The Bridgeport Post from Bridgeport, Connecticut • Page 54

C--SIX BRIDGEPORT. SUNDAY POST, JANUARY- 7, 1968 Reactionary vs. Liberal Hospital in Norwich Undergoes Changes --by Fulton J. Sheen As substitutes for i i no words are more thoughtlessly used in our day than "liberal" and "reactionary." How did those two words arise? They come into prominence wars, i or depressions disturb an a i order. They are born of rapid a ti that several Finch Senior changes in (he tempo of political, economic or social life.

High school students after com- r- Now a implies two ele-' ments: first, something which changes and. secondly, som company and Artistic Wire, a firm in the Taftville section of Norwich, are at present participating in Project Return. th position which would make Billy oi ie- always wear a green hat. and the 0 TM' lctl plettng the course are now An elaborate assembly Ja a sume- a i a giccn i a i a I I thing which does not change In liberal position which would give excellem other words, something mutable Billy a new besd, by Jelling' years and something immutable. For Billy keep his head but i i mc la 5 lU psychiatric aides a a by eight workers where they a been installed in a Russell orx hall OT shop, and here patients, giving example, when meeting a i him a new hat.

The common you have nit seen for 20 years, sense view admits change with- Jr. you say, "how you have out sacrificing the a esiamisnefl. arate unit; until (he Connecticut' seated in an assembly line, each having assigned operation, For that reason each of these permanent ed." If this person not the and valuable. The cells in a hu- same person now a-, 20 years man tody change aboul every: plUls certain vou would not know he bad seven years, and ye! man re-; tur us ana the siory changed. In olher you a i identically the same per-; 0 one ul ol lhe cannot recognize change without son at seventy that he was a the changeless.

seven. So too. one can reconcile; 0 assemble the contents of'the little Mental Health pKiagtSi ra ped in cellophane, which go on airline passengers' I a The reactionary and the libsr- permanence with change without; TM choosing permanence wilhoul Norwich hospital's occupational sr iSaS-K swf si have this in common never see permanence change together. They take ore- to the exclusion of thi other. The reactionary seizes reactionary nor a noerai in me, a wayg unique.

permanency lo the uf sense of the terms above defined, i Began Program change, and Ihe liberal upon He is not a reactionary because Back in 1911 eight years after a lo Ihe exclusion ot he knows lhat if you leave i Bolh are extremists, alone, you will not leave them as duslrially-i elated units. Norwich Phe balanced man is neither program in this oera because thc-y are extremist! they are. If you leave a corn- they are ary i they a the liberal wants change though be is i The reaction- field alone, you do not have corn, to remain ns but if you leave a white you soon have a If you leave men fence black alone, fence. cnrned its i i The alone without vigilance and dis- "1'beral" is derived frorrncipline. you have either a rusted "liher" the ancient god of wine, man or a rotted man, for man and hence Ihe term originally decays more rapidly than and obviously impliH as modern history tion.

Shakesoeare evidently well demonstrates, that in nvnd when he wrote i Neither will the balanced man Henry I I I "when you are a lib- be a liberal who wants to make a be sure you are nnt loose." by scrapping eternal The reactionary has a cor- principles and ideals. He argues been defined as a man lhal unless you have a fixed point feet and nc-v; shies but of departure and a fixed goal, does not know how to walk: and you never know you are making a liberal 8 one ha. both any progress. How can an artisl feet firmly planted in mid-air. know he is making progress in if every time he looks the opening of the hospital, Jerry Kromer joined its staff and initiated a program of occupational therapy of his own invention.

Fifty-six years ago when he did this, occupational therapists were virtually non-existent, and the first school of occupational therapy was not founded until some years later, he Mr. Kromer began his OT pro'" gram by finding patients interesting and satisfying jobs that they could do in connection with the maintenance of the hospital. He discovered industrially related projects aplenty, many of which are still in operation today. He i in 1954 alter 53 years of employment at the hospital. To.

day this kindly senior citizen, who is over SO, does volunteer meal trays. The package when assembled a plastic knife, fork and ipoon, small envelopes of salt, icpper and sugar, and a single- erving envelope of Coffee-mate, "hese are then wrapped in a white paper napkin, and then ealed in celophane by passing hem ihrough a machine. These packages are put up by he American Sugar Refining ompany for Capitol International airways. Patterns also assemble similar packages, minus the apkin, knife, fork and spoon for THE REACTIONARY believes un from the canvas he finds a thai in lhe order different person sitting for revolution: the i br- portrait? a change demands thc. motoring for the Norwich Cancer society on a regular iched- in Russell building, which is (headquarters of lhe occupational renudial'on of the sacrnd and lh? THE LIBERAL of the last gen-1 therapy department, there legal.

