The Washington times., 1913-12-14
Motion Pictures Teach
Children.COnCentratiOn

O much has been said about the
effects. both good and evil, Of
- moving pictures upon children,
that a discussion of the subject
by H. z. Aitken, president Of the Mu-
tual Film Corporation, is of particular
interest at this time.
Mr.. Aitken approaches the subject
from rather a different angle than that
used by the majority OF those who have
discussed 1t, and if his theory is cor
rect, even to a small degree, the rising
revolutionize every department OF the
arts and sciences.
THE very first training pictures give
to q child.'' suggests Mr.. Aitken, is
also the most necessary to its success in
any walk of life In which It may be
thrown That is application Gradu-
ally and unknowingly, the child learns
eted upon constantly changing pictures
for many minutes at a stretch. Thus.
without realizing the fact, the child
learns what will be the very founda-
ton of its future knowledge and sue
cess
Not only does il learn to apply ilelf
to the subject in hand, but concentra-
ton is developed to a high degree. ow-
ing to the fact that a single glance
away from the screen is accompanied
by an immediate loss in the shape of
rapidly changing scenes which are not
supplemented by any words that can
supply substitute thought. by way Of
the ear-door, to the brain.
But. as important as the power OF
concentration is acknowledged to be in
the scheme of educational development.
II seems to me that we can expect of
moving pictures an even greater boon,
from tho standpoint of training tn"
fEn1 Wfnt Il al. EiFNEr
the thinking power of adults. Few lay
men rGaliz" the amount of material or
meat that is contained in an ordinary
photoplay. For instance. tho usual
four-act drama that furnishes 4 full
evenings entertainment on our thea
ters, is told in pictures in 4 few min
utes.
The result is, that the person watch
ing moving picture drama thin@s
many times faster than the one Wit
Messing an ordinary drama. Not only
do events follow each other in rapid
succession upon the screen, but the
mind must, in addition to taking cog
niZance of the action presented, also
supply the thoughts that actuate the
movements of tho different characters
as well as the effects of the dramatic
situations upon their future behavior.
Every scene presented must be close
Iy followed and thoroughly appreciated
at the same rate Of speed that II is
flashed upon the curtain. GRADUALLY the
mind of the child picture-thea tergoer is
trained to work at a pace that was un-
known In the precinematographic age
If you will pardon the coined word. And
who can say to what state OF perfection
this quality of rapid thinking will be
developed in the coming generation OF
picture-viewers.
There IS no doubt in my mind that
the reason the general public was won
over to picture going only after several
years of effort was due to the fact that
the average brain was not trained to
grasp enough of the real significance OF
the dramatic action presented to make
the moving picture sufficiently inter-
esting. The possibilities of the human
mind trained to an unknown point OF
perfection by an agency that was not
discovered until a few short years ago.
presents q new line of thought that Is
well worthy of consideration y. -
William Faversham.' now appearing
on the Pacific Coast In Julius Caesar,
10 the latest Of the worlds great actors
to be approached by . moving picture