New Britain herald., 1928-09-08
(BY JOHN w. DALY)


Washington. ID. c., Sept. S-Aside
from her interes, in night clubs
that II. the closing OF them-Mrs.
Mabel Walker Willebrandt. Assist
ant United States Attorney General.
in charge of prohibition enforce
ment, has another hobby. to wit;
the rearing and raising of children
A in everything she does, Mrs
Wiliebrandt has thrown her heart
and soul into the problems that at
feet childhood. She has adopted d
daughter. Mabel. Jr., and is now
contemplating the addition OF an
adopted son. to take his place in
the Willebrandt household. though
of this Mrs. Willebrandt has pre-
cious little to say: if anything, Il
would rather discuss children in
general instead of any specific
child" she said. waving aside ru-
mors.
Though Mrs. Willebrandt is a
busy woman-probabl one of the
busiest women in the entire United
States, what with the direction or
raids on New York night clubs. and
long lines of congressman and news
papermen who besiege her Office
day In and day out-she has always
time 10 devote to discussion OF her
cherished subject. children.
II might easily be supposed that
a woman engaged in putting the
mailed firt of the law on the necks
of criminals would be bit harden
ed: that there would courAa through
her voice precious little Of that
fluid known as the milk of human
kindness. In refutation, there are
the kindly. the sparkling blue eyes
Of Mrs. Willebrandt, when she is
talking Of children. Yet, she is not
q sentimentalist. Far from it. She
u = practical student of child be-
havior. So. when she was asked
what, In all her experience. she be-
lieved to be the best method OF
raising a child. she said. a smile
spreading her features:
If ! told you out right. some of
my friends would probably think l
am ultra severe"
"Well." came the suggestion.
what Of it,"
She thought for 4 while. Mrs.
willebrandt chooses her words with
care, mulls over ideas that 60
trouping through her head, inspects
them. like = hard-boiled captain
his company. before she allows
them to 80 out on parade.
Believes In Discipline
II am 4 firm believer in disci-
pline," Mrs. Willebrandt declared.
Remember what Napoleon said :?
well, 1t seems' that a fond
mother, anxious to have her little
boy, then six months old, emulate
the example Of the conaueror. told
him she would start in on the dis
ciplinary methods when the baby
was one year old.
THAT, madam" replied the Little
Corporal, or words to such effect,
will be one year too late"
Taking = leaf from the journals
OF the Emperor. Mrs. Willebrandt
believes that the time to start child
training Is one day after birth.
Habits begin to form just about that
time, abe believes.
II there 10 one thing Mrs. Willie
brandt does not want to do, 1t is
%At.. 80 A>~~>lt ,,n a. on q ut IN rift
or the raising of children.
"Heavens." she almost exclaimed.
but did not. II can imagine lot of
mothers saying, What does that
woman know about children. since
the only one she has is an adopted
child'?"
That, Of course, is the touch of
womanhood from time immemorial.
Yet mothers to the contrary not
withstanding. Mrs. Willebrandt
does know about children-and she
comes by her knowledge honestly,
and almost ~ an impartial observer.
Since she has attained the prom
inent position thrust upon her by
her successful invasion into politics,
forsaking the schoolroom to become
one Of the leading lawyers of the
United States, the life of Mrs. WILLIE
brandt IL somewhat akin to the pro-
verbal gold fish. Il can't do any,
thing but what 1t gets into the
newspapers" she means, and so.
most of her activities are chronicled,
sometimes even before they are &C.
complished. In the case of the con-
templated adoption of a baby boy,
the world at large knew of it even
before she had made a definite de-
cision. So she soft -pedals all Of
that. though she admits that this is
a thought occupying her earnest
consideration, and chances are she
will adopt a boy. II she does. II
will be because of the inherent
nother-love that is so much par;
q her makeup; of her life. And
here. II 4 fact that is not generally
known is let loose upon the public.
il Is done SO to furnish further
proof of the assertion; Mrs. Willie
brandt lost her own child in the
early stages of life. Once a mother,
then. always mother.
Il think | am a different mother
than the average" says Mrs. Vile
brandt. because the average moth
er ia so much younger-say. about
twenty years OF age-and there is.
therefore, that early human inclina-
ton to indulge the child in all its
whims and fancies. As We get old
er we see with clearer vision. AT
least ! think So That is Why. at
my age. ! can do som. of the things
that perhaps would seem severe to
the younger mother
Tells Her Age
Mrs. Wiilebra ndt is one Of the few
women not afraid 10 tell her age
confessing an approach TO forty.
Her adopted daughter came INTO her
life some three years ago, at the age
of two.
Her given name Was Dorothy
says Mrs. Will.brandt. lint She
wants ia be called Mabel II NOV