"Rilly reactionary wears a green hat says: eration invoked liberalism to free now; economic activity from state con- Billy will wear a green hat in trol; the liberal of today invokes the summer, spring, a a i a i to extend control winter: when he is fourteen the ecenomic order. The when he is forty; he will wear liberal rebelled against taxa- to breakfast, i and i responsibility; the The liberal says: "No. style and new liberal wants the taxation as costs, conditions have changed: i a handout without responsibility. Billy a new head." The reaction-jln religion, the reactionaries ary a a r.lnrk. hut no lime; i a the rock without the keys; tho.

liberal wants the time, hut tne liberals want the keys with- no clock. The reactionary the rock but there are more numerous shops where patients are introduced to trades which some of them follow after their discharge, and where they render a helpful service to the hospital, substantially reducing in many instances its operation lievrs in staying where he believe a Christ gave though he never i i whether to Poter. ing's upholstery shop. he has a riRhl to he A miile ran a only in There also is a mattress shop liberal, on thn contrary, never directions cither riRht or lell. mattresses are re-stulfec Upholstery Done No furniture, lor example, is ever sent out for reupholstering.

Hospital divans, chairs, are reupholstered in a fessiona! style highly pro- Russell build- knows where he is Roing. he i i must be either onty sure he is on his way The or a liberal. But because we a reactionary reactionary, instead of ivorkingjhave a soul, (here is anolher di- towards an ideal stagnates; open to us, namely, lo- liheral, instead of i a God for Whom you were wards an ideal, changes a Let the unthinking squab- about what a grandson ought to believe, or what a grandfather ideal constantly and calls it "progress." There is a golden mean between the reactionary and tbc-Jwhat a godson believes because did believe, hut concentrate liberal. It avoids the reactionary born of the Spirit. Stamps in News --by Syd Kronisk cenlavos a i a styl ing a tll( carnaval de a I 11 nr f- rv I set of slamps by I a lhe hl'C of Chma- Thn new set consists of 'amps) depicting Chung a reports the Israel Phi-!" Pagoda, view of the A i a which a becoming i are turcd on a "Wildlife lion" a i Agency a and mountains of Yeh Liu The 12 agnrot shows i a i a Park, the Buddha slat 18 agorol Ihe lynx nnd the 0 i a Taiwan, Nalionn egorot Ihe dnrcas gazelle.

Palace Museum; Chile--illus Because of their a a a i a dove superimposed on and a a these nnd nihr-r a a i star; Ethiopia-wild a i sought''" 1 a emphasizing the history of Ihat country Pakistan has honored (he completion of the Mangla Dam by issuing a new stamp. The Mangla Dam forms (he major part of Ihe Indus Basin Project brought into being by lhe Indus Waters Treaty of 1350 between Pakistan and India following nine years of negotiation. by and trappers. To protect tht: a i a i i preservation laws a been by I a This new set of stamps was issued to help i i Ihe a These new Israeli slamps are available dealer. at your local a Ecuador has issued a set of seven slamps devoted to religious paintings in commemoration of the IV National Eucharistic Congress.

Ecuador also has issued a set of six stamps to iionnr the Mexican Olympics in 1065. Paintings by famous Mexican artists Orozco, Siqueiros and i a grace the stamps The highest four values are airmails. The International Tourist Year, brainchild of lhe United Nations, has become a subject for stamps of nearly every member nation. Here are some of lhe new Issues on 1TY: Brazil NEW LOCATION IRIDEPORT STAMT SHOP 2t Port OHIc. Phofl.

335-4401 Ttl. SIl-soil U.I. A SUmpi and Coin A PLAZA STAMP SHOP Al eONOKCif STRUT 111-1411 Veteran stamp collectors who specialize in documentary a are sad these days. The expiration on Jan. 1 of lhe eral law requiring tax slamps on real cslate transactions brought to an end more than a century of selling documenlary slamps by the Post Office Dep a and the Internal Revenue Service.

First issued in 1862 (o help raise revenue for the Civil War, documentary stamps are no longer required. These stamps, ranging In denominations from one cent to have been sold In all first and second class Post. Offices and smaller offices located in county seals for thc I a Revenue Service. The only revenue now derived will be from Ihe sale of these stamps (rom one philatelist to another, (APN) and recovered and new mat (resses are made by palicnls. Any hospital's mattress bill is a pretty expensive ilem in iU, budget.

Norwich hospital's expenditures for mattress upkeep is thus kept down to a minimum. There also is a shoe shop where patient's shoes are re paired, and any patient, if in terested, has an opportunity to learn cobbling, and even how to put lhe necessary plalforms on shoes lor orthopedic patients. Other Trades There are opportunities for pa tients to learn beauty parlor work in a well-equipped beauty salon. They may learn printing in the print shop which does a large volume of the hospital's printing, and where The Rellec tor. the patients' monthly mag ezine, is printed.

There are also mending, sewing, and many othe shops which serve the hospital's needs. In some instances, pa tienls are paid for their work, a feature which adds incentive ant interest lo their endeavors. Perhaps one of the most inler pslinfi induslrially-relalert shops i Norwich hospital's regional bak ery. Here patients learn culinary arts, their products serving no only Norwich hospital, but other state institutions such as the Uncas-on-Thames hospital in Nor wich, an institution for lar palicnls, the Mystic Ora School for the Deaf in Mystic and the Connecticut State Farm for Women and the State Prison for Women at Niantic. The food at all of Connecticut's mental health institutions, by the way, is very good, but the Norwich hospital serves the bes( meals ol til to its patients Hnc staff members.

This is partly be cause of the delicious bread, rolls and pastry prepared at the hospital's regional bakery. The bread iti certainly as good, If not better, than the kind used to bake. An outgrowth of the industrially-related occupational therapy acUvilies which Mr. Kromer so long ago pioneered in Is called "Project Return." The lelters r-e-t-u-r-n stand for "reaching employes to utilize rehabilitated neighbors." Paid for Work Patients work rapidly and ef- iciently and gain much satis action out of the remuneration hey get from this employment which nets them $20 a week. The Christmas work which lents were employed to do for Artistic Wire was completed a number of weeks ago, and soon they will be making Easter novelties.

The Christmas items are most attractive. Little white wire has tets, barrows and flower vagons of while wire about a quarler of an inch in diameter are lined with styrofoam by the patients, who then fill them with artificial poinsettias and Christmas greens, all materials being 'urnished by Artistic Wire. Salaries of both of these Proj ect Return concerns are paid in one lump sum to the hospital, which takes care of the patients' payroll. "Probably no other of the 297 mental health hospitals in the United States has a larger stalf of workers in its occupational department than does Norwich hospital. has a staff of 30," said Richard J.

Miller, OT, who is the director of Norwich hospital's occupational therapy department. In addition to the director, there is an assistant director, Marion W. Easton, OT, an administrative assistant, Charles E. Harrington, who is in charge of business affairs, and a recre- American Sugar i i SOLUTION ation director, Marjorie brooks. The Central, Southeast anc Northeast units, the Day center, the Geriatric Admission and Intensive Treatment unit, the Alcoholic unit, arc all staffed with occupational therapists, who di rcct OT work in each of these units, thus supplementing the OT work that goes on in Russel Building.

The hospital's educational units include workshops in ceramics, fine arts, economics, graphic mu.sic, arts, home nc.eolecraft printing and many other pur sulls. Patients derive a small mone lary recompense from work in these educational units, because once a year shortly before Christmas, an a a sale is helc at which there wares are sold. Mrs. Jean Matsen is director of volunteer services for Nor wich hospital with headquarters in Kettle Building, named for Di Ronald 11. Kettle, who was si perintendent of the hospital from 1848 unlil 19fi6 when he was sue cceded by Dr.

Martin. At present, Mrs. Mat-sen re ported, there are 250 at Norwich hospital, 45 of whorr come in regularly every week "We could use twice inn' number and wish we had she said, "For inslance, we would like additional hostesses who would be on call lor bingo games and various other entertainment events. We also neet volunteers for our tecnnge pro gram. We have entertainments in the evening which our young er patients greatly enjoy, but we sometimes are short of volunteers who'could help us great ly in running these affairs, ant help us (o give our paiients, who are from 16 to years ol age, more enjoyable evenings." Regular volunteers who come lo the hospital perform many services that the regular a of nurses and psychiatric aides with their many duties simply don't have time for, Mrs.

Matsen pointed out. They visit with patients, read to and write lelters for them. They take patients for automobile rides, walks and and some- limes on shopping expeditions. They also run hospital errands ond perform ward clerk and ether clerical duties. Among the most popular volunteer groups which work with patients is the Montville Junior Chamber of Commerce.

This organization was instrumental establishing Jaycce club at the hospital comprised of mate jatlents under 35 years of isge. Perhaps Norwich hospital is the only menial hospital In existence which has a Jaycee club of mental patients. Problem of Distance One of the chief blocks In recruiting the a Open All Winter A Sunday Post Feature by Al Mathcwson High above the snow-covered ground, these bird-feeders stand with their stock ot food JejUhered creatures who gtay north through the Winter. 1945. ucrnians vno werejt i even born then are marrying! 03 5 a their foreign and a i children of their own;" 01 60 TM- now, and to them the Yanks are; as much a part of the landscape as the castles on lhe Rhine.

Enemy Is Close While most servicemen sla- oulside Vietnam escape the hardships and hazards of a shooting war, spots like of volunteers wanted. Mrs. Matsen pointed oul, is that the largest city served by the hospital, Hartford, is 50-odd miles away. coming from this distance have to spend three hours on the road, in addition lo the time they spend at the hospital. Because Middletown is so much nearer Hartford, many Hartford volumeers go lo the Connecticut Valley hospital, even though the Norwich hospital serves their Time for Living --bu Rogers Franklin Retirement Counselor Thought on the New Year and the Old I've just been doing what comes naturally at New 'ear's.

The recent opening of You 'ye probably thinking "Me too" because we all new Route 2 bridge which cross- kn we re supposed to take stock of ourselves aa Dees the Thames river practical- cember into January. But I have a special problem Iv nt nf 0 my ade. Anyone who writes a newspaper column covers a lot ground in 12 months, and it behooves him to read through his back file, noting how many of his efforts seem good, or not so good, or so-so, the second ly at the doorstep of the hospital, makes its location more accessible lo Ihe outlying areas which it serves. This leads Mrs. Matsen to hope thai improved travel conditions will make possible an increase in the number of volunteers.

It also gives hope lo Mrs. Elinor Riden, director of nursing, who sometimes has to struggle to keep up her quota of nurses and psychiatric aides, One of her best sources of sup- near time around. Fortunately I have assistant don't mind giving me their of effort." own opinions about my work- readers who write to me abou columns that interest Ihem for one reason or anolher. Inspect ing the sheaf of letters from find that I learned something a earne IlL a fom each of them. river.

A number of the wives of the Navy men stationed there are registered nurses, some of whom have joined the hospital's nursing staff. Students Help She also gets help from students from Northeastern university who come to Norwich hos pital for a "work-study" program, and from student nurses who come to the hospital for similar training from (he New England Deaconess hospital Boston, Christmas is always a big i for celebration at Norwich hospital. Back in October an appeal was circulated throughout the area soliciting Yuletide gifts for patients, and containing a long list of gifts desired for bolh men and women. "The time is here when we are asking you to share lhe glow of Christmas with M7 mentally ill patients at the Norwich hospital," the letter began. "Many of these patients will spend Christmas Day here at the hospital far from their loved ones, and often with no one to remind them of the except for the gifts which you provide." Response Is Great Each year, the response this appeal is really tremendous For example, automobile loads if gifts are brought up annual- from Clinton some 40 miles away, a town which is on Ihe extreme edge of the area served by the hospital.

(Gifis, as of fact, are conlribuled rom all over eastern Connecticut.) A perusal of The Reflector, latients' magazine, leads one conclude that Norwich hospi- al is generally liked by Its pa- A recent issue contained one H's hard to choose from so many examples. But here's one thai slicks in my memory. The column was about hnw to use our time to the best advantage. I made the point that time is like income, except that the amount never varies, is the same for everybody, and has to be spent as it arrives. Since It can't be hoarded, the only point is to spend it wisely.

