New Britain herald., 1930-01-16
SEES GREAT VALUES
 IN MENTAL HYGIENE
pr. James L. Mccartney Believes
 It Will Renlake Society

Dr. James l.. Mccartney. chief ot the division of mental hygiene Of the state department or health, express ed hope for the race Of the future through changes in public viewpoint at a meeting of the New Britain Council of Catholic Women at the Knights Of Columbus Home on Franklin square last night. His sub ject was Give the Child Chance"
 He attributed the existence of war, crime, prisons and reform schools to the lack of understanding Of mental hygiene and what it does and eX- pressed the belief that these would be done away with when mental hy- giene is allowed 10 work it's cure on society.
 "War will not end" the speaker told his audience, who had just finished reviewing plans for the dis armament conferences now in progress in Europe, until the atti- tude O. the people is made over or recreated. As long as personal en- mity exists, as long as personal rights are uppermost among people, We will have war" he declared. Standards of conduct are formed by people. Each man considers his neighbor queer. We have a certain feeling Of antagonism for people in other states. We look down upon them, they upon us AS long as this s.-ti+yI4 .-.l Us and no good will rcsult.' He stressed good behavior between man and wife as an example for the chil- dren.
 War will never end so long as We have prisons and reform schools for they are fundamentally the causes and reasons why wars are kept up," he said.
 Punishment Doesn't End Crime
 Punishment, he claimed, is of no avail in ending crime for "thrst has never prevented crime and never will" Environment, good or bad, is the making of the child into q man, and what the child's training is is what he will be when he grows into manhood.
 A child is average and the adult is abnormal, he declared. If the child is not interfered with he will grow up to be an average man, but in most eases children are affected by environment during their maturing years and are changed for either good or bad. Mental hygiene will play an important part in the life of a child, he said. Pressed for a definition of the term, Dr. McCart- ney stressed the fact that it was neither Christian Science nor Coue- ism, that 1t did not mean that a child should not be punished for an Of fense, yet it did not Countenance whipping. He added that by it's ap. plication doctors would lose most ot their steady customers and druG stores would not operate. In at. tempting to explain the term he of. fered the example of a business mar who complained of headaches. , This headache is not caused by phy sical action or inaction but possibl, by some worry in his business. II another example he told of stree car conductor who was constantly il fear of an accident. No mental de rangement was evident. It was learn ed that he had been worrying abou his children and that this had led tt other worries finally eliminating il fear and inability to maintain conf dence in himself.
 Merely by some slight menta suggestion, by some show of conf dence 8 man can be cured of hi ills,' he explained.
 "Reforming' Children
 Passing from the idea of Wh, children, properly brought up, neer not cause trouble he spoke of other who have been sent to reform schools and work houses. Pointin out the effects of confinement i such places he offered seycra graphic illustrations where law ha become the mechanical weapon c an old society. In one case a girl wa committed to a woman's institutio for something which she had nc done. Evidence was later brough out, Dr. Mccartney told the group that the girl was free of any stigm; yet had to stay behind the walls ( an institution. Paroled to a privat home, for a period Of three years sh was not allowed to speak to an man, 10 have any man callers or { even say good morning to tn grocer boy. due to old fashionc Q. i.-L l-.-.-