Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-20
CHILDHOOD STUDY
TO OCCUPY FARLEY
HERE NEXT MONTH
First World Congress on
Mental Hygiene Plans
Broad Discussions.
CRADLE DAYS ARE HELD
IDEAL FOR CHARACTER
Differences Of Opinion Between
Various Schools of Thought
Will Be Aired.

The mysterious years Of childhood,
only recently considered of scientific
interest, will be a leading subject of
discussion at the first World Congress
on Mental Hygiene, which will meet
here May 5 to 10.
Foremost child psychologists of Eu-
rope and America will discuss the
problems Of the cradle and kindergarten
years, exchanging the views of the diff
ferent schools Of thought. To most
adults. 1t Is pointed out in the pre-
llmlnary announcements, childhood is
confusion of happy memories with
the innumerable difficulties and heart
aches forgotten.
But, according to DR.. william A.
White, superintendent Of st. Elizabeth,s
Hospital and president Of the congress,
1t Is the golden period for mental
hygiene" since much of the character
and personality is moulded by the ex.
periences of the earliest years. There
Is still much dispute among psy-
biologists and psychiatrists, some Of
winch VIII be cleared up by the Wash
ington meeting.
Various Schools Differ.
Some, it is pointed out, have con-
stdered the child purely as an organism
reacting to various stimuli and gradual
~ acquiring definite pattern of reac-
ton through practice, which constitutes
the personality. According to this
school, 1t would be possible to create
any sort OF individual If the proper
training methods were known, Other
schools hold that what goes on inside
the mind Of the child is Important and
that the essential thing Is proper dis
section OF the child's thinking processes.
Several sections of the congress will
De devoted entirely to the study of
cniidhood problems. Others will be
concerned with the behavior OF school
years and adolescence. Various Euro
pean countries, notably Russia, are In.
cooperating radically new ideas in the
technique OF education, which have met
with considerable success, but which
are not adequately known in the United
| States.
Techniques of character education,
| now being considered by the District
public schools, viii receive considerable
attention, especially from reports Of
foreign visitors.
Notables VIII Attend.
The following world-famed psy-
| cniatrists, psychologists, anthropoIo-
gists and physicians have accepted in
uGations TO present papers al the con-
ference:
Sir Maurice Craig, chairman of <l,e
British National Council for MentM
! Hygiene; DR.. Genil-Perrin, secretary of
Lne french League for Mental Hygiene:
DR.. Jur. Lathar Frede of the star of
| the German ministry of Justice: Prof
Karl Birnbaum of Friedrich Wilhelm
University, Berlin, the worlds foremost
authority on psychopathic PERSONAL
Tues; DR.. Auguste Ley, professor of psy.
cnology at the University of Brussels:
Lieut.. Col. John r. Lord. Secretary OF
the British Council of Mental Hygiene:
". ROBERT Sommer, president of the
German Association of Mental Hygiene:
u. e: Herman Bouman of the Univer-
Sity OF Amsterdam; DR.. L. Rosenstein,
director OF the State Institute of Neuro-
psychiatry of Moscow; DIR. Ernst
Goransson, inspector general of mental
hospitals OF Sweden; Rev. DR.. Oskar
Pnster, Swiss specialist in religion and
education; DR.. Hans Roemer. medical
counselor OF Baden; DR.. George M
Robertson, professor of psychiatry of
the University of Edinburgh.
CriminoIogist win Attend,
Dr. Carlos A. Bambaren, professor of
criminology, University of Lima: Prof.
NJ Trainer. University Of Bern; Prof.
D. w. Weygandt, University Of HAM
burg; Prof. Olaf Kinberg, Stockholm
Medico-C hirurgical Institute: DR.. p.
Sano. mayor Of Geel, Belgium DR.. A.
Repond. president of the Swiss Ma
tlonal Council for Mental Hygiene:
p psor. LHdWig Puusepp. professor of
Esthonia; DR.. Otto Kauders, noted
Vienna psychoanalyst: Prof. oscar L.
Forel, University of Geneva: DIR. VIII
liam Noodle, London Child Guidance
Clinic; DR.. Georges Heuyer, psychiatrist
OF the Paris Juvenile Court; DR.. Eugene
kann OF Munich, recently appointed
professor OF neuro-psychiatry at Yale;
Prof. Alfred Petren, University Of Up.
ish Child Guidance Council: Eugenia G.
Lekkerkerker, secretary of the Neither
lands Child Guidance Clinics; DR.. G.
KIDD, director Of the mental hospital
OF Erlangen, Bavaria; Prof. Victor
Wlgert OF the University Of Lund,
sweden; DR.. Alvin T. Mathers, direc-
tor OF the Winnipeg Psychopathic
analytical Institute, London.
Or: Franz Alexander. Psycho-analyttc
institute. Berlin; Elizabeth KoISraf.
Dispensary for Mental Hygiene, Brls-
Seis; DR.. G. M. Hincks, Canadian ma
tlonal committee for mental hygiene.
LII JoSepn Lundahl, ViSby Sweden:
Dr.. William e. Blatz, professor of
psychology, University of Toronto: DR..
Adoiph Meyer, professor of psychiatry.
Johns Hopkins University: Dr. c. Macfie
Campbell, professor of psychiatry, Har-
Vard University; DR.. william l.. Russell
vice president of the National Com.
mittee for Mental Hygiene; DIR. Haven
Emerson, Columbia University: DR..
Bernard Glueck, Harvard University:
DR.. Arthur H. Ruggles, superintendent
OF Butler Hospital, Providence; DR.. Ed
ward A. Strecker. director of the Penn
sylvania Neuro- psychiatric Clinic: DR..
Lawson G. Lowry. director Of the New
York Institute for Child Guidance:
Porter Lee, director Of the New York
School of Social Work; DR.. Frankwood
p. Williams, medical director of the
National Committee for Mental Hygiene:
DR.. Herbert E. Chamberlain, director
of the Minneapolis Child Guidance
Clinic; DR.. A. Eustace Hayden. pro.
lessor Of comparative religions, Univer-
sity OF Chicago: Mrs. Sidonie M. Gruen-
berg, director Of the Child Study Asso-
citation OF America; Bertha REYNOLDS.
Smith College School Of Social Work.