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Show UINTAH BASIN RECORD, DUCHESNE, UTAH WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS Public Health Bill Faces Tough Battle in Congress Truman Asserts Red Aims Split As Some Leaders Desire Accord; Dutch Firm on Indonesian Stand (EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions are expressed In these column, they are those of Western Newspaper Unions news analysts and not necessarily e( this newspaper.) By BAUKIIAGE Sews Analyst and Commentator. The dim roar of an approaching battle COLD WAR: WASHINGTON. over the horizon. The struggle will Someone heard in congresses being Tiring concern S.1320, the national health insurance and public If Harry S. Truman were right, health bill. war with Russia In the last session by an organization then possibility of measure was This opposed 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 medical association the bill? Supporters of the be-- 1 I 1 legislation say cause the major-- f ity of the doctors, like the majority of the people in the country dont understand it. Many doctors think it would foul up their practice of medicine with politics. Many also say it would destroy normal patien- t-physician lations re- because the patient would have to take what medical treatment he could get on an assembly-lin- e basis. This latter assumption is based on a misapprehension of what is actually in the bill which Ill mention later. The former charge is a prediction and cant be answered categorically. I can understand it. When I was in college, I got a summer job on the Chautauqua daily. Chautauqua is a pretty big summer community, and health is important. A young medical student friend of mine whose father had a pull got the job of Inspecting cowbams of farmers supplying milk to Chautauqua. I made the rounds with him once. He examined the bovine living conditions 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 barns were cleaned up. What happened? lie got a n from his supesharp rior. After that, Inspection consisted in opening cow-bar- n doors, holding the nose, and looking the other way. That happened many years ago, and I have heard that Chautauqua county is noted for its model dairies. But there is always a lurking suspicion that when a politician puts his finger in the pie it turns sour. The only specific answer to this charge of politics that I have discovered is one offered in a pamphlet gotten out by the Federation of Womens 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 Federation of Labor and the CIO, both of whose leaders know just about as much about how politically-controlle- d Institutions operate as any organization heads in the country, favor the bill. It has been supported by many individual doctors and by the Physicians Forum, and the Committee of Physicians for the Improvement of Medical Care. But what is it," this national health insurance bill? Are you familiar with its purpose, what it proposes to do and how it proposes to do it? Lets go back. What was the most shocking revelation in the World War II draft statistics? I'd be willing to bet the thing that most painfully surprised the whole country of our youth of was that military age was unhealthy. Out of fifteen million registrants, five million were re-J-e ted for physical or mental disabilities. Kural residents as a group were even less healthy. out of each 100 rural Forty-on- e re;istrants were turned down as It had been Just the opposite in World War I when farmers outdistanced city folk in good health. From these figures, we suddenly discovered that the American youth wasn't such a hale and hearty individual as we had thought. Later, as you may not know, we learned that 325,000 Americans die every year who could be saved with proper medical care. About twenty per cent of our people 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 families in the $3,000 to $5,000--yea- r bracket would have to go into debt or make other aarrl-f- ii es to meet the cost of severe or chronic Illness. So you can see why America Is twenty-threper 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 so that everybody can get medical care. They argue that freedom from persecution by germs is call-dow- one-thir- 4-- e d as much the business of the whole people as freedom from persecution, censorship, or any of the other restrictions our ancestors came to America to avoid. I wont 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 measure have made their chief argument a contention that it would be another 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-workmunicipal sewage systems,' electric light and power plants, which are now accepted as a matter of course. Under the national health insurance bill, the federal government would collect the money and manage it along with the social security fund which it does now, disburse it to the states for the services rendered by the doctors and approve of the various state 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 between doctor and patient. The patient, unless his family doctor refused to Join up, would have his services Just the same, only they would be free. The doctor wouldnt have to accept any patient he didnt want. Part of the money would go to the states for research, medical education and various preventive services. How much would it cost? f One and per cent of your earnings up to $3,600 which your employer would match. If you are you would pay three per cent up to $3,600 of your own earnings. And that, say the bills proponents is no more than you pay now (on the average) to a voluntary group health agency if you belong to one and its 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 physicians 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 th.ough