Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THF NRWRKRRY SUN. VEWBERRY. N. C. Washington Di9CSt^ Public Health Bill Faces Tough Battle in Congress By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator. WASHINGTON.—The dim roar of an approaching battle in congress is being heard over the horizon. The struggle will concern S.1320, the national health insurance and public health bill. This measure was opposed in the last session by an organization formed by the American Medical association which turned out to be, in terms of dollars spent, the biggest lobby in Washington, and that is a record. * Why does the oppose the bill? edical association BAU&HAGE Supporters of the legislation say be cause the major ity of the doctors, like the majority of the people in the country don’t understand it. Many doctors think it would foul up their practice of medicine with politics. Many also say it would de stroy normal pa tient-physician re lations because the patient would have to take what mddical treatment he could get on an assembly-line basis. This latter assumption is based on a misappre hension of what is actually^! the bill which I’ll mention later. The former charge is a predic tion and can’t be answered categor ically. I can understand it. When I was in college, I got a summer job on the Chautauqua daily. Chautau qua is a pretty big summer commu nity, and health is important. A young medical student friend of mine whose father had a pull got the job of inspecting cowbarns of farm ers supplying milk to Chautauqua. I made the rounds with him once. Re examined the bovine living con ditions thoroughly and some were pretty vile. He made notes and put them in a report recommending that purchases from a particular farmer be suspended until the bams were •leaned up. What happened? He got a •harp call-down from his supe rior. After that, inspection con sisted in opening cow-barn doors, holding the nose, and looking the other way. That happened many years ago, and I have heard that Chautauqua pounty is noted for its model dairies. But there is always a lurking sus picion that when a politician puts his Anger in the pie it turns sour. The only specific answer to this charge of politics that I have dis covered is one offered in a pamphlet gotten out by the Federation of Women’s Clubs which says: “the plan allows. for the representation of the people paying for it.” Perhaps a better answer lies in the fact that the American Federa tion of Labor and the CIO, both of whose leaders know just about as much about how politically-con trolled institutions operate as any organization heads in the country, favor the bill. It has been supported by many individual doctors and by tbe Physicians Forum, and the Committee of Physicians for the Improvement of Medical Care. But what is “it,” this national health insurance bill? Are you fa miliar with its purpose, what it pro poses to do and how it proposes to do it? Let’s go back. What was the most shocking revelation in the World War II draft statistics? I’d be will ing to bet the thing that most pain fully surprised the whole country was that one-third of our youth of military age was unhealthy. Out of fifteen million regis trants, five million were re jected for physical or mental disabilities. Kural residents as a group were even less healthy. Forty-one out of each 100 rural registrants were turned down as 4-Fs. It had been just the op posite in World War I when farmers entdistanced city folk in good health. From these figures, we suddenly discovered that the American youth wasn’t such a hale and hearty in dividual as we had thought. Later, as you may not know, we learned that 325,000 Americans die every year who could be saved with prop er medical care. About twenty per cent of our peo ple can afford all the medical care they need. Half our families—those with an income of $3,000 a year or less— find it hard, if not impossible—to pay for even routine medical care. Thirty per cent of our fami lies in the $3,000 to 45,000-a- year bracket would have to go into debt or make other sacri fices to meet the cost of severe or chronic illness. So you can see why America is twenty-three per cent unhealthy. From the beginning Americans have believed that sound minds are the responsibility of the state, hence the public school system. A sound mind isn’t much good in an unsound body. So, say the supporters of the national health insurance bill, it is logical and thoroughly in keeping with American principles to tax ev erybody so that everybody can get medical care. They argue that free dom from persecution by germs is as much the business of the wholi