"Many books have been written about a fixed financial income," I noted, "f'd like to see some one write a book aboul how to live on 24 hours a day." WELL, two readers who noticed this column took the trouble to give me their reactions. MJss Ruth V. Lord of Rocky Hill, wrote in part as follows. "Your Sermon for the Day on the spending of time Is priceless and it shall have a spot in my scrapbook for ready reference. I may find use for It in teaching piano pupils, or who can tell how otherwise, perhaps palient's glowing account of a visit to the Danbury State (air, where a busload of patients spent an exciting day.

Another article described a band festival held on the hospital's ath- clic field, when young peoples' lands from a number of nearby communilies gave a rousing performance. Still anolher conlribiitor, writ ng on life at the hospital, said. 'I have been here at the hospi- for eight years. In that time 've done many things. I have worked in the canteen and In OT and I liked both jobs very much.

They are interesting and constructive. Everybody is nice me and I appreciate it." for a spur to my own slackening That's a nice compliment, Miss Lord, for which I'm grateful. Makes me feel that churning out words every week really is worthwhile. The second lelter, James M. Coltingham, of Topeka, Kansas, was brief and to the point: "Thought you might be inter- esled in reading the book titled 'Jfow to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a referred to in your column which recently appeared in the Topeka Daily Capital.

"The book with the same title was written by Arnold Bennett published by Doubleday and Com pany, and was copyrighted in 1910. "We enjoy your column." Mr. Coltingham's letter leaves me with mixed emotions. Should feel pleased that my thought paralleled that of a great writer? Or should I feel apologetic about my Ignorance of his book? THAT'S a real dilemma for a looking back at whst he did in the old year, and forward to the things he'd like to do In the coming year. I'd certainly like to be sure of not making a gaff like that In 1968.

But to err is human, as the man said when he reached for garden hose and found It was rattlesnake. One thing is certain--I'm happy hat Arnold Bennett's volume was brought to my attention. My second-hand bookseller found a capy, and I've been reading it with great interest. Whatever I said on the wisest use of time, he says much better. And he comes up with a number of good ideas that never occurred to me.

This is one piece at literature Uiat I'll keep re- urning to in the future, and I mve no hesitation in rtcommend- ng it to you. Jn fact, I've decided to devote a column to It. That's one New Year's resolution i intend to keep. 500,000 GIs Man Stations Overseas (Continued from Page C-Tliree) in Europe at a cost estimated by the Pentagon at J2.6 billion for last year. The number in Europe has varied i from year to year because the administration feels the men are needed as counterweights in a touchy balance of international States ttarts military power.

If the United pullinj men off its side of (he "we can expect some pressure or probe, political or military, from the Soviet Un- louched oil a scuffle In Ankara, Turkey, when two young servicemen cooked bacon on their apartment balcony. The reached the nose and offended the Moslem bilities of the man upstairs: )u i asked them to stop (looking the "unclean" meat and then poured a pot of Water over the edge of his balcony to douse the i symbolic ol the way Turkish-American relations 'have bsen Relations Worwtllng was a small Incident but ion." Secretary of Defense Rob-1 worsening, ert S. McNamara totd Congress! U.S. officials in Turkey adnjlt want to "cut our prollle" this session. Congressional critics refuse to believe the situation is that tense.

They say other members of the North Atlantic Trealy Organization are showing less con- --become less conspicuous--and are quietly going about it. Although the population as a whole cannot be said to be anti-American, virtually all of cent the Communists best known' each year. painters, writers and other in- Seeks Reduction tellectuals want the Americans rope. other members want lo let it go to pol that's their business," said Senate Democratic Mansfield, who has sponsored a resolution calling for a "substantial reduction" (he troop levels In Eu- majority leader advocates a withdrawal over the next seven years of virtually all U.S. servicemen in Europe, leaving behind only some 5.500 In West Berlin and as many as are needed to operate 6th Fleet headquarters in Naples.

"Thai ought lo be enough lo show the earnestness of our Intentions," he said in an interview. "I can't understand our government's policy, nor can I understand a of the West Euro- out. A U.S. Army officer -who spent two years in Turkey In the a 1950s finds the young Turkish officers "surly and uncooperative" now that he's back tor a second tour. The American Image is at lew ebb in Turkey but scores of Associated Press I i showed that in most other parts of the world "Yankee Go Home" fs pretty much out of style, kept alive only by the weaker political parties and their soapbox newspapers.