the national insurance fund, more physicians will be attracted to those areas. Also the fund will help to expand local publio health services, rural hospital and ambulance service. Aside from the poorer health in farm communities, maternal mortality is higher and, as every farmer knows, accidents are high. There are 54 deaths per 100,000 population on farms, only 20 per 100,000 in industry. In the controversy over this measure both sides point to the experience 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 Britain. But a recent poll taken in England says 91 per cent of the physicians 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, particularly 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 opinions, 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 congress, that it will reach the floor by February and that the chances for its passage are good. set-up- s. one-hal- Llanfalrpwllgwyngyllgogerychwy-mdrobwllllantysiliogogogoc- h is said by the National Geographic Sociin ety to be the longest place-namthe world. But it's no good for a e cross-wor- d puzzle. Coconut chips are now available tins. They may be used as snacks for bridge parties, but the red, white and blue ones still will be prefeired for poker. in five-ounc- e You'll never find a sandpiper and a fiddler crab playing In the same orchestra. was less than many Americans stateimagined. In a surprise ment during an unheralded appearance at a luncheon in Kansas City, President Truman declared bluntly that certain leaders in are exceedingly anxious Russia to reach an agreement with the United States to end the cold war. THEN THE PRESIDENT lashed out with an accusation that the sacred Soviets have violated agreements and said their government has a system of morals that are not moral. Deliberately or not. President Truman was baring some closeted secrets when he said during that speech that the Russians had not kept important agreements made at Yalta and Potsdam. By that statement, the President was conceding charges of long duration that certain commitments were made at these two parleys with the Russians which were not generally known, and results of which led to accusations that American diplomacy had failed miserably In negotiations with Russias Josef Stalin. The President's position was far from an earlier expansive statement that Stalin was a nice old fellow." HE DID NOT IDENTIFY the Red leaders who prefer an understanding" as he put it with the United States, but he asserted that there are Soviet top men who have no desire for war. Neither did the President say whether any overtures had been made by such Russian leaders. I The President said frankly: made certain specific agreements at Potsdam, none of which have been kept. Certain agreements were made at Yalta, none of which have been kept. all the He reiterated that United States wants is peace. INDONESIA: Dutch Stubborn Stubbornness is a characteristic of the Dutch and Holland was running true to form. Despite United announcement the by States, from which she is receiving Marshall plan aid, that the invasion of Indonesia must stop, the Dutch said, in effect, theyd think the order over. THE UNITED NATIONS was concerned, but a Russian step to the fore In demanding a ceasefire order and troop withdrawal in 24 hours did the Indonesians no good. This time, the U. S. abstained from voting and the Russian proposal lost. However, the American position was difficult of understanding, and the statement of American delegate Philip Jessup did little to clarify it. I decline to be put in a false he position by other delegations. The record of the United said. States on Indonesia is before the world. BUT ALSO BEFORE the world was the issue of American prestige and the integrity of the Marshall plan. America stood for help for Indonesia: America controlled the powerful weapon of economic aid to the Dutch. Yet, America, as yet, had delivered no ultimatum to the nation whose foray into Indonesia was being helped by American dollars. And the American delegate had declined to vote for a cease-fir- e order in the Indonesian fighting Joining Great Britain in the vote declination. Whatever else was true, and regardless of motives, the assertion of the Soviet Ukranian delegate appeared to be true. He charged: Without United States financial help, the Netherlands would have been unable to wage war in Indonesia. trait Taft Laughed serious. Usually pontifically Sen. Robert A. Taft of Ohio was In an expansive mood as he chatted with newsmen on his return to Washington following a tour of Europe. He praised the operation of the economic cooperation administration (Marshall plan). Kai-she- Man Playing the Typewriter'. From the Headlines: Xrivitskj Slain by Reds in 1941, Chambers . . . From this colm of Feb. Says-17, 1941: "New Yorkers Are Talking About: How only two months the ago Gen, Krivitsky U. S., via Canada after a years wait for permission) sang lustily to his wife and child as they crossed the border. And how chums now say: Why a man so happy two months ago should kill himself, We cant understand." , "Lend an Ear, the new revusi-ca- l click at the National Theater, was showered with many posies the most quotable orchid being John Chapmans: It is so good it does not need any names to carry it but should make some! . . . Song hit man D. Roses latest ditty is Manhattan Square tune. . . . Dance a hippity-hoppit- y Most chuckle-worth- y episodes in the film, Paleface, are the crossfires between Bob Hope and Jane Russell. . . New Yorkers raving about the Yuletide choral music In Grand Central depot and the Christmas trees decorating Park Avenue Point prewith Rockette cision. . . . They are also hurrahing the Music Halls annual reprise g of The Nativity," an spectacle. . . . Will Rogers sