Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-27
PSYCHOLOGISTS SHAPING
MINDS OF SOVIET MASSES
Two Who Have just Visited u. S. Are
Bringing Them Into Mental Accord
With Communism.

L. tumbling and stalking INTO an
untried world, stand Soviet
scientists watching and guiding
vast experiment. Their workroom is
not the icy, white chamber of re-
cluse who laborS alone with test tubes
over gemlike flames nor Is their prob
lem one of steel and resistance and
logarithms. The laboratory is a glgan-
tic nation and the experiment Is with
the human souls of men and women
and children. For Russian science mas
taken life in its red centrifuge.
And upon the young shoulders OF the
newest of the sciences the Soviets sad
die a great burden. Psychology must
light the dark dawn of the new order
and blaze the way to the Utopian felds
where indiyidualiSm- vaniSheS In
society that thinks and acts and dreams
collectively Upon the word of psy-
biologists plans are formulated and the
course of RuSsia's astounding revolu-
ton is outlined. For the upheaval In
the land of the Communists is more
than political and economic. 1t means
Temaking the minds OF the nation.
Laws and statues and the orders OF
dictators are easily emblazoned upon
the codes of the land. Enforcement
units can be organized by executive
skill and backed by force to put the
will of rulers temporarily INTO enect.
But such tyranny is short lived. 1t
either fails through a rebellion that
throws off the regulations that are in
compatible with the fundamental ma
ture of the people, or the unnatural
laws remain in force, perverting and
degrading the country that obeys them.
Soviet leaders know this is true. They
understand fully that the mental atti-
tude of the people must be in full adj
justment to the young order or in
diyidual and national chaos will close
in upon their gigantic new structure:
To psychology is delegated the duty OF
making the great adaptation OF the
people to the formulas of Marxianism.
The aims of the Red dictators are
clear. The ultimate goal toward which
they are making vast strides daily is
complete and absolute collectlVlst
society in which property. labor and
ideals are pooled for common cause.
People are to live for the group.
Standards and values OF life are 10 De
measured in terms of their worth TO the |
community rather than to the indi-
yidual Individuals are to be conSe- !
Grated to the welfare of the unit in !
which they, live; their joys are to be |
the Joys of their comrades; their hopes
and dreams are to be in terms OF
others. That distinctive, powerful
energy which has surged through In
dlvidlal courses and brought primitive
man from the dim caves OF an miami
race into modern world will, II Soviet
plans prevail, no longer romp through |
It's accustomed channels.
The startling and difficult import OF
this realignment of values is recognized. |
Red rulers know that the force which |
old habits and customs and environ
rient have had upon the natures OF |
their people and they understand that |
the change in old people can be only |
slight, hat they believe that with the !
rev generation great things can be /
gods In ordering a Jovian experiment
on humanity by which they hope to |
modify its fundamental characteristics |
and press old forces of energy into new
routes without upsetting the mental
balance of the country. And simulta-
neousiy with this conditioning OF the
people is conducted q Nationwide
movement to care for the mental health
of those persons who suffer through
failure to adjust themselves to the
Kaleidoscope life and devise ways to
insure normal nerves under the new
ways.
Russian Scientists Visit Us.
For eight weeks this Summer two
men whose theories and ideals and
work are guiding the courses of psyche
logical principles in Russia have been
travelling in the United States. Their |
task in their native land is to make the
Russians contented, productive and
mentally healthy under system that
challenges the biological heritage of the
race. One of them is DIR. A. b. Sal
kind, professor of pedagogy In the Uni
versity of Moscow and president OF the
Psychoneurological Society of the So
Wet Union. The other is Prof. Leo |
Rosenstein, director of the Institute for
Mental Hygiene in the Red capital. In i
these key positions they direct and In
spire the sweeping plans OF the Peo-
pies Commissariats of Public Health |
and Education. AS the leaders OF psy-
chology in modern Russia, their opin-
ions affect the destinies of the masses.
In the soundneSs of their concepts lies |
the happiness of millions and the fate |
of great nation, for unless the pSy- |
chology which these men champion |
proves itself correct the economic and |
political schemes of Communism win |
tumble into oblivion.
Although many Soviet scientists and |
engineers have visited the United States |
during the last decade, the call which |
Salkind and Rosenstein have just made |
upon America marks the first trip of |
any leaders of Russian psychology to
this country. The two came to attend
the International Congress of Mental
Hygiene and to spend two months tour |
ing the country investigating the oper-
alton of public health facilities and the
methods of American pSychiatriSts. !
They visited many leading cities OF the
country, attended meetings of doctors
and pSychiatrists. studied the hospitals
zation for mental cases and the work
of clinics and conferred with American
leaders in their field.
And too, they were interested in OBJ |
serving the life in our highly competi-
tive society that is functioning smoothly
and at great speed. They believe that
here in the United States the effects of
an industrial democracy upon the indi-
vidual nervous mechanism can be best
seen, so they noted the effect of Amer
ica's social and economic system upon
the mental health of the people The
pronounced increase in the number of
cases of nervous disorder here, indicated
by the fact that one-half of the beds
in veterans hospitals are filled with
men whose disability is mental rather
than physical, attracted the attention
of the scientists They studied the
varied types of mental trouble mani
tested here and investigated the rela-
tionship between these disorders and
the environment of the people. Their
praise was great for the public health
work being developed in this country
and they found here many methods of
organization and technique of treatment
adaptable to their Soviet problems, and,
too, they had many explanations for
Americas mental troubles.
talked with these two eminent
psychologists of Red Russia about their
impressions of the United States and
their opinions of the effect our civiliza-
ton has upon the mental health of our
people. We talked, too, of their work
in the land of the Soviets and they
explained their application of modern
psychology to the institutions of their