Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-28
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worry about the miniature YER
sions Of guns, tanks, planes and
other war weapons with which
their children may play because.
according TO psychologists, war
toys do not undermine a childs
mental attitude or instill in a
child at least most normal chill
dren-the viciousness Of war.
In contrast, says DR.. Martin L.
Reymert of the Mooseheart La
boratory of Child Research at
Mooseheart, Illinois, war toys
can be used by parents to ac-
quaint their children with the
facts of war. Psychologically,
this is most important, for the
most harmful of all fears is the
fear of the unknown.
The experience of psychologists
in England, much closer 10 real
war than America has ever been.
is that the time TO worry is when
children do not play at games of
war. Any British child who
avoids amusing himself with
models of airplanes or guns, when
the conflict is raging all around
him. is marked for psychological
suspicion A child who with
draws from war and therefore
from reality in this way is a
prime target for psychological in
vestigation.
Playing with toys. whether
war toys or dolls and other peace
time toys, is just child's way OF
trying TO be grown up. In peace
time a little girl with her dolls
is merely acting out the role of a
mother with her little children
In war time the little boy with a
toy tank is initiating his big
brother or father or somebody
else's big brother who is off TO
the real war.
II must be admitted that in a
nation like Germany, keen psych-
illogical direction can take a
child's normal and natural love
for playthings and direct 1t into
channels of warlike regimenta-
ton. That is what German
psychologists have been doing
with the youth of Germany for
half a generation. The result
can be seen in the picture on this
page.
However, in a nation like the
United States, the spontaneous
playing with toys Of war need
not, and usually does not, pro-
duce any lasting i'll effects. 1t is
only an outlet for the day dream
inc which marks the infantile
yes r. Of man.
IL ore-war days little boys,
ant probably lots Of girls. too.
set up their dream world around
-etfaractcr--tiite the Zone Ranger.
This childhood desire to live out
che lie OF somebody else has
merely been changed over TO the
realities of a war-torn world.
Now the children want TO play
Americans licking the Nazis and
the japs.
There really isn't any way
that a parent can keep children
away from war and war toys.
People who can afford TO buy
such toys may deny them 10
their children, but they will soon
lind out that the youngsters are
still playing at war with any
makeshift toys at hand.
Inc ,hildren Of poor people are
not stepped by this lack OF ma
terrell as the army might call IL.
A couple of crossed pieces of
wood make a fine sword. a broom
stick-plus sound effects makes
q fine machine gun, or a couple
OF shrub branches stuck in a hat
can camouflage the grimmest s.
year-old Commando.
Or, il all these simple near-at-
hand war toy equivalents are
taken away. there are still count
less adaptations which a lively |
and normal youngsteE of today |
can make. Pillows on a bed can |
be in the imagination of a
yUungsrer@tne fmest Rlna orr
sand bags guarding an anti-air-
craft battery.
sString beans onea dinner plate
If necessity demands It-can
serve as high powered torpedoes
n Jap battleship made of
a amound of mashed potatoes.
Only when adults misdrect
this normal childhood fantasy, as
have the educational leaders Of
Germany. is there reason TO fear.
And, until our leaders use the
same tactics, war toys have no
TO American youth.