let life go by. Noth- ing would hurt if you didn't care too much. Judy tried to tell this to Mary when Mary came up to the city and called at the apartment. | “Of course, you know that you just about broke Nick's heart,” Mary snm‘ severely. “When a man comes over | an ocean for you—on your own prom- ise, so to speak—" ' .. . please,” Judy said wear- fly. “I just couldn't help it. Ive changed. One can't help changing——" “Nick is the finest, squarest, most sincere man I've ever known, my own | loving spouse, of course, excepted,” | Mary went on. “You've given him a death-blow to love, Judy. “‘Oh—Mary, dear—please . . .” the girl's eyes filled with tears. Mary be- | came contrite and tender as Judy broke swirling—falling down into a thick blackness . . . Judy's face was wet. It was raining. Some one had left her out in the rain, Her hair was wet—and the front of her_dress. She opened her eves on a ceiling. Funny blank ceiling . . . Mary's face swimming against it. “Judy! Judy, darling, are you all right?” i She was Iying on the floor. Why . . . | how fun: . . Then the bitter rush of _memory. ) She struggled upright. torted with grief. “Mary! I remember—you were tell- ing me about Nick! Nick . . . Oh, my God darling . . . darling . . . “Oh, Judy. hush darling—oh, darling, | I'm so sorry!” | Judy thrust away Mary's arms. She | struggled to her feet. She flung her- self against the wall, beating her head against it, never realizing what she did. “Mary—and I sent him away! Oh, my darling, forgive me! Nick—Oh, I won't believe it! I can't! It would be too cruel. God wouldnt be so cruel! He was all I had! I didn't realize, but I know! Oh, I know now! 1 loved him, Mary. Oh, take me to him—quick—quick— She was struggled in Mary's arms. Mary's frightened face close to her own. Mary. trying to talk—to be heard over her ‘own' frantic words. “Judy, listen, dear. Oh, forgive me —it isn't true! Do you hear, Judy? It isn't true! I did it to—to shock you awake, to make you realize that you really loved him. "Judy, don't look at me like that!” Her face dis- Killed, Mary? Ni for amusement and absorption is ex- hausted before he ever opens his algebra. Since they love these perfectly un- instructive forms of entertainment so much, is there no way in which we could combine forces with them? If the radio comedians treacherously mentioned in their dialogye that 1066 was the date of the Normkn Conquest, or, that seven times thirtesn comes out nihety-one, would children absorb that, with all of the uscless nonsense they s0 eagerly assimilate? Suppose there were comedies that introduced French verbs in the subjunctive now and then, or movies that re-acted our own dra- matic history, would our children reject the fact and retain only the memory of hurtling pies and buckets of whitewash? * o ok x AM convinced that if movie comed- ians once filmed the—well, say the labors of Hercules, no child in America would ever forget one of them, or their | order, again. And so with the great poems, the great plays, the great battles of history, the great personalities. Let our comedians depict them—Heaven &nows most of them were funny enough! Maximilian in Mexico; German George the First coming to England; Napoleon hustling to Elba, we laugh at them all, why not let the children laugh, too? Tt seems a great waste to maintain the schools we do, and the classes we do, when the students’ real interest run something like this; movies, radio, phonograph, newspaper strips, me: gym, sleep. Many generations ago st dents flocked reverently into lyceums ~—books were their newspapers, their plays, their movies. They drank thirstily of the streams of knowledge that through medieval Europe, and could not learn enough. It is different now. Our children bring at best a languid and dutiful attention to their dry studies; life teems about them, they cannot keep up with its interests and diversions. Every day has six to seven thrilling landmarks, on the air, in the newspaper, at the movies, or on a record, and they hate to tear themselves away from this real living, to take up the shadowy labor of lessons. * ok ok % NOT long ago I found the three child- ren of a friend dawdling over their home-work, while a_phonograph record poured forth a popular classic. “They won’t work without * their phonograph, or the radio,” their mother explained. They certainly were not working with it, nor