Standing Ready

The psychiatrists have offered their services to the world's politicians. Last week in London the psychiatrists, psychologists and educators attending the International Congress on Mental Health (TIME, Aug. 23) got around to the vexing subject of "world citizenship and group relations."* Unless war is prevented, Cornell University Psychiatrist Carl Binger told the delegates, "there will not be any world to be citizens in."

There is a reasonable way out, declared Dr. Binger, but he was not sure that enough of the world's governments are interested in listening to reason (meaning the scientists). Politicians, he said, would not think of trying to wage modern warfare without the help of the scientists. These same scientists, he said, might be able to prevent war if they were only called in before the war began.

The congress, hopefully standing ready to do what it could, formed a World Federation for Mental Health. Its ambitious aim: to gain for mental hygienists a larger role in determining relations between governments. W.F.M.H. will cooperate with such United Nations groups as WHO and UNESCO. Russia was not represented at London, but will be invited to join.

* For news of other international meetings, see INTERNATIONAL, RELIGION, SCIENCE.

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