Evening star., 1928-05-13
BY THOMAS n. HENRY.

TN the old brick mansion at 1928
Columbia road-set back from the
street In fenced and shaded
j grounds where spirea bushes this
week were showing the earliest OF
their bridal-lace clusters-a kind Of
scientific research new TO Washington
has been IN progress for the past eight
weeks
Numerous sorts Of abstruse inquiry
into the laws of nature are conducted
IN the National Capital Men ct the
Naval Observatory, for example. meas
ure the movements Of stars billions Of
tr1Ilions Of miles away In space. Men
At the Bureau Of Standards study the
behavior Of eIectrons and protons 50
minute that billion Of them could be
laid across the point Of pin. Still
other men venture into the mystical
field Of fourth dimensi0nal niathe-
n1atics.
But at 1928 Columbia road DR.. Man.
del Sherman and his associates are
studying something deeper and less
tangible than any Of these--the minds
Of children as revealed In their be-
havior. They are trying 10 60 to the
roots Of personality and character, using
the children themselves as subjects Of
their experiments.
The National Child Research Center
has been established under a grant
from the Laura 6peIIrnan Rockefeller
Foundation. and DR. Sherman. physi-
clan and psychologist from the Uni
vergity Of Chicago and Northwestern
University. has been engaged as direc-
tor and proyided with a competent
staff. The institution Is purely a re-
search center. II is not day nursery.
a school or hospital, but entirely a
place where experts viii try to learn
things concerning children not known
before
The behavior Of children has been
watched by adults for at least half a
million years. Probably nothing in ma
tire has been observed 80 closely and
80 AndOtsiy by 80 many persons-wtin-
less II is the weather. But the fact
remains that very little is known about
IT, Prejudice and emotion have COL
ored everything. Numerous baSeiess
preEpmptions have been accepted with
out question and used ~ guides 10 pro-
ceduYe, There has been almost no
close, ernotionieSs. scientific exploration
OF the child mind by experiment
More scientific study" says DIR, John
~. Watson, foremost exponent Of the
Bzflzgiorist school of PSYCHOLOGY, has
been given 10 Fadinnn IN the last 15
years than 70 children between one and
three years Old since the world began.
And With this observation the staff OF
the National Child Research Center is
thoroughly Ia accord.
DR. Sherman and his associates have
been at work almost night and day since
ttae center oDened. The study Of the
child requires intricate and delicate
machinery. some Of which must be de-
yleed especially 70 suit the conditions
They have many problems which they
with 10 consider, but thus far they have
Deen able 70 give attention 70 only two
e~flle emotional reactions Of children
and sleep
Tie former IL BY far the most intFi-
cate and consequential. Not much
more than 4 groundwork for future ex-
peFJnaente hag been Laid among the 40
little ones who are brought daily " the
old brick mansion ana left in the care
0f the scientific Torkers
E8E
I@ORTY odd children were born yes-
= terday III the hospitals Of Wash
zagton,
Taey are sQaajling Justify this morn
fag IN 40 different baskets, with tags
tied on their wrists, 10 thai the nurses
esn tell them apart,
Twenty years from nov they viii he
40 different men and women With 40
different personalities and iIldiyidusli-
ties. 40 distinct combinations ~ weak
fsege ineaBnesg, nobility. courage, COW.
ardsGe, generosity agartce, ngooclEese
socisl,ility. faith. hope and charity
One Of them may make the figst non.
s4os, fsiel9t around the world IN the esIfs
Summer OF Is4s.
one u them may be begging on the
mGees&.