could any human being in his senses work against this| engaging song. It made me wonder again if there is not some way in which certain classes may be given by the movies, and certain others over the air? If our children’s minds receive a desper impression with the help of the organs of sight and hearing than they possibly can without either aid, then why not take advantage | of modern miracles, and use them? A boy of 12 studying is a pitiful sight. He squirms, he yawns, he pursues with an interested pencil a fly wading in an ink blot, he makes a sudden pathetic leap at his lesson, eyes its appalling length, and sinks in a lethargy again. “Gee, all this and all that, and then my arithmetic!” ssleep at the contemplation of it. At the movies he is tense, absorbed. One has to shake him to remind him that we have come 'round to the place where we came in. He will fondly review the finer points of the piece, on on the way home; gosh, it was funny, | gosh, it was a pip. Ask him a question, vou get a quick, intelligent answer. “Why did she give him back that gun, Jim?" “Because she was going to give her- self up, and she didn't want them to incentify it!” the small boy explains instantly. Go on, if you have no heart at all, to ask “Were you right about those modifying adjectives today?’ and he is back in his shell, bored, deaf, un- remembering. “Mark errors in these sentences,” says the book. The gflildren grow fuzzy-headed over five minutes' work: it takes them 40 minutes. Suppose a favorite actress came on the screen, and asked, “What's wrong when I say Zleave them little fellers be?” Would 1t reach them? *ox % ¥ RAMMAR, as taught in grammar and high schools, makes small impression on the growing child. Wit- ness this, the next time you hear some ‘;lfotmem chattering in a school yard ane speakes nicely, or u: v with any idea of their valge, - "o O Of all studies perhaps this one of diagramming and word analysis and sentence construction is perhaps the most wasted. Children who come from ciltured homes don't need it, and others seem incapable of profiting by it. But I know a whole group of working girls who have affected the Marlene Dietrich accent, and whatever Marlene says ll&;l\ are zo!ln% to say, from now on. “What am I bid for my " is their slogan oot I believe that if Helen Hayes or Norma Shearer or Kay Francis flashed on the screen and said to school audi- ences in their delightful voices, “Gigs, don't use expressions thus and thus and thus. If you ever want to be gent) ‘women or have g chance in the movie the effect would be greater than that of years of mere book study. I believe that Clark Gable, portraying a life of Napoleon or Anthony Wayne, would fix it in our children’s minds forever. One teacher I know, learning that Mr. Arliss' delightful “Hamilton” was coming to town, explained to her class what the political situation was in Hamilton's day, pointed out the few departures from fact in the picture, and demanded compositions on the subject. Bhe said that if she could do that often, her history work would turn into play The itions were far and awi the best of the year. * ox % TAINLY the film called “The King of Kings" was a revelation. “Thousands, millions of persons went. (o see it, and every one of them came | @way sobered and thoughtful he moans, all but| affected by it; they won't lose the im- pressions they get in childhood, and | our whole race may some day be the | poorer for this waste of time, these false standards of life. If some educator came to me and told me that it was important to get the essentials of relativity or the fourth dimension into the heads of young America without the waste of a second, my only suggestion would be “See what the movie or the radio can do for us!” (Copyright, 1932.) — HOOVER WELCOMES FINANCE AID GROUP Dawes Leads Dozen Reconstruction Key Men and One Woman in ‘White House Call. By the Associated Press. The key men of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, who have been burning the midnight oil to smooth the path of its operation, yesterday received @ hearty congratulation and handshake from President Hoover. Led by Charles G. Dawes, about a dozen men and one woman filed into the cabinet room to receive the thanks of the Chief Executive. “I have always believed that the men who do the work should get the reward,” Dawes asserted as he entered. “These people, heads