Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-23
WILBUR DISCUSSES
CHILD CONFERENCE
Radio Forum Speaker Says
New Charter for Children
to Come From Sessions.

Declaring that no one should get the
idea that Uncle Sam Is going to rock
the baby to Sleep" Secretary of the In
terror Ray Lyman Wilbur last night
predicted that out of the White House
Conference on Child Health and Pro-
lection here would come a cooperative
effort to give the American child "a
new charter OF health, happiness, train
ing, freedom and citizenship
Speaking over the National Radio
Forum arranged by The washington
Star and broadcast over the coast
forecast network of the Columbia
Broadcasting system, DR.. Wilbur scored
"our vulgar, degraded marginal maya
zines" and declared there was need
ito bring drama and comedy back
again to serve In the uplift instead OF
the degradation of our civilization"
The speaker reviewed the broad scope
of the white House Conference on the
child. He thought that the best way
to put It into practical operation would
be TO force the problem back to the
spot where the child Is This primarily
means, and should mean, the home"
he said.
And in the midst of growing eager
ness to help "lift our children to higher
levels" Dr. Wilbur suggested 1t would
be wise ito guard them against our
own overzealous programing-to leave
10 them Sufnciently wide margins OF
free time and free space for the great
and Joyous adventure OF growing up as
personalities operating under their own
motive power"
Text of Address.
Secretary wilbur's address was as
follows:
Two weeks ago. ct this National
Forum hour, had the pleasure of max
ing q statement upon the plans for the
white House conference. This evening
am reporting some Of the results OF
this great meeting. Several thousand
men and women from every part OF the
country came to washington upon the
invitation Of President Hoover. The
frst meeting was held in Constitution
HALL and was addressed by the Presi-
dent who discussed the problems OF
children in a simple, sympathetic ano
affectionate manner. During the last
few days reports have been presented py
the 100 odd committees OF the CONFER
ence. These were enthusiastically re-
ceived and have been carefully studied
and analyZed by the experts present
since the war I have not seen such
fine spirit Of service and such splen-
did atmosphere of cooperation ana m
terest In the discussion OF any pubic
You win remember that it has been
he hope of this White House Conference
on Child Health and Protection that we
could bring up the general level OF child
ARE to the point reached by the outpoSts
OF science and weighed social experience
There was the common aim Of preparing
the American child physically, mentally
and morally more fully to meet the re-
accessibility Of tomorrow than we have
been able TO meet that Of today. The
emphasis Of the conference was to see
that our children should develop into
adult citizens with wholesome bodies and
prepared minds, both under the control
Of Q developed viii, operating IN the at
mogphere Of what we call character. we
have been quite conscious throughout
the work of the conference and In 0ul
Excavations that the emotional element
in mankind must be harnessed by thu
ir&ellect or individual and mass de-
cisions would prove to be too variabla
for either individual happiness or mas
safety. II our future men and womer
can Be self-starters and operate undeI
their own personal control, then ouI
people will not follow the herd or de-
velop emotional storms when confront
ed by difficulty. Each individual has
developing himself in the very best
way. A nation made up Of such cit
liens u safe.
Must Apply Science.
In general, I think that we will
agree that we must assist children In
their own development, not bring them
up" as has been 50 often done IN the
past. We are, ] think, convinced, too
test tubes for opinionated programs,
with no worked-out basis Of science or
of fact, and that those who have de-
veloped plausible methods without
scientific preparation are often OF the
greatest harm in the handling OF our
childhood. think we are all more or
less suspicious Of those whose hearts
tmpel them to do good" to children
when their minds are unframed or
guided by fixed fantasies Of the crank
type.
Just as we have wisely applied the
findings Of science in other fields, so
must we apply them for the benef1t OF
our children. I think we viii all agree
that the health Of our children Is worth
any price, and that In 50 far as the
community can do so, 1t should see to
the environment Of the child, so that
the water and food will be pure and
there will be no unnecessary exposures
TO the nicro-organisn1s causing disease.
Our knowledge of nutrition Is complete
enough and our food supply is ample,
so that lily nourished children are O
community responsibility.
Life Is q process that constantly pro-
crosses with increasing vigor up to q
certain point. and then recedes at a
- a1n n
hill" The most vital and valuable
quality In the child Ia elasticity to meet
the new and the unexpected. Early
rigidity Of the human mind, uncon-
sciously developed at times, leads to
most of our mass habits and our mass
folnes. There is menace in our mar
shaded athletics, in our dominated rec
reations for all ages, in our yelling sec
tons and our overevident coaches
There IL, too, much seeking out Of spe-
ciAl performers, and not enough play
of personal initiative and juvenile
leadership. Cooperation Is requisite,
team play necessary, but the coercion OF
the crowd Is to be fought against II we
are to have safety and reasonable ac-
ton In periods of strain. We need to
tight the crystallizing effect of habit
upon all Of our methods Of dealing with
the child and particularly with regard
to the school curriculum or with other
procedures or methods of handling
large groups The machinery Of our
training programs Of all sorts for chill
dren must move at as rapid q rate "a
does the rest Of our civilization.
Diversity Is Striking.
One reason for the conference was
TO bring us to q common understanding
as to where we are in our program for
children. One of the most striking facts
Of life Is the diversity of human ma