Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-03
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. C. M.
THE NEW GENERATION. Edited by
v. F. Claverton and S. D. Schmal-
hansen. The Macaulay Company.

THE NEW GENERATION. Edited by
v. F. Claverton and S. D. Schmal-
hansen. The Macaulay Company.
| The children are in revolt. The ell
ders, therefore, in something quite close
to panic.
| Yet, looking into the past as far as
the reach of history runs, and farther
! even, the fact stands clear that chiefly
| by way of revolt has man reached the
high place that he now holds. Turning
against established things grown inn
potent toward innovation of lusty mien
and good promise has provided history
With its commoneSt program OF ad-
| vance. One wonders why this obvious
and persistent method of getting ahead
has not throughout the centuries bred
in man a more philosophic faith in the
| future, more confident and competent
seizure OF the present. Why do the
elders rage?
Look backward for a minute-away
back into that distant past when
woman, for the soundest of biological
reasons, was dominant in group life
Adviser, director, organizer and leader,
her opinions of supreme weight, her
counsel giving pattern to every mo-
mentouS move in the collective economy.
Man, necessary to be sure, but never
| theless bordinate-hunter, worker,
provider, bodily safeguard Then. as
| now no doubt, abuse of power led to
miSchance for the accepted order.
Power Is devouring possession, ulti-
| mately consuming alike both agent and
| victim. And so, through a long prac-
tlce of craft and art man reached the
point OF revolt. The patriarch came in
! course OF time to superSede the ancient
I matrlarch, and for centuries thereafter
man ruled the world, women and all.
For the past hundred years a new re-
bellion has been gaining momentum.
Inc cadenced movement of history has
again brought woman to the fore In a
fresh demand for political equality, for
| equitable property rights, for profess
sional opportunity, for social liberations.
And right here, only a step behind
the modern woman crusade. come the
children themselves seeking strange and
! terrifying terms with their elders, or,
even more ominously, taking a thousand
! matters into their own hands-matters
which only short time ago belonged
exclusively to the domain of parent
mood, functioning as either permission
or refusal. the latter as a rule. What
TO do? Where to turn?
When ailments beset the mind or
BODY OF man, he instinctively reaches
| for expert diagnosis and treatment.
Why not do just this in respect to the
new malady that appears to have
seized upon the youth of the world?
Human affairs seem, fortunately, to be
so constituted that ways out of dilemma.
even the deepest, open to honest ur-
gency OF escape. Why do not we, the
elders, therefore, seek truer rapport
with the children than lamentation on
the one hand or reprobation on the
| other Is likely to secure? Comprehen-
sion Is our first need, complete iden-
| tity OF feeling with youth, of feeling
rooted in knowledge.
Here at hand Is adequate means for
/ a sincere and UMPIRE JUDGED outfaring
under the guidance of high authority
into this troubled, and troubling do
mair of childhood and the years i'm
mediately following it.
! The New Generation" is a body of
scientific knowledge on this most i'm
portant of subjects. Modern in out
look, frank in disclosure. sane and
practical In suggestion. clear in plan
and method the book sourced in such
hlgn authority is. nevertheless, a GEN
orally communicable one, from which
parents, teachers and the general pub
llc-all vitality concerned with the mat
ter In hand-can gather valuable in
formation and genuine interest Sci
entific. but interesting, is a fair sum-
mary of it. and, besides. a cordial in
yourself"
More than 80 avenues Of approach
lead to the subject by way of as many
authors OF distinctive authority Fol-
lowing an introduction by Bertrand
Russell come discussions of various
trend and import from such scholars
and writer's as Havelock Ellis. John
Langdon-Davies, Alfred Kreymborg,
Margaret Mead Scott Nearing. Sher-
Others. Those named, however. indi-
cate the range and quality of the
whole. The editors themselves. v. F.
Claverton and S. D. Schmalhausen, con-
tribute substantially to the work. Every
aspect of the earliest years is brought
under scrutiny here by one or another
of these specialists. Prenatal condi-
tons, the first reactions to external
existence, the more or less obvious
sources of impulse, desire. of actions
repeated till habit begins its dominion
over the individual. Physical and
psychological interrelationships are
brought here to simplicity of analysis
and effect that set a most important
matter out in perfect clarity to the
average reader. interested in the sub
ject. The book. a shade formidable in
size and the imposing names connected
with 1t, is. nevertheless, a handbook of
useful everyday fact pertain ng to chill
dren as individuals, and as a vital part
Of the oncoming collective body that
tomorrow will be the inSpirers and
managers of the earth itself.
The New Generation" separates into
five related parts. Part l breaks on the
ear bit forbiddingly-"Parents versus
Children" And here we learn OF edu-
cation as 1t is administered to children
in both savage and civilized life. Not
SO good-yet true. Better read this, ia
Their and mother. Having read 1t. stop
pretending and get down to the honest
business Of at least facing your job
The story goes on then to considering
the child in his instructive opposition 10
civilization itself-to those natural OPP
positions inherent in the human to Gus
toms and institutions. And what to do
about it. on the basis of new investiga-
tionS. new psychological findings. The
Family Romance" is fascinating study.
Tradition bound you will deny its SUBJ
stance &c. let us say no more about 1t.
However, within this section of the
book is an important study of immedi-
ate import, one for every parent TO
seize upon in understanding mood
What Price Parenthood?" is the title
made use of by T. Swami Harding, a
young and on-coming scientist of Wash
ington who, by the substance and quail
ity Of his Investigations and reportings,
brotherhood of science in the Capital
tigators everywhere Mr.. Harding be-
ing away the political theory of govern
4 a..