of our various de- partments, have been sitting up until 2 am., and later, to get the corpora- tion's difficulties straightened out and its operation perfected.” While the workers were being con- gratulated, Dawes stood with Harvey Couch of Arkansas, Jesse Jones of | Texas, and Eugene Meyer, governor of the Federal Reserve Board. all officers of the corporation, near President Hoo- ver at the head of the long cabinet table. As they ieft the White House, Dawes said, "The President asked to meet these people to express his aj ia- tion.” = o RIDE VICTIM.IDENTiFIED IN NEW JERSEY MYSTERY Body Found in Woods Where Woodcutter Was Slain, That of Executed Man's Brother. By the Associated Press. SALEM, N. J., March 12.—The body of a man believed to have been a gang- ster's “ride” victim, found in the woods near where Irving Hite, a colored wood- cutter, was slain, was identified yester- day as that of Joseph Giordano of Philadelphia, Police said the victim was a brother of Peter Giordano, electrocuted last De- cember 30 for murder. Joseph's body was found Wednesday off a lonely lane where an unidentified man, driving & red coupe, fired two shots into Hite's body as the woodcutter and his wife were walking near their home. Police assumed the motorist believed Hite had seen him throw Giordano's body from the car. | Joseph Meduni, 38-year-old pipe fitter, arrested yesterday as a suspect, told authorities he was visiting friends in Salem at the time of the shooting Hite's widow identified him as the man who shot her husband, but police said she was visibly overwrought and might have been mistaken. HOME LOAN BANK BILL SPEED-UP PROMISED Conference With President Brings Expression From Four Lead- ers in Committee. By the Associated Press Four leaders of the House Banking Committee yesterday promised President Hoover speecy consideration of the ad- ministration’s home loan bank bill, one of the few measures in the reconstruc- tion program awaiting action. Those attending an early morning conference in the President’s office were Chairman Steagall and Representatives Brand, Democrat, Georgia; Strong, Re- publican, Kansas, and Luce, Republican, Massachusetts. Steagall said any details of their con- ference would have to be announced by Mr. Hoover, but added they had in- formed him officially a subcommittee, headed by Representative Reilly, Demo- crat, Wisconsin, would begin considera- tion of the measure next Wednesday. “We want to get started as soon as possible,” Steagall said. “for it looks as though some time would be needed for consideration of this measure. The Senate already has spent considerable time upon it." LADIES HEALTH Is Beauty Come in for a free demon- stration _on our Vibratone Health Machine. Turkish Baths for elimination. Sun Baths for tonic. Colonic Irrigation by trained nurse. We correct flabby facial muscles and double chins. All beauty shop work by experi- enced operators. Prices right. RIGGS TURKISH BATHS FOR LADIES Albee Bidg. 15t & G Sks. N.W. Met. T208. /1y wringing her hands. Hope as hard to bear as the shock of the moment before. “He isn't dead? Mary, he isn't dead!” A harsh voice screaming it. A voice | which couldnt have been her own. Judy was near-| “Not even hurt! He did crack up “Oh, I would | his plane—that was what gave me the if I could, Mary. But I don't know | idea. But it was a ground loop. Nick . everything’s changed. And Nick | wasn't hurt. But it made me realize will go on back and after a while he'll | what might have been. And I knew meet some one else . . . Oh, I know he | how you'd feel, and I thought if I doesn't think so now, but he'll meet|could make you feel it now—now, some girl. Some girl with all her l!felwhvn you could have Nick—instead of ahead of her, not a lot of bad dreams | waiting until something dreadful hap- like me . . . I think I lived my life (pened . . . Judy, you do love him! too fast, Mary. It's all lived out. All|You fainfed—fainted dead away when I want now is to rest. Just to be quiet | I told you he'd cracked up. Judy, you down and cried. “Judy, darling, I didn't means to bully you, but I do adore Nick so! And he loves you so much, Judy.” “1 kno I know!"” and rest.” Mary looked around the shaded apartment, and her eyes narrowed. “Seems to me, that's what's the matter, | Judy. You've had too much rest . . . too much dull routine. You're like | some one walking in your