Evening star., 1945-09-19
Hershey Says Nation
Faces Major Danger
lin Mental Illnesses

Neuro-psychiatric illnesses today
represent "one of the greatest
dangers to the future of the coun-
try" and the inability to arrest or
eliminate the problem has authori-
ties greatly concerned, Maj Gen.
Lewis B. Hershey. selective service
director, today told a House COM
mlttee. The group is studying a
bill which would establish A.
million-dollar national neuro- psy-
chiatric institute in the WASHINGTON
Metropolitan area.
Under the bill, the institute would
be controlled by the Public Health
Service which would have $4,000
600 annually for grants, and would
aid States which cooperate in the
national program of mental health
control.
1T is needless to talk of democracy
or of carrying on the responsibilities
of citizenship if IT or 18 per cent
of our citizens have these (neuro-
psychiatric) abnormalities," Gen
Hershey said.
Many Mental Reflections.
He told the committee that of A.
100000 men rejected for armed serv-
ice because of physical disabilities
as of August l, 1,767,00O were re-
Jected for mental reasons. He said
this was very large percentage
and that reflections resulting from
the next single cause ran slightly
over $4,000.
About 30 per cent of the men re-
jected for mental reasons had either
neuro-pSychiatric or pSychopathic
ailments, he said.
Representative Priest, Democrat.
of Tennessee, chairman of the COM
asked Gen. Hershey if in
view of his experience as selective
service director he thought the Gov
should institute a program
of study of mental ailments. Gen.
Hershey replied he felt the subject
was one of the most pressing before
the country today.
Next to testify was Col. Allen
Challman. representing the director
Of the Office of Neuro- -Psychiatry
of the Army Surgeon Generals
office. Just returned from three
years Pacific service, he said mental
illness was a tremendous problem"
there. He termed the resources of
the Medical Corps to handle the
situation as "skimpy," and stressed
the lack of trained officers to handle
the problem.
Wants to See Action.
I'VE have to take time out to train
them and this is a considerable
handicap. There is no reason WHY
we cannot secure good re-
suits from the provisions of this
bill. We also want to see the States
and communities organizing to deal
with the war veterans, and we would
like to see some kind of action such
as this bill contemplates, during the
peace years" he said.
Eugene Meyer, publisher of the
washington Post and president of
the National Compittee for Mental
Hygiene, also supported the bill. He
termed psychiatry "the stepchild of
and said it is now re-
ceiving only belated and grudging
recognition.
Col. John H. Baird, chief of neuro-
psychiatry of the Veterans Admin
lStratiop, said the bill was neces-
sary to insure future treatments of
veterans. I'VE are deeply con-
cerned with any plan at all for
the establishment of a program
seeking Sounder recovery of the men
and their better adjustment in the
community" he said.
Sees Too Few Clinics.
He termed the number of clinics
available for psychiatric
treatment "a drop in. the bucket"
and estimated that in 1875 total of
300 900 beds will be needed in vet
erans' and other hospitals for treat
ment of neuro-psychiatric cases re-
Sulting from this war.
Also testifying was Mai. Douglas
Bond, Office of the Army Air Forces
Surgeon. He said neuro-psychiatric
cases were very high among flyers.
with slightly under so per cent of all
Air Forces medical separations
being for mental causes.
Others testifying were DR.. Frank
j. Curran, Emergency Psychiatric
Society of New York; DR.. A. N.
Baggs, American Legion medical
consultant, and Mrs. Harvey Wiley,
General Federation of Women's
n u n -