Evening star., 1927-03-08

The press tells of an epidemic oil
suicides" and preachers discourse
upon the many suicides of youths
They ascribe the tragedies to one
cause or another. They blame the
parents for failure to instill religion
into the impressionable minds OF
youths-and surely none can gainsay
such preachment-ahd they criticize
colleges for teaching psychology with
morbid suggestions, leading boys In
high school and college to assume
that they have already sapped life OF
all it's juices. Some philosophers
have even attributed the Increase OF
suicide to the World War, to which
almost any evil may be SO unreiiably
traced, although. in fact, the statis-
tics prove that, suicides decreased both
during and following the war.
There is no dispute as to the gen
eraI tendency of the present genera
ton of youth--but it is not the func
ton of this column to join the ham
mer brigade" which points the finger
of scorn at jazz, at rouge and lipstick
at cigarettes and at sport and neck
ing'' and promiscuous kissing and
everything else that is supposed to
demoralize the immature. Granting
for the sake of brevity and harmony
that the air is filled with evil in
f1uences beguiling the weaklings. how
many boys and girls today are really
making weaklings of themselves? OF
some 120 900 900 population there may
be 10000 900 youths of jazz age. and
of that 10000 900 there have been 20
Youths who have committed suicide In
the last year. That many tragedies!
That many weaklings who failed to
keep their tryst with Life.
He that kills himself to avoid misery,
fears it.
And, at the best, shows but a bastard
valor.
This life's a fort, committed to my
trust.
Which must not yield up till 1t be
forced:
die.
But he that boldly bears calamity
-Massinger.
Some wears ago, the present writer
received a commission from maga-
zine editor requiring him to write a
character sketch of DR.. Hubert A.
Work, former president of the Ameri-
can Medical Association, then recent
ly appointed Postmaster General. now
Secretary of the Interior. An Incident
grew out of that which may point a
moral" to this discussion of the youth
who in his egotistic pride thinks ne
has exhausted life at sweet sixteen
or twenty.
It CHANGED that another writer was
waiting in DIR. Works outer ONCE,
upon a similar errand, and In due
time the new Postmaster General IN
yited both callers to enter his private
Office together. 1t was case of "after
you, Alphonse." and the other ap-
preached his subject first, introducing
himself as a writer OF a magazine de-
voted to physical development. He de-
sired to learn what was the DOCTOR
system of daily exercise.
"Oh. I lust work" was the answer.
yes. but what about your ath.
letics?'
"Why, 1 work. That's how 1 exer-
cise.'
The question was put from every
angle. and received as many reltera-
tions. II just keep on working"
"Wen, what about your system Of
diet?''
az eat anything I like. Years ago.
when ] was practlclng meolcine In
Colorado. would sometimes have
long drives in that mountain country.
and maybe I'd reach home at mid
night. or later. and I would feel pretty
hungry. so I'd go out to the refrigera-
tor and eat whatever I found there
cheese or pickles or anything"
The representative of physical de-
velopment was too fiabbergasted to
ask further questions, but the Incl.
dent had already inspired the other
interviewer DIR. Work then suddenly
turned upon the physical culture man
with this:
1.-THE trouble with you physical cul.
ture people is that you are thinking
too much inwardly. So you get into
trouble. What you should do is to
stop so much thinking inwardly, and
think outwardly. Then you will cease
requiring useless gymnastics--if you
go on working-and you will forget
indigestion. Think outwardly"
i \
How many youths will and life ex.
hausted at 20 years, who are think
Ing, not Of their own "comrlexes, :"
5s. s--