sleep, Judy. | You should have some one wake you | up—" She suddenly checked herself, staring at the girl with wide eyes, “What's the matter!” Judy was alarmed | “Oh, nothing,” said Mary. She said nothing further of Nick. She spoke of Lockwood gossip. The Carter house was for sale. There was talk that it was to be torn down and the site used for an apartment house. Tony Went- worth was going to be married. As soon as Eunice had recovered she was going to move to the East. Judy guess- ed that Eunice was entering a figura- tive prison for life. Mary talked, and it seemed to Judy that she spoke of characters in some half-forgotten book. She was secretly eager to have Mary go . . . to strtch out on the Chesterfield d lose her- self in a book. And when that was done to pick up another book, reading until she fell asleep through sheer weariness. Step softly . . . then life couldn't hurt you . . . Day, following day . . . Nick had never returned to the apartment since that first day, and Judy was glad. She had rather expected that he would come to protest. She was glad to be saved the strain of argumept. She didn’t want to hurt Nick . . . but she wanted to be left alone. Her heart sank one afternoon as the front bell sounded. It was Martha's afternoon out. Judy was in the apart- ment alone. Nick ... If it was Nick, she couldn't stand it! She could not | put out the strength for argument now. But it was Mary. Mary, who looked strangely excited as she followed Judy into a living room. “Came up to town to shop and thought I'd run out.” Mary explained as she seated herself and started to remove her gloves. Then she paused, and regarded her hostess with a hesi- tancy, odd to behold in downright Mary. “Judy . . noon_papers?” “Why, no.” Judy replied wondering. “I don't believe it's time for mine to be delivered yet. Why?” A strange suppressed excitement about the other woman communicated itself to her. She leaned forward, alarmed without knowing why. “What's the matter? Mary, what's happened?” Mary wet her lips nervously. She drew a long breath as one who plunges into a pool of icy water and spoke in a rush as though she dreaded speak- ing the words. “Judy . .. I wanted to get here be- fore the paper. You see, it was so —s0 sudden. There's just the briefest | notice yet . . . But I thought you'd see the headlines . . . and I wanted to | be here—"" “Mary, what do you mean?” Judy had risen, was holding the back of her chair. Mary, too, rose, leaning y have you seen the after- ARV LRRRNNNNNNN forward, tense, desperate. “Nick, Judy. Oh, thank God, m dear, you didn't love him! Nick cracked up today. His plane . . . nose- dived when it was only 50 feet off the ground . . . the best of them get it in the long run, Judy . .."” Mary's voice—trailing to a far whistling whisper . . . turning into a | thin tense wire reaching her over | vast sea of space. The room receding | with a noiseless rush—swirling, so that | Mary's figure seemed to be turning— | | South Africa. AELELLLAAINNS SENNNNNNNNS S do love him!” They were sitting on the couch now —arms tightly about each other. Mary's face was as wet with tears as Judy's face and hair. It had taken courage to do what Mary did, and no one was ever to know how frightened she was | when she saw the girl crumple in a faint at her feet. Mary had much the sensation of one who finds she has been smoking cigarettes on a powder keg. “Love him . . . Judy choked on tears. “Oh . . . of course .. of course . . . Oh, Mary, I want him so!” ‘Tomorrow—Sailing Into the Moon. — Miss Crossman to Fete Irvine-Welles Cl’lapter | ‘The Irvine-Welles D. A. R. Chapter will be entertained by Miss Frances F. Crossman in her residence at 1789 Lanier place Saturday afternoon. Mrs. Benjamin B. Wallace, who has spent several years in China while her hus- band was serving as adviser to the minister of finance, will be the guest of honor and will give an {llustrated talk on Shanghai and the Chinese people. An informal tea will follow the meet- ing, with Mrs. Morrill W. Marston, regent of the chapter, presiding at the tea table. Miss Brooks i‘[os!ess At A. A. U. W. Supper ‘The American Association of Univer- sity Women will entertain at supper this evening when Dr. Elmer Kayser, professor of history at George Wash- ington Univers i My Life” by Jerome Cardan. Janeiro Brooks will be hostess. 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