Evening star., 1938-12-30
Scientists Disagree
On Psyehiatry as
Applied 10 Politics
D. c. Speakers Maintain
Large U. S. Groups
Live in Mental Fog

BY Stan Correspondent OF The Star.
RICHMOND, Va, Dec. 3O.-Is the
world crazy or just the folks in it?
DR.. Harry Stack Sullivan and his
associates of the William A. White
Psychiatric Foundation of Washing
ton and DR.. Gregory Zilborg, emf
nent practicing psychiatrist of New
York City. didn't see eye to eye on
this question at meeting of the
American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science here yester-
day afternoon.
The Washington group, heading
an establishment set up in memory
Of the late superintendent of st.
Elizabeth's Hospital, think the prin-
ciples of psychiatry. the science of
abnormal behavior, should be applied
to current politics and international
relations. Dr. Zilborg, without de-
nying that politicians may be crazy,
forcefully denied that societies as
whole could be.
PSychiatric conditions, he insisted,
are altogether disorganizations with
in the personality of the individual.
"A community" he declared, can
no more have schizophrenia than it
can have pneumonia.
Much damage is being done, Dr.
Zilborg said, by loose thinking on
the part of the general public in
psychiatric terms.
Widespread Symptoms Noted.
DR.. Sullivan, on the other hand
insisted that the American people
as a whole seemed to be suffering
at least mildly, from the same sort
OF symptoms which, when they ap-
pear in individuals in exaggerated
form, are considered as mental alb
normalities.
This country, he declared, "is a
place of bemused detachment from
world events"
I'VE live by the clock here" he
said, because being busy is so con-
venient an evasion of disturbing
states Of mind. Some of us carry
on in the feeble security of wishful
thinking so transparent that it will
not stand expression Some of us
defend ourselves against doubt by
the violent protestation of reassur-
ing creeds. Some of us live in a
gloomy pessimism no less magical
by expecting the worst we out
Herod Herod. Things can't be as
bad as one says they gre. Some of
us are really in numb dependency
and restrict our interests after the
pattern of a mild depression. Some
OF US turn to other worldly goals,
Join evangelistic creeds, mystical
faiths and pseudo-mystical frauds.
Leaders Must Be Awakened.
"All these movements must be
recognized as definitely pernicious
when they become widespread. It
Is imperative that at least our
leaders be awakened from their
somnolent preoccupation and de-
tachment from the current of
events. A struggle toward alert
realism is the only salvation for a
democratic people in this world to-
day.
There is an almost unbelievable
promise Of useful results if explora-
tions into psychosocial reality can
be pushed forward fast enough to
outdistance the forces that now
threaten to herd us back into the
Middle Ages. We are on the thresh-
hold of real enlightenment. The
fate of men for centuries to come
hangs on its realization
The necessity of political psychi-
airy was stressed particularly by
DR.. Harold D. Lasswell, also of the
William A. White Foundation. Its
aim, he said, will be the under
standing and control of the de
structive impulses of man"
Such doctors of sick states. he
said, will use the methods now en-
ployed with sick individuals.