people as freedom from persecv tion, censorship, or any of the othei restrictions our ancestors came to America to avoid. I won’t go into the history of the bill. It was written after years of study, six years of public hearings before congressional committees. Those who have opposed the meas ure have made their chief argument a contention that it would be anoth er step toward a socialized state, that it would indeed socialize the medical profession. On point one, the supporters say truthfully “that argument was once - raised against the public schools, city water-works, municipal sewage systems, electric light and power plants, which are now accepted as a matter of course.” Under the national health insur ance bill, the federal government would collect the money and man age it along with the social security fund which it does now, disburse it to the states for the services ren dered by the doctors and approve of the various state set-ups. The actual arrangements for the services of the doctors who would go right on with their private practices as well if they wanted to, would be made be tween doctor and patient. The patient, unless his family doc tor refused to join up, would have his services just the same, only they would be free. The doctor wouldn’t have to accept any patient he didn’t want. Part of the money would go to the states for research, medical education ana various preventive services. How much would it cost? One and one-half per cent of your earnings up to $3,600 which your employer would match. If you are self-employed, you would pay three per cent up to $3,600 of your own earnings. And that, say the bill’s proponents is no more than you pay now (on the average) to a voluntary group health agency if you belong to one and it's less than you would pay to a private physician. Physicians’ rates and mode of payment will be established by the vote of the majority of the physi cians in the given area or locality. Since the worst shortage of doctors is in rural areas, it is expected that with assurance of adequate pay through the na tional insurance fund, more physicians will be attracted to those areas. Also the fund will help to expand local public health services, rural hospital and ambulance service. Aside from the poorer health in farm communities, maternal mor tality is higher and, as every farm er knows, accidents are high. There are 54 deaths per 100,000 population on farms, only 20 per 100,000 in in dustry. In the controversy over this meas ure both sides point to the experi ence of other countries. They claim the national insurance system was inaugurated in Germany in 1883. One American Medical association member says medical care declined under it. He probably knows more about it than I, but the statement was certainly a surprise. Similar complaints have been made against a similar plan which has just been inaugurated in Bri tain. But a recent poll taken in-Eng land says 91 per cent of the physi cians have joined up which would seem to show they approved of the way it works even if they opposed it in the beginning. And the people voted it the most popular measure passed by the present government. The British Medical association did not oppose the bill as a whole but fought against certain portions, par ticularly those which they thought might make them “servants of the state.” These facts I have checked as nearly as I can and I do not believe they will be disputed. As to the opin ions, they remain as such. And you can’t look into the future. From what I can learn, the supporters of the bill believe that it will be one of the first introduced in the new con gress, that it will reach the floor by February and that the chances for its passage are good. • • • Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwy- ! mdrobwllllantysiliogogogocb is said by the National Geographic Soci ety to be the longest place-name in the world. But it’s no good for a cross-word puzzle. • • • Coconut chips are now available in five-ounce tins. They may be used as snacks for bridge parties, but the red, white and blue ones still will be preferred for poker. • • • You’ll never find a sandpiper and a fiddler crab playing in tha same orchestra. FASHIONABLE . . . Mrs. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt was selected as one of the 10 best-dressed women of 1948 in a poll conduct ed among fashion designers by the New York Dress Institute. HUNGARIAN OATH Istavan Dobi, a leader of the Small Holders party of Hungary, is shown as he took the oath of office as prime minister of Hungary. He succeeded Lajos Dinnyes. r SOG , oftHtRS! DOG , XM5l22£BS r B«J [ 1 o-,,. . t itww* MAtssig i ‘Wiwi'i reufnmjn <— CARDINAL HELD ON TREASON CHARGE . . . Accused in an official government communique of "espionage, treason, black market cur rency deals” and of “seeking to overthrow the democratic govern ment of Hungary,” Josef Cardinal Mindszenty, Roman Catholic primate of Hungary, has been arrested by tbe Communist-dominated govern ment. Ironically, tbe 56-year-old cardinal also was arrested by the Nazis in 1944 for seeking to promote democracy. , J- I* —w PONTIFF RECEIVES U. S. UNDERSECRETARY . . . Pope Pius Is shown conversing in the Vatican with George Allen, U. S. undersecre- .ary of state, during the latter’s visit to Rome while en route to a conference of the United Nations Economic, Cultural and Social organization. The pontiff gave Alien a private audience in order to discuss matters pertinent to UNESCO, MEANEST YET . . . Gretchen, sad-eyed dachshund owned by Allen Boyer of Chicago, views sign warning of pet poisoners. Her two canine playmates died after eating meat containing ground glass. STUBBORN . . . For violation of Canada’s liquor act, Vancouver police padlocked Aladion Fan- ini’s home. He refused to leave the premises when he was told the windows would be ham mered shut if he did. Said Fan- ini: “I gotta lotsa birdseed for my canaries. I stay inside for six months.” FREE INDIA’S FIRST NATIONAL CONGRESS . . . With the nation al flag of the Dominion of India being carried by one of the riders, a huge elephant leads the procession that marked the opening of the 55th session of tbe Indian national congress at Jaipur. This congress is unique, however, in that it is the first to be held since India won its independence. > c PEACE MARK . . . Genevieve A. Irish of Burlington, Vt., exhibits book mark that was gift of Pres ident and Mrs. Truman to White House staffers. Inscription is: "I would rather have peace in the world than be President.” FRAN CO-ITALIAN RAPPROCHEMENT—OR SHAKE . . . Robert Sc hu man (left), French foreign minister, and Count Carlo Sforza, foreign minister of Italy, prepare for a jovial handshake as they meet at Cannes, French Riviera, for a little International chit-chat. They talked over problems common to both their countries, principally the threat of communism. Both have struck telling blows against communism in their nations* governments. Blast at Marshall A LTHOUGH the state department tried to throw a monkey wrench ir> his typewriter, Maj. Gen. Claire Chennault of the famed Fly ing Tigers lias defiantly gone ahead with his memoirs. Now he is ready to set the match to a literary ex plosion that will rattle the windows inside Secretary of State Marshall’s office. The China ace tells his own story as he lived it—shooting from the hip. Summing up Marshall’s mis sion to China in his unpublished memoirs, Chennault observes sour ly: "Net result of the 15-month Marshall mission to China was the rescue of Chinese Commu nists from military disaster, blunting the offensive edge of the generalissimo’s armies, and setting the stage for the Communist offensives of 1947 that netted them most of Man churia and a large part of north China.” Chennault charges that Marshall gave safe conduct to half a mil lion Communist troops to slip out of a Nationalist trap through Kal- gan pass. Later these same troops sealed up the pass in violation of their safe-conduct pact, then came back with Japanese arms to wrest . Manchuria away from Chiang Kai- shek. These arms were taken from Rus sian stockpiles, Chennault claims, yet Marshall’s arms embargo cut ol'f American supplies from the Nationalist armies. Since all their equipment was American, they couldn’t use it without American replacements. “Marshall has learned consider ably more about Communist tac- 1 tics since his China days,” blasts Chennault, “But he has never candidly acknowledged his mistakes in China or made any attempt to j rectify them.” Marshall’s Distrust Chennault gives a clue to his bit ter feelings against Marshall in dis cussing their early relationship. Marshall believed the Flying Tigers chief was disloyal to the late Gen. “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell, then in command of the China theater. Marshall also thought Chen nault had failed in east China, and even doubted his personal honesty. Once Marshall stated flatly that he would never ap prove another promotion or dec oration for Chennault. Chennault points out in his un published memoirs that the Rus sians have watched their German neighbors go down to defeat twice in two-front wars, and have care fully avoided the same pitfall. While Germany was menacing her western flank, Russia kept out of open war with