New-York tribune., 1922-10-08

tie Pandora smith, Win hef BoioeH
curls, an angel Of six years, and sturdy
little Master Prometheus, just enough
older to take her to parties later on,
and beat her up occasionally
!. Who, one asks, has not longed for
offspring exactly like these two? The
correct answer is: Those who know the
Smith family. For blue-eyed Pandora,
bless her little heartl Is a pathological
liar who makes life hell for all who
come within her baleful influence; and
Prometheus is, not to mince matters, a
highly expert a.Sleptomaniac, headed
swift and straight for Matteawan.
The Smiths are, turning gray in their
worse than futile attempts to abate
these pnblics nuisances. They have
tried everything, it seems to them ex-
cept capital, punishment, Before they
60 sthe limit i suggest that they read
.Psycho-Analysis in the Service of Edu-'
cation by Dr. Oskar Pfister, of Zurich,
Butswill they take my advice? can
not prove that j have nor that DR..
I,phster has large family Of perfectly
fiendish infants. And the Smiths be-
lieye that the only persons who know
how to raise children are those who
have made an awful mess of their, own.
Besides, they have no time for books,
although, really, they always intended
to do lot of reading. They are just
good, reliable, sensible, conservative,
safe and sane, normal, ordinary people.
AS such they are convinced that igno-
rance, illiteracy, stubbornness and stu
pidity, with; all their derivative errors,
together with proved Incompetence in
any given case, are the only forces that
will make of this world garden spot.
T DO wish they would read this fine
thing of DIR. Pfster's about pedan-
alysis, a science based upon pyscho-
analysis and intended not only to cure
neurotic children, but to educate we'll
children, parents and educators. The
Smiths believe in common sense and
castor oil. They also believe in Co
lunibus, but are holding out in regard
Ito FTeud. whose achievements in psy.
chology take to be are as fully as i'm
portant as anything that happened in
1892.
Oh, those Smiths! l seem to see
| them in vision, immense against the
| abyss and teeming with the seeds OF
! the future progeny, refusing with a
4 L. Il ,lA,, mos 4,,1so he
| Freudan injunction, 'Know thyself!' .
/ And in real life are they not backed
lin their -sufiiciency by all their
neighbors and even by many learned
scientists, dedicated in the holy name
of truth TOTO what? | can't imagine;
but, whatever it is, it leaves Pandora
and Prometheus fiat. DR.. Pfister wouio
gather the Smith kids into his arms
world for them.
These annoying children. the wise
4 physician would point out, have not
/ taken to their present ways as the
result of downright moral callousness
original sin, ethical feeble mindednes!
nor yet pure meanness. They are moi
consciously revenging themselves upor
hated world, but are neurotics, as
ignorant as their own parents of the
real motives behind their wicked i'm
pulses and as powerless to stop them
! l hope they will get their chance.
Analysis would almost certainly
bring out the real reasons why these
youthful sinners act as they do, anc
would coincidentally start their cure
Prometheus is thief against his will
Like as not he is only covetous of love
4 and not of nickels and dimes at all
{IfPandora tells those hideous lies be
/ cause of repressed wishes that ought
to be dug out and aired.
/ These children; then, can be cured
4 Need one pursue their fates into the
future? Except to note that since
characterolosists of a modern persua
sion know how to make capital out o1
4 our worst as we'll as our best; traits
into congenial financial career, ant
Pandora, by way of a strong reaction
formation, into the crusade agains
fibbing in all its branches.
*lnR, PFISTER is Freud plus. Fo
~ Freud himself does not special,
advertise any one particular system o
morals, although ethical matters ar
| implicit in the helpful guidance o
analysed patients, which is a part Q
the psycho-analytic technique Freud
!; lin Dr.. Pfister'ss words: 'Is medica
/ man and leaves everybody to form hi
own conception of the world and O
, life" He throws, in no creeds with hi
! cures, rather leading the patient out 0
> darkness into the light Of health, read
! for free self determination independ
:, emily of the analyst. Inspiring reti
I Icence! $3.50
!. Assan analyst DR.. Pfster is full
! aware that the world shaking opinion
: OF the philosophical pantheon are mere
) l1y the results of tn epresson of ce1
tain infantile instincts under certai
j conditions, and he must be familiar wit
a the psycho-analytica theory that re-
y ligious systems are phantasy structure
= likewise erected upon foundation O
! repression of instincts. None of whic
E seems to worry him in the least, no
shake his faith in goodness, God an
the Gospel. Neither has it lessene
!, the respect and admiration in which h
: is held by Freud. Live and learn.
.. For many years this pious scientis
: has pursued his task of salvaging sic
!, humans. His larger work, "Th
! Psycho-Analytic Method" was pub
: hshed in this country in 1917. An
8 now he comes with new healing fo
children
: : Mystery Story
a. M ~