Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-21
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

shock. 1t Is simply a breaking down
of all defense mechanism of the
victim"
1t matters nothing what the condi-
tion Is called. If 1t leads to suicidal
mania Or homicidal tendencies. or any
lesser crime tendencies. the victiA
needs skilled attention. not the blast
ing OF hope by making him a criminal
In the eyes of the law and community,
according to DR.. Lorenz.
= y 4
Many of the so-csIied she'll shock
cases originated hundreds of miles
away from battle or air raid. There
were no shells to cause the shock.
therefore, of course. 1T is a misnomer
to call them "shell-shock cases.
Sometimes the victims were scared
into an utter collapse, and the
defense mechanism"-nerve
way. Yet they suffered mentally and
physically, and ceased to be morally
or legally responsible, say the ex-
perts In mental science.
But. 20 600 in jail today FOR crimes
for which they are not responsible
IL enough to shell shock the American
public!
Some day civilization will find a
better way TO discipline the criminal
class than by imprisonment or execu-
ton. There Ia an institution in Wash
ington. in which there are thousands
of insane men many of them former
soldiers-and the director of clinics
states that, when men arrive there,
committed as desperate characters
dangerous men with homicidal tend
writ nh.
head to foot-his first order is to re-
move all shackles and let the man
stand upright. He says that in the
/ entire institution there is not 4
straltJacket, camisole or any other
such torturing means of restraint.
ana that never, except for surgical
operations. is man bound, and none
| Is put In solitary confinement.
what power must exist in per-
sonality, when one scientifically
trained man can release the most des-
| perate from restraining chains. and
DO 1T with safety and beneficial rel
| suits.
There is another example OF the
power Of personality which controls
vicious and dangerous characters.
There is a penal institution where
hundreds Of white and black girls are
sent by the courts. These prisoners
are-or have been-recognized as
| most desperate. A most prominenT
| lady of Washington. with philanthropic
| impulse, visited the institution some
! months ago and was SO shocked at
! conditions noted that she set to work
to have the authorities in charge COM
| pletely changed. Being a lady of in
| f1uence, she accomplished a change.
| and a new superintendent was en-
| gaged-a lady recommended by Jane
Adams as the greatest in her line in
| America.
| At that place there had been one
girl in solitary confinement seven
| months desperate character There
| were many thieves. An average OF
| three times week there was staged
a riot requiring many policemen to
| overcome.
Months have gone by since then,
and there are no more riots, the "des-
perate" victim of seven months soli-
| tary confinement has even been per-
mitted to visit her mother without a
guard. and the girl who takes care
| of the unlocked room of the super
| intendent is known to have the worst
| record in the Institution as a thief.
but nothing is ever locked up-nor
| ever stolen.
| x
What is the secret of such per-
sonallty? 1t is sympathy and COM
prehension of the human heart. Can
| it be impaired to others? Can it b$
| taught? When It can be broad
| cast" over the world, statesmen
may take long vacations for then the
worlds problems will have been
solved. and the prisons will become
| museums of a semi-civilized past.
This is far from sentimentality, but
1t is the most inspiring sentiment this
side Of the millennium.
x x *
While our forefathers were deter
| mined TO Keep church and state enI-
| ttrely separate, 1t is now discovered
that the capital of the nation is CEN
tered in church The bureau of the
census announces that the center Of
population of Washington is exactly
| in the Central Methodist Episcopal
Church. at 1915 9Th street northwest.
| westward the star of empire takes
its course" even though it travels at
a snails pace.
! Copyright 1928, by p. V. oollinsl