Japan even though pitched battles were fought along the Manchurian border. Russia was also wary of taking on an exhausted Japan in 1945 until victory over Germany was complete. World Government "As a practicing warrior for many years,” concludes Chennault, “I am convinced that war is com pletely futile. It settles only the problems of the past and creates new problems for the future. There is no place in the world today for the narrow, competitive national ism that sparks the tinder of war. My experience as an airman has taught me the puniness of the elab orate, artificially erected, man made borders of political states. "1 am convinced that the peo ple of this planet must move inevitably toward a single form of world government if civiliza tion is to survive. It is our task now to see that this world gov ernment comes as a mntual fed eration of free peoples rather than through the ruthless dom ination of a master slave state.” NOTE: In his memoirs, Chen nault also blasted the tough hide of “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell, called him the "best four-star battalion com mander in the army.” (A battalion normally is commanded by a ma jor.) Stilwell, according to Chen nault, used 1917 tactics to fight war in the 1940s. Cabinet Christmas Secretary of State George Mar shall spent Christmas at Walter Reed hospital, recuperating from a kidney operation. Defense Sec retary James Forrestal went to Hobe Sound, Florida Air Sec retary Stuart Symington and Vice President-elect Barkley ate their turkey with the airlift pilots in Germany. . . . Army Secretary Kenneth Royall was in Berlin with the ground forces. . . . Treasury Boss John Snyder, Mrs. Snyder and daughter Drucie were in St. Louis. . . . Commerce Chief Charles Saw yer, his wife and five children spent the holiday at home in Cincinnati. . . . The Tom Clarks put in their usual busy day carrying cheer to underprivileged children. The at torney general paid his annual Christmas call at the National Training School for Boys, while Mrs. Clark carried gifts from jus tice department personnel to the Capital’s receiving home for chil dren. COLLEGE AND BIG BUSINESS A congressional committee re ports that American colleges are partners in real estate projects, chain restaurants, mail order houses, department stores, gas sta tions and many other enterprises. One practically owns and operates ■ spaghetti plant and piston ring factory. Another has money invest ed in a Limoges china and leather industry. One of the biggest univer sities has apartment house, office building and Radio City Center projects running into millions. • Our colleges have to invest their endowment funds some way ana it is perfectly legitimate to do what they have been doing, but the charge is made that, since the in come of educational institutions is exempt from taxes, the colleges are in unfair competition with business men and cost Uncle Sam millions in taxes every year. * About that we wouldn’t know too much, but it is disconcert ing to a man to find that the little lady he has been So tender ly calling Alma Mater is an in dustrial tycoon, a member of a dozen boards of directors and maybe a top distributor of po tato chips, catsup, auto tires and lubricating oils. / Can it be that Alma, instead of being the dignified and handsome gal carved in marble on the lovely campus, should be pictured with a prematurely bald head, a counting- room twitch and a strictly business look? Instead of a sweet and alool lady interested mostly in the arts and sciences, is she a holding cor poration, an inner tube manufac turer and a promoter of chain lunch rooms? Don’t tell us that Dean Dumplin .and Professor Highforrid have in truth been responsible for the kid’s education but that the spaghetti, mustard, orange drink and real es tate businesses have been a big help, too. _* Down there on the gridiron is It possible that the lads have been giving their all for dear old Schlotz, Brown, Hailock A Whiffle, Inc., the Cronkhite Doughnut Machine corporation and the Grand Union Radio Ornament Industry? Is it possi ble that the old grads should sing it “For Siwanikosh, for.. Country and for Whooziss’ Re frigerators”? . 