The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-04-03
SHALL YOU LET YOUR CHILDREN
PLAY SOLDIER?
(By sldonIe Matzner eruenbera.)

10y eldonle Matzner Gruenbers.)
In times Of peace many of US can
visualize the horrors of war clearly
enough to make us oppose everything
that encourages militarism. But with
half Of the civilized world bleeding,
the horrorF are before the minds OF
all OF Us constantly, and we are moved
TO do something more effective than
shutting our eyes. We realize the
Importance of intoxicating in the
young q type of patriotism we turn
our attention to a crusade against
military" toys and the playing of
soldiers by the children.
There is. OF course, no use In over
stimulating children in these days.
Nothing is to be gained by urging a
more lively interest in details OF mill
harry campaigns or in making the chill
dren more familiar with the 1nstru-
ments of destruction. But neither is
It wise to forbid to boys the playing
Of soldier.
: When boys play soldier 1t is in re-
Spouse to two facts which cannot be
entirely removed. The child, at a GER
tain age, VIII not initiate what he sees
going on around him, but he will
dramatic all the activities. Of which
he learns. This instinct is there II
the child is normal. and any outside
regulation, to be effective, must con
sist not of rules regarding what may
or what may not be played, but it
must take the form of selecting all
the ideas that are to enter the child's
mind. This rs obviously an impossi-
BILE task. With all his devices and
resources, the father of the Buddha
failed in his efforts to keep from the
child all knowledge of suffering and
death. Nor can we hope to keep our
children long in ignorance of suffer
ing and death, of war and murder. of
robbery and other crimes. And what
ever they learn they will incorporate
in their plays just as certainly as they
have any opportunity to play at all.
Forbidding certain types of play
will not modify the natural impulses
to initiate and to dramatize. Neithe
will it destroy the child's natural in
terest in the unusual and in the
dramatic" On the contrary, forbid
ding is enc of the surest ways of
arousing interest, one of the surest
ways OF tempting to action.
Children Impersonate Without
Prejudice.
But even If we could prevent the
children's participation in these mimic
paTHdings and warnings, it is very
doubtful whether it would be worth
while TO do so. The injury that may
come from playing soldier has been
exaggerated. The fact is that chill
S dren do al of their playing, at least
during the years before adolescence,
entirely without prejudice. They are
alternately Indians and Puritan Pill
grims; they impersonate the parish
priest or. Captain Cook with equal sin
certify and abandon. When they enact
p stage robbery there is no moral
Implication in the assignment OF
roles, and as they view the drama of
life from the unsophisticated level OF
three to four eject every character
has his proper place and is worthy
of a fair presentation.
The perfect naivete of the child in
adopting the character which he is,
for the time being, impersonating is
shown by the answer that little Fran
: els gave when his prim Aunt Sabrina
discovered him dancing about the
. nursery without a scrap of clothing
on. "Whatever are you doing in this
state, child?" asked the aunt in q
tone that was meant to express re-
proach as well as disapproval. Don't
you see?" returned Francis. pointing
to his ankles, which we're ornamented
with bits of colored worsted. II am
one of the Early Sea People," Fran
!, els had not invented the character;
hn had merely adopted him from the
book they had been reading in school.
The question Of the moral effect OF
tmpersonating the soldier Is very
much like the older question of what
happens to the actor who takes the
part OF the william in the play. Should
the children's play be quite without
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