Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-04-21
BEHIND
The NEWS
BY paul.
k1aIIon

New IOrk'S Gov. Dewey
mentioned in his radio report
on his state administration, a
subject seldom in the news but
certainly very close behind much
Of it, mental health.
! believe il is a favorite sub
iett of his much like Mr..
RooSeveltS personal interest in
reforestatton), and viii assume
a similar prominence in any
campaign he develops for the
presidency. At least he IS be-
ginning TO give some prominence
TO it in political discussion.
The truth Is that nearly hall
the nen na6F-being discharged
from the army for illness are
officially designated psyche
neurotics The surgeon generals
Office has announced - 600 10
30 OOO men are being let out
for physical disability each
month. and of these, 40 per
cent are classified pms
\ competent authority says
not man has been discharged
from the Russian army for that
reason. Why is this?
The FIRST old fOgey notion that
must be- discarded IN trying TO
understand this new subject IS
the foolish popular suspicion
that psyChoneuroSlS means IN
sanity. The army has a four
PACED Single-SpaCed explanation
in medical terms that only doc
tors understand, or need 10.
What II bols down 10 is that
the men are not adaptable TO
military service.
COME parents are being fool,
- iShly alarmed when their
boys return, labeled with what
they think is a scarlet pan
and they recall the public mis-
use Of such terms as shell.
shock" predetermined, i" or even
"moronic" This IS absurd.
Such parents would be the
FIRST 10 demand that their boys
be released from military duty
for tuberculosis, heart disease,
or any other aIlment. The pub
lie Just does not understand Yet
that the Cfeat-NarletY of ner-
vouS or mental ailments have
no more aWeSome significance
than ailment Of any other part
of the body
Perhaps The best gcUeT7t1Zod
definition for the public would
he that pSychoheuroSiS is
nervous breakdown, although
this is not entirely accurate be-
cause there are SO many de-
greeS and types ANXIETY state,
conversion hySteria, various de-
presSions, and Just plain iitterSl.
Some might cali II mot un-
truthfully) merely a complete
unhappineSS based on resent
fulneSs or insecurity 10 the OK
tent Of inadaptabillty TO the
amy norm.
Even 50, why is this Why
are so many unfit 10 meet army
requirements Why has the
spread Of this same condition
among civilians grown such
an extent that Gov Dewey has
revised his entire mental health
Setup in New York? What does
it mean for the postwar fu-
ture7
I HAVE been collecting an
L SwerS from authorities but
without SO far getting a COM
plete one The most interesting
contribution 10 my own thought
on the subject has been fur
niShed by a nonmedical man.,
an eminent professor Of pSN
chology in an eastern rIHI|ef-
sity. Writing primarily on
another phase of the subject
tour system Of child education)
he concludes:
THE child suffers from oHF
current undiScipIinary leader
ship. He Is not prepared to
meet life or meet reality. Most
of all he is emOtionally imma-
turc.
Our present system retards
emotional maturity by pro-
longing childish habits Of self
indulgence CSelf-expreSsion), of
following impulse. or being
governed by the pleasure-pain
principle 10 the exclusion OF the
reality principle.
Hence we are confronted
with "A striking inability To as
sumo responsibility, to do n real
job. 10 accept life's burdens.
This NAV have much 10 do
with the rise In delinquency
and with the high rejection rate
from the armed services on
mental and emotional grounds.
Twenty per cent Of casualties
returning from overseas are in
this category"