9 These are disillusioning times. We like to think of the faculty worrying only over a student’s progress in philosophy, literature, Greek and mathematics, and never in an all-day conference over whether to put a few hundred grand into a department store, a row of de luxe apartment houses or a new tooth-powder idea. m Of course it costs money to run universities. All those funds have to be invested where the return will be good. But we hope the paper isn’t delivered the night the news comes out that L.ttle Lester has haa to be withdrawn from college be cause his old man couldn’t keep him in and at the same time pay the rent, food and clothing bills sent in by the college’s business affiliations. « * • The Nationalized Pub England ia| considering national ization of the pubs (bars atid taverns to you). Government operation of hangovers is something new. But it is a further indication of how far the idea of state control of every thing, up to and including the dark brown taste and the morning after, is going. • For generations, it would have been thought far below the dignity of any government to run a saloon and put itself in the position of re plying to unceasing orders of “make mine the same, Joe.” But today a proposal that the state operate pool- rooms, bowling alleys and men’s smokers would hardly astonish any body. * Just the same, we hate to think of any sovereign state be coming a combination saloon keeper, bartender and bouncer. It isn’t going to be nice when the folks take to blaming bad Mickey Finns on bureaucracy or demanding a change of adminis tration on account of what seems to be a government im posed headache. • • * VANISHING AMERICANISMS ' “Let’s all chip in 50 cents and make the present something good.” * “The gentleman wants everybody in the place to have a drink on him.” • You can’t do that, it’s against the law.” m m m We are all for the two-million- dollar fund for musicians’ welfare, but hope it won’t offer too much en couragement to the guy upstairs wh« Is taking saxaphone lessons. CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT AUTOS, TRUCKS & ACCESS. For Sale—IMS Ford Trask, 8.W.B., Stake body, extra tire, radiator shield, heater, 6.508 actual miles. Original owner. Prac tically new. J. L WASHINGTON. F. O. Be* 75, Aone 1418M, Orantebarg, 8. C. BUSINESS A INVEST. OPPO*. MONEY IS BEING MADE in outdoor thea tres. Let us help you build and equip your*. Cost: will amaze you. Don’t delay! WILSON-MOOBE ENTERPRISES, Uo. P. O. Box ?034 - Atlanta 1, Ga. ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT POWER UNIT—Electric. 110-volt A cur- rent, 3,000 Watts, Onan generator with 2 cyL water cooled engine practically new with spare parts kit $275. - - Sharon, S. C. spare ^ J. J. HILL HELP WANTED—MEN HOUSE TO HOUSE SALESMEN Make 50% selling New-Molene, Dr. Hollands old fashioned ir.utton suet rub for colds. Send 25c for cample and particular j. UNIVERSAL REMEDIES CO., CordoU, Qa. MISCELLANEOUS DIESEL FOR SAW MILLS: reconditioned “ ‘75 h. JK. Also am international model U-Zl, $7W 12 months; SIMMONS DIESEL A EQUIP MENT CO., Dial 7121, Walterbora, 8. C. ORANGES, tree cash with order. ZIMMERMAN, ~ ORANGES ee ripened, $1.50 per bushel, •der. Express collect. A. W. , Box 251, Pinecastle, Fla. SEE TOUR ELECTRIC LIGHT CORD in the dark with Luminous plastic Pull whiclr glows in the dark. Satisfaction or m back. Mail 15c for one; 7 for $1.00. * FURMAN 943 Edgewood - Trenton, New J* mon @ 10c~lb. C %creen wire, galvanized, 30' 32" and 36' rolls @ 7c square foot. C. A W. HARDWARE CO. Hawkinsville, Ga. rheme in. Buy U. S. Savings Bonds! Get Well QUICKER From Your Counts Duo to a Cold FOLEY’SiSc££ ALL-VEGETABLE r LAXATIVE NATURE’S REMEDY (NR) TAB- LETS—A purely yegetable loxtriv* to relieve constipation without the usual griping, sickening, perturbing icnsa- tions, and does not cause a rash. Try NR—you will see the difference. Un coated or candy coated—their acdoo is depdhdable, thorough, yet gentle aa millions of NR’a have proved. Get a 25c box and use as directed. WIG-NIGHT ,C *UMo!rr'" FUSSY STOMACH? RELIEF FOR AGIO INDIGESTION,j; GAS AND HEARTBURN' mm THE TUMMY! I IS ASPIRIN AT ITS BEST Beware Coughs From Common folds That HANG OH Creomulsion relieves promptly because it goes right to the seat of the trouble to help loosen and expel germ laden phlegm and aid nature to soothe and heal raw, tender, inflamed bronchial mucous membranes. Tell your druggist to sell you a bottle of Creomulsion with the understanding you must like the way it quickly allays the cough or you are to have your money bade. CREOMULSION for Coughs,ChestColds.BronchiHs WNU—7 02—49 HIGH-SCHOOL GRADUATES! NURSING IS A PROUD PROFESSION! — many opportunities for graduates In fine hospitals, public health, etc. — leads to R. N. — a well-prepared nurse need never ba without a job or an income. — open to girls under 35, high-school graduates and college girls. ^—ask for more information at the hospital where yon would like to enter nursing. | COMMUNITY BOOSTER Our home-town pa per is the best ad vertisement for our community. Sup port it and help