Need the Money Okinawans would like to ttt the 50.000 American servicemen leave but they need the money. Even being reunited wllh Ja- 1 1 1 5 wo uld not cure the dam- Germany, in allowing our troop! lo me economy that would to remain there all this time." be wrought by an American de- Americans a been garrisoned in West Germany since Germans who weren't a Many times It's silfiply' the spending power of the Ameri- Korea and Berlin, an armed and enemy is only a 'ew yards or miles away. "More than 30 GIs have been tilled in less thin a year here," said Army Spec. 4 John M. Iverson of Lake keeping watch over the chill no-man's and between North and South Korea.

A common complaint among 50,000 men in Korea Is that those serving up near the not-always-peaceful truce line don't combat pay, a t65-a-month 'ringe benefit reserved exclusively for men In Vietnam. But getting shot at is a rare experience for most American men overseas. A far more real problem for tha young, single men is fighting boredom, filling Lhe evenings--and finding girls. In Japan it's a snap. The girls often come looking (or you--by airplane yet.

Advertise Girls They hop from city to cily by air to reinforce the local pool of jar hostesses when the comes in. This kind of gogetter spirit Justifies the joints in Yok- usuka in advertising: "Plenty friendly girl, cheap beer, come on in, sailor." And come fn they do, for the drink, for the girl, sometimes for since 1954 because she can't outbid the Americans, Senora Merino said. Because of the money gap, a good neighbor program started by American service wives on Okinawa a few years ago quickly went sour. Taken on a tour of base housing, Okinawan women were offended rather than grateful for this peek at how U.S. wives lived.

Adjusting to the local ard of living Is fight It would help, said Mayor Walter Sommer of Kaiserslautern--home to an American community totaling 60.000, including wives and children--if American soldiers ran through their pay quicker. "The only solution," he said, "is not to give the young soldiers so much money. We have French troops here as well, and they are very well behaved, not because they are better than the Americans but because they have less money. "Give the young soldiers half and put the rest in the bank in the United States." tunng American servicemen Charles de Chateauroux, ESS is the made-m-USA co- i 'I twhlch Am often exist. At some polls everything from housing and schools to shopping facilities and theaters rw nd with the culture of the host country Is almost nonexistent.

This has advantages, 1 CU8tom TMh rh ty1 Ving rub each other the wrong way. A thing like waihlng the car on Sunday can upset the local populace if you're stationed in Brussum, Holland. As deep- dyed conservative Roman Cath- olfor, the of Brtissum to thtt "My only complaint about the said Mary Muz Merino, a Spanish housewife, "is that they robbed us of our maids and our servants when first came to Spain by of- ing them up (o 10 times more mey than they were making." She has been without a maid In the i ar East Man young'wives a way fr home or first "me find the flimsy streets and general lack conveniences an ordeal. But in the choicer spots In Europe, Americans who settle In foreign neighborhoods often get to like it and wouldn't move onto the base for anything. If for no other reason, they say, it's better because it permits warmer and deeper friendships.

It helps to be having a baby. Dorothy Rodriguez, Patasku- la, Ohio, girl who accompanied her Air Force husband to Spain, found the Spaniards get all mu- "hy about expectant mothers. "When it was time for my baby to be bom," she said, "all lhe neighbors used to lean out lhe windows or balconies whenever I went outside to ask if I was going lo lhe hospital. "And when the baby finally was born I was just showered with little gifts. The Spanish women a been Just great." amateur championship.

And then there were the two Army dentists In Heidelberg In archeology In time. Three years of rooting around the foundations when their tours ln evel money flows freelv good works Includes icholar noncommissioned club famed throughout the Air Force for luwlousneiV hi. a finger In many of SB base-'! charitable aclivltiies Sometimes, he says efforts to slay on the good side th anese get an assist from expect! I quarter as when Chma 'sudd Jomed of a clear club "They warmed uo when Chinese busted Uiat nuke" Nt! colettl said. who attitude of 'Buy you7tr radio, Yankee, and home' seemed suddenly to ad a philosophy of -filry ymir tran.