The Detroit times., 1910-02-07
HOPE To BLOT OUT
CRIME IN YOUTHS
Plan Adopted by New York AuthOri-
ties To Eradicate Criminal
Tendencies in Children.

science, the courts and the city au'
thorities IN New York have joined IN
an effort TO arrest or eradicate Grim
inal tendencies in the young. An an
nouncement OF a definite plan was
made as the result OF conferences be-
tween President John y. Lindsay. OF
the New York Society for the Proven
ton OF Cruelty 10 Children, Justice
Deuel.. Of the Children's court. and Or.
NJ. G. Schlapp. OF the Cornell Univer-
sity Medical School.
Mrs. w. X Vanderbilt, Sr. is one
OF the patrons OF the project which
aims so TO decrease the number OF
defective children by etfecting cures
that criminal tendencies will not be
impaired TO posterity. Surgery will
be employed for minor Affections with
the consent OF the parents and the
presiding oficer OF the Children's
court.
Surgery Only q Detail.
1T should be understood that sur
gical work Is a detail OF the plans,
Dr. Schlapp said. Medicine rather
than surgery. and healthful surround
ings while the patient is under treat
ment, will be depended upon 10 eff
feet cures. The consent OF all con-
cerned being secured. a patient sut-
fering from growths in the nose which
obstruct proper breathing, enlarged
or infiamed glands in the throats. or
minor ailments that oftenest are the
results OF inherited taints, will be rec
commended for surgical treatment"
Recreants brought TO the Children's
court whose delinquency Is attributed
To physical causes. will be examined
by experts Rooms for their examin-
alton will be equipped Immediately in
the Children's society headquarters,
Fourth-ave. and TweAty-third-st., and
in the Children's court. Third-aye. and
Eleventh-st. The examining stan will
consist OF Dr. Schlapp. and Drs. Glib.
Winters, Buckley and Brown OF the
Children's society corps. Their fnd-
lngs will be submitted to the presid-
ing officer Of the Children's court for
disposition.
The number OF cases calling for such
operations will probably not be large,
Or. Deuel. said DR.. Schlapp's investi-
cations. which led TO the present plan.
disclosed that hereditary blood taints
which can be remedied often bring a
child into court when the child is not
otherwise responsible These blood
taints, II unchecked. often lead to ca
reers that are habitually criminal
Mrs. VanderbiIt's Part in Plan.
For the treatment OF such cases.
adequate quarters must be provided.
Mrs W. X. Vanderbilt, Sr., who visit
ed the Children's court recently 10
study conditions, is looked upon as
the person most likely to furnish quar-
ters. A farm nearby or home with
In the city limits probably will be Sc
cured and adequately equipped. This
would necessitate the outlay OF a
large sum by Mrs. Vanderbilt.
In the report OF the Children's court
received by Mayor Gaynor is included
a summary OF conditions which led 10
the adoption OF plans on broad, hui
manltarian scale probably never be-
fore attempted by any city in the
world. The report says in part:
ut has long been known scientific
ally that many adult criminals are vic
tins Of conditions. acquired or hered-
itary, which result In mental disturb
ances predisposing them to the devel-
opment OF criminal tendencies. With
such cases the time for relief, II cura-
tive or ameliorating remedies are pos
sible, Is in youth and at the first in
dication OF criminal tendencies. and
the best opportunity. therefore, is
the Children's court, where
such unfortunates will naturally drift
1T can thus be early determined
with suitable medical expert assis-
lance whether the difficulty is durable
or incurable. Cures will be less ex-
pensive TO the public than confinement
In charitable institutions and later on
In reformatories. prisons and work
houses. The acertainment OF incura-
bility will be of value when youth
ripens into full maturity.
Aid For The Feeble Minds.
There are also cases of feeble
minds that come through similar
causes and susceptible of help SUM-
ciently to stop the criminal inclina-
ton The court has been experiment
ing somewhat in this direction and
has the subject under most careful
II lacks proper facili-
ties for determining the value OF such
work. There is no institution to
which such children ordinarily may be
that possesses such facili-
ties in any proper degree"
The definite plans OF Mrs. Wander
bllt and other patrons OF the project
will not be announced until the medi-
cal staff, the Children's society and
the Childrens court have demon
strated what will be the capacity and
needs OF a hospital or other institu-