The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-12-26

w YHOLE nations go mad. and in
IA I their madness they go to war.
Wv They are moved to terrible
deeds with equally terrible
consequences by powerful forces of
suggestive propaganda at the hands
of leaders who are themselves men
tally out Of balance. Only mental n.y.
giene, universal and ceaseless in ap-
plication, can save mankind from the
horror and degradation of war and,
| indeed, as military science advances,
from utter extinction.
| This is the ominOus warning given
in a document sent to the statesmen
of the world by the committee on war
| prophylaxis of the Netherlands Medi-
| cal association, and signed by 339
| prominent psychiatrisrs of 80 nations.
It was a modern reiteration, scientifi-
cally prompted, of the old maxim that
! the pen is mightier than the sword,
that suggestion is more powerful than
sound logic in its influence on human
/ instincts inherited from the dark cav
ems Of the past.
The danger which confronts the
world now was named by Prof. VIII
liam James, noted psychiatrist, at a
medical meeting in London.
There are at the present time indi-
viduals holding prominent positions
| and influencing the destinies of whole
| countries who are known to be men,
| tally unstable or who have actually
had attacks of mental disorder"
| People are excited by the fire and
emotion of unbalanced, but powerful,
personalities, and by the evilly-inspired
| speeches of public heroes, until they
| themselves are hypnotiZed and carried
away. Then, and only then, are they
| capable of doing acts which, if they
were in their normal state, would shock
| them and fill them with loathing, the
psychiatrists say.
/ Even in this advanced age of civili-
| cation man still possesses somewhere
| in him that dangerous instinct TO de-
stroy and kill. When they believe their
| community is in danger of being at
| tackled or is being wronged by another
| community, these instincts break loose.
| In a state of war, such instincts are
| looked upon as heroic and are reward
| ed. Speeches urging that there is real
necessity for military action, cries of
"Save the world for democracy"
| 'Down with the enemyi" and similar
| catch lines, can throw such nations
| emotionally out of control They can
| make a man who wouldn't hurt fly,
ordinarily, be ready TO run a bayonet
| through another man with the greatest
satisfaction and with the knowledge
that he is actually to be condoned for
such an act.
Force Is Enormous.
1.-THE suggestive force of speeches
made by statesmen is enormous, and
may be dangerous" Is psychiatry's
conclusion. 1.-The warlike spirit so
easily aroused by the cry that the
country is in danger, is not to be bri-
died, as was evident in 1914"
A catch phrase or a slogan shouted
by a great leader can do more to bring
a nation up in arms than all the sys-
tematic recruiting and logical approach
to sense of duty can hope to do. Re-
call $40 or fght!"? "Give me lib
erty or give me deathr'? 'sThey shall
not pass!'?
Even the sand-lot baseball game pro-
vides parallel. A pitcher who has
hurled beautiful ball game allows a
man or two to get to base and, al
though the spectators know he prob
ably has control of the situation,
solitary heckler, unstable In his logic
and poor in his judgment, starts cry
ing, "Take him outl Take him out -
Soon the cry roars forth with the
| mighty volume of the entire crowd
who really know better-and the pitch
er actually does get ''rattled' and
blows up"
Great leaders are often suffering
from suppressed fears or hates or
unconscious desires for power These
emotions may cause them to believe
| that their countries are threatened by
| danger from other countries and that
| they must lead their peoples to pro-
tect themselves. They may be totally
unbalanced, but the flame inside en-