The sun., 1919-02-03
Juvenile Delinquency in War.

Immediately after April, 1ol1, when
the United States entered the war, the
country was warned by certain well
military activities would unquestion-
ably react dlsadvantageously on chill
dren and that we must look for an
alarming increase In juvenile delin-
quency In the period Of hostilitles.
Some persons. whose intentions were
better than their information, actu-
ally proclaimed the appearance of
disturbing evidences of decentralization
among young folks. THE SUN then
refused to believe the alarming tales
that obtained circulation, and urged
It's readers not to accept without vcri-
tication the gloomy representations
that we're uttered.
To the credit of sensible Americans
Il is to be recorded that they refused
to be scared about the behavior Of the
children. and so far rs the city of
New York Is concerned they now have
the qualification Of learning that In
the war there was no increase in
those offences that bring boys and
girls into the courts Justice HoYT,
who presides over the Children's
Court, says in his annual report that
there was IN decided decrease in our
ca ses for the year 1918" The statis-
tics compiled by the court clerks show
that in the year 1894 Individual
, children were arraigned before the
court, against 145l9 in 1917. de-
crease of 525. OF these 6,97S were
involved in special proceedings, or in
actions in which improper guardian
ship was alleged. q decrease Of 800
from 1917, and 7.O18 were charged
with juvenile delinquency, n decrease
Of PIG.
Only in 1916 has the court had so
low record of arrangements for ju-
venile delinquency. Justice HoYr has
this to say:
These figures cffectuailv prove that
the war conditions preval.-r through
, out most OF the past year did not in
themselves result in that large increase
In Juvenile delinquency which had been
go generally prophesied
| Undoubtedly the activities OF those
social agencies which are engage" n
the work of prevention helped to keep
many children from actual arraign-
ment. and the extra vigilance which was
| exercised by the authorities. as well as
! BY private organizations. tended TO re-
duce the number OF arrests.
VERY possibly the patriotism and the
sense Of service and obligation stimu-
lated by the war had widespread inhu-
ence for good and DETECTED the imag!-
nations and activities OF many children
from mischief and anti-social conduct.
Certainly It cannot be said that there
was any evidence of unfortunate psy-
Geological effect OF the war upon chill
dren. or that Il resulted In heightened
instability or weakened moral control"
Justice IIoYT's suggestion that the
stimulation OF patriotism and the
srn-e Of service IN children By the M
merous appeals to help win the war
addressed TO them diverted their ener-
J giles from mischief Is probably well
| founded. From the beginning OF the
war until the present day intelligent
appeals have been made to children
to help in the defence of America in
q thousand different ways, with re-
markable success. Boys and girls
who were enlisted to sell Liberty
, bonds and Thrift Stamps, to collect
money for the Red Cross and for
other organizations. to till the soil
In war gardens. had little time to get
into trouble. They developed feel
Ing of responsibility unknown to them
before, and this was naturally re-
Elected In their conduct.