Evening star., 1925-02-16

NO Iau IN WaS0lnRtO
| today Is the crossword puzzle-twe
years ago 1t was M. Emile Coue and
his method of conscious Autosugges-
tion.
Now II Is give me a three letter
word for foor; then II was DAY By
day, in every way, I'm getting better
and better" But there is a big diff
ference.
The good that NJ. Coue has done
In the world. Is great; what the
| cross word puzzle will accomplish 1.
extremely problematical. 1t may be
blessing to know the name of AT
obscure African bird in four letters
but 1 doubt 1t.
The benefits which the littI.
Frenchman left behind him, however
are running true to form today. just
one month more than two year.
since he stepped of the train at Union
Station for his three-day visit
Where there were hundreds practic-
ing his method In January, 1928, per-
haps there Is one true to it yet but
that is not of much moment. What
matters is that the bubbling little
man from Nancy did drive home tc
thousands OF people the necessity fol
optimism.
Did you think a formula or two
was all there was to Coueism?
Bless your heart. no! The doctrine
OF healthy optimism. free from fad
was the power behind the message OF
NJ. Coue, then and now. The Ameri-
can people made fad, a craze" out
OF him and his method, but he never
took 1t in that light
Like all fads-just as the cross
word puzzle will do-Coueism suf.
fered a relapse. People gradual,
stopped talking about him. or repeat
ing twenty times. both morning and
night, his Day by day. in every way
I'm getting better and better"
Today you will find, here and there
man or woman still true to his
method, religiously counting off the
formula on a string of 20 knots. Per-
haps 10 In all Washington.
1t Is impossible, however, to count
the thousands Of persons who have
been benefited by the spirit Of opti-
mism which this man released like a
cloud the healing rains.
y n
The American people insisted on
calling Coue hector" and thought OF
him as a miracle man. when he was
In no sense an NJ. D., and certainly
not the slightest bit of a worker of
miracles.
no WAS. on tne Other hanQ, Il man
absolutely devoted to an idea. When
you find a man like that, you have
one able to create ''crazes." His sin
certify was beyond dispute A simple.
almost country-like man, with large
hands, he came to America q drawing
room favorite.
Society people made a sort of show
out OF him. and enjoyed baking. for
a time. In the light Of the publicity
which the sterling simplicity and sim
cerity OF the man managed to secure.
with the aid OF a little judicious
press-agenting.
NJ. Coue never changed q bit. He
faced drawing room and auditorium
with the same child-lfke nonchaIance.
It made no difference to him whether
he cured" a patient or not.
He had an idea. an idea he thought
good. an idea that had helped and
benefited thousands. He presented
II. you accepted 1t, or rejected it, 1t
was all one to him. Like the baby
In the cradle" OF which he spoke so
often. he made others come to him.
The writer of these lines was one of
the most ardent Coueists OF 1923,
therefore he feels that he Is especially
well fitted to discuss the man and his
work at this time.
/ was the only newspaper man pres
ent at the private preliminary meet.
Ing held by Coue at fashionable
home near Dupont Circle. My attend
ance at that meeting was due to that
gallant gentlewoman. Mrs. Archibald
Hopkins. who saw to it that 1 got
tickets.