Evening star., 1932-11-17
Is Washington's Need Great?
Inquiry Shows Acute Suffering and Desperate
Necessity for Success OF Present
Chest Campaign.

was q Sklllcu d1lO COiuhNbcnI NfONSAh
ment employe, widow. No one knew
her trouble. She did not tell about it,
and none of her limited circle OF
friends guessed Each morning she
brought her boy to the settlement
house; each evening she called for him
and took him home. One night, how
ever, she did not come. Inquiry dis
closed that she had suffered nervous
collapse had broken down completely
at her desk The strain had been too
much for her to bear. Now she Is in a
sanatorium. There Is doubt that she
ever will return. Relatives took the
child to New York. He will wait and
wait, wonder and wonder, but 1t may
be all In vain.
I heard many other stories OF bur-
dcns too heavy to be borne without aid.
There was. for example, the case of
fine, strong, outstanding man, a skilled
workman, who, unemployed for the
first time in his life, grew increasingly
discouraged until at last condition OF
suicidal mania took possession of him.
He lay i'll in bed for weeks with q re-
volver within reach, constantly threat
ening to end his miserable existence
and as constantly persuaded by loyal
and sympathetic wife TO do no such
thing. Supporting the woman all that
bllOuHh bAC lAHoOdklO 0l0 AAOs
realize it, was social worker who like
wise fought for his life and restoration
to sanity. q woman who was in no
direct way personally concerned, but
who, nevertheless, would not let him
surrender. The solution was found in
the device of getting him made-to-
order job When they brought him the
news, he rallied. The struggle was not
over. but in the course of time It was
won BY the day he took up his new
duties, the social worker had hurried
to another patient
Stranded Woman Saved.
Numbers of potential suicides have
been dissuaded by the Travellers Aid
Society One Of them was an attrac-
tive young woman who because of un-
employment in her home town, came
to Washington on the chance of an
appointment in the Federal service.
She failed, and when she could not
pay her hotel bill she was requested
to leave and was prevented from carry
ing away her baggage. Stranded and
penniless, she wandered about town
until it seemed to her that there could
| be but one solution for her problem.
| She started for the river. But at the
last moment a laborer caught her.
| When the case came to the attention
Of the Travellers Aid representative. the
girl was in such a condition Of panic
and desperation that she refused to
give any information about herself
Several days were required before it
! was possible to win her cooperation.
But once that had been accomplished
complete adjustment followed. The
society reclaimed her baggage and sent
her home. She was in q sane condi-
ton OF mind by that time.
| Everywhere I went I heard Of the
pride OF the poor. They hate to dis
close their troubles. A school teacher
| told me Of a little boy whose mother
| sent word that he was ILL., He was
absent week, two weeks. Then an
investigation was ordered Calling at
the child's home the visitor found him
IN his accustomed state of good health.
An explanation was requested. Slowly
and painfully the truth was disclosed.
The lad had no shoes. That was why
he had been kept at home. His mother
had HE'D to avoid telling the bitter fact.
Family pride, as distinct from indi-
Vloual pride, is another common phe-
nomenon. For example, there was A
mloole-aged woman who had been in
the Government employ for years. She
mad little home of her own in the
city. When the depression began she
| received there four relatives who were out
OF work. After few months she took
in four more. At last there were Is on
the premises. All were persons of re-
tnement and cultivation. Each was
willing to do anything within reason to
help. But matters went from bad to
worse. The climax came when it was
| discovered that one of the guests was
about to become a mother. That devel-
opment broke down the last resistance
They appealed to the Community Chest.
One step at time, the problem Is being
solved.
Character Building Important.
was surprised at the multiplicity of
the enterprises of the character build
ing" agencies. Previously, had
thought Of them as being of less i'm
portance than organizations giving d.
rect personal relief in the form of food
and clothing. My experience has con-
WINGED me that was mistaken. I now
believe that one agency is as vitality
necessary as another and / think the
character building" groups have the
more difficult role to play in the pres
ent crisis
Their theory, found, Is that people
must be encouraged to fight for and not
against themselves. The economic slump
cannot be prevented. but a spiritual
bankruptcy can be avoided. The set
tlement houses, especially, and organi-
cations like the Y. NJ. C. A., the Y.
w. c. A., the Boy Scouts and the Girl
Scouts are the home defense guard" of
the city against the threat of social
panic and degeneration. The evidence
Of their utility Is overwhelming They
Justify their existence in scores of ways
The neighborhood centers are hives Of
activity. Fathers and mothers have
their respective clubs, young people
meet at study classes and at super
viSed games and dances, everybody joins
in singing groups Music is medicine
| for the soul, and the settlement workers
use it for all 1t is worth. Co-opera-
ton brings relief from personal worry,
| and 1t is stimulated in every conceiv-
| able manner. From early morning until
late in the evening there is something
doing. something to draw people out Of