DRY LAW AID NEEDED, VIEW OF DR. ADLER
Noted Viennese Psychologist Says U. S. Prohibition to Fail Until Supported by Rich, Social Classes
Gives Prohibition Views
Artist's sketch of DR. ALFRED ADLER, noted Viennese psychologist, who says socially prominent and wealthy Americans must support liquor laws before they will become effective. He will give series of lectures at University of California.
Prohibition, which came about as the result of "social remorse" will never succeed in the United States, unless the people of social wealth and standing set an example by refraining from the use of intoxicants.
This is the view of Dr. Alfred Adler, noted Viennese psychologist and author, and recognized as one of the most important dissenters from the Freudian system of psychology, who is in the Bay district to prepare for a group of lectures to be delivered at the University of California. Dr. Adler's first lecture, "Understanding Human Nature" will be given next Wednesday night at the Wheeler auditorium. Another lecture will be delivered next Friday night.
HAS HIS SYMPATHY.
"The American experiment in prohibition has my profound interest and sympathy," Dr. Adler declared. "Drinking itself is merely an escape, for it gives a momentary feeling of power, well being and superiority."
Dr. Adler expressed his agreement with recent published declarations that Americans desire both prohibition and liquor.
"I believe it is true," he said, "that the American people want to be prohibitited from drinking and also wish to drink. Prohibition itself is a result of remorse. Not that Americans are any better than any other people. They simply have more remorses, and prohibition is one of them."
Unless the financial and social leaders support the prohibition statutes by refraining from the use of liquor, Dr. Adler sees little hope for the success of prohibition.
CRIME WAVE CAUSES.
Turning from a discussion of prohibition to an explanation of the inferiority and superiority complexes, mainstays of the Freudian psychology, Dr. Adler declared that crime waves, nationalism and sex offenses have their roots in the psychological feelings of inadequacy or of strength.
"A sickly child," Dr. Adler stated, "finding that he is on an uneven competition with his mates, may become socially useful, or on the other hand, he may become socially dangerous by a cowardly imitation of those qualities which he happens to admire."
Dr. Adler is the author of several scientific treatises, and the founder of the International Journal of Individual Psychology.
Fuente: "Dry Law Aid Needed, View of Dr. Adler", Oakland Tribune, 4 February 1929, p. 32, unsigned. Transcribed from the page image of the California Digital Newspaper Collection (CDNC, OT19290204.1.32), checked against its OCR (which misreads the headline as "HEEDED VIEW OF DR. ADLER"). "Prohibitited" and the attribution of the inferiority and superiority complexes to "the Freudian psychology" are as printed.