Evening star., 1935-03-10
CH|LDREN'S RADIO
PROGRAMS SCORED
Scientists and Educators
Term Br0adCaStS for
Young "Rot.'
BY THOMAS Il. HENRY.

The sooner the demonic ha-ha-ka-
ha fades from the air and the sooner
the incredibly stupid master mind Of
the twenty-fifth century turns his dis
integrator ray ON the whole process
sion of gunner. spies and kldnapers.
that pass through the erstwhile peace
full American home between 4:30 and
$50 pm, the better for all concerned.
Such was the unanimous opinion of
Washington pSychiatristS, psycholo-
gists and educators who are worried
over the malevolent effect of the early
evening radio programs on the sug-
gestible minds of children.
Terrible rot was the almost
unanimous response of those inter-
viewed. All expressed concern over
the fostering of neurotic tendencies
among youngsters by these programs
which apparently are trying to outdo
each other in piling up mystery and
terror to ever more ridiculous ex-
tremes. They find boys and girls
neglecting wholesome play and neg
lecting their home work" In the
school rooms their minds wander.
How can they concentrate on spelling
and arithmetic when they left some
air hero the evening before crashing
to earth after the air pirates had
sabotaged his motor?
Emotional Wrecks Feared.
If whole generation of Dillingers
and Hauptmanns is avoided it will not
be the fault of the radio programs,
these experts agree.
II believe these programs are caus-
ing many an emotional wreck among
children" said DR.. Mitchell Dreese,
professor of psychology at George
Washington University. They are
doing incalculable harm. I advise
those of my graduate students who
are school teachers to take the matter
up with their parent-teacher associ-
ations and urge the leaders to write
to the sponsors of such programs in
the hope that the protests may have
some effect in changing their char
acter
1T is a fact that children come in
from healthy, outdoor play in the
late afternoons to listen to this hor-
rible rot. 1t is especially bad since it
tends to throw the children into
highly emotional state just before
they 60 to bed. The children nat
urally associate themselves with the
gangsters and murdererS on these
programs and may often spend nights
of terror.
Veneer Forced on Movies.
"Tthe effect is probably much the
same as that exercised on children
by the worst sort of movies, only
worse. The movie is forced to have
some slight veneer of decency because
it constitutes permanent record.
But a voice coming over the radio is
such a nebulous sort of thing that
almost anything can be said. The
bad effect hardly can be overesti-
mated, and I think all psychologists
interested in the welfare of children
will welcome anything that can be
done about it,"
Among the Washington psychiatriStS
who voiced indignation over the char
acter of these programs was DR..
Winifred Richmond of st. Elizabeth's
Hospital, one of the country's fore
most authorities on the personality
development of adolescent girls.
Il cannot help hearing parts of
these programs myself" said DR..
Richmond, land when go to bed
with the memory of screams, pistol
shots and I'll that in my ears dream
about them and spend restless night.
Certainly, the effect must be worse on
children.
Cites Boy Acquaintance.
"But then comes a little boy OF
my acquaintance and tells me what
his gang is doing at school-and
he is as wholesome child as ever
have known who has been brought up
in the most wholesome of atmospheres.
He tells me all the horrible things
the gang is going to do to the fell
lows who are not in the gang ard I
wonder what pernicious thing Is oper-
ating on the innocent mind OF this
little fellow. It has all been suggested
by these programs over the radio.
"And when 1t comes TO the point
CONTINUED on Pase 4, Column a.