Evening star., 1923-10-21
AUTO MAKING AMERICANS
RACE OF QUICK THINKERS
LeUel of Intelligence Rises Since Motor
ing Became General, Judges and
Officers Declare

! themselves developing their mental
! lty TO a point where they comprehend
the most intricate and modern
theories and practices in engineering.
(SJ The country has been flooded
with educational literature covering
the design, construction and care OF
the automobile. At no other time in
the worlds history has engineering
and mechanics been brought SO close
! to the home.
! (s) Each of the 253,1o4 employees
! of the motor VEHICLE manufacturing
| industry has the advantage of the
most modern methods of production
TO spur him on to more efficient use
! of his abilities and to broaden his
| interests in invention.
But there are number of side
. lights on the subject in addition to
this summary OF statements and
| following the mental development OF
| the people as a result of their motor
| iZation.
Helps Young and Old.
| One OF these concerns what psy-
| biologists would recognize as the
age span of active interest in the
engineering features of the automo-
/ bile" This is readily noted in the
keen interest in automobiles, as evil
denced by both the very young and
/ the old.
! There was a time when a minor
| did not take any active interest in
| the theory or practice Of anything
, mechanical until he had become an
apprentice. And at certain age all
except those who were dependent
(, upon their labor for their livelihood
considered the subject of mechanics
closed book. But nowadays many
i children know more about the auto
| mobile than their parents, while
grandmother and grandfather are al
| ways ready to learn how to drive if
| they don't already know.
This encourages rivalry, with the
! result that those adults who are
supposed to be in the prime of their
mental life endeavor to keep always
| just few laps ahead of the younger
generation, as well as the older No
other invention has ever become such
common knowledge among the rank
and file of people.
Sharpens the Wits.
! The greatest advantage OF tho
automobile to public intelligence,
! however. Is its value In developing
keener senses and sharpening the
! wits. 1t has been frequently noted
/ by psychologists that automobile
drivers very rapidly acquire a sort
nor less than a higher development
of the usual five senses.
When the driver OF an automobile
| is prevented from hearing he auto
mdticalIy SnarpenS mis- sense OF slght
or feeling to a point where he seems
! to hear" anyway. Many drivers
claim that they know when there is
| a car behind them without actually
/ seeing 1t through the rear-view mir
| ror. This is unquestionably the Te-
| suit of acute hearing developed
/ through force of necessity and con-
stant practice in driving.
| One physician has urged drivers TO
practice exercising the eyeball as a
means OF assuring safety through
keener vision, which Is just another
| evidence that the automobile. IN de-
veloping the physiological functions
of the averages person, automatically
| strengthens the foundations for q
| stronger mentality.
In this way the automobile is be-
l lieved to be making a valuable con-
| tribution to posterity at this time,
! when the stupendous problems of the
| times call for the highest possible
| type OF national intelligence.
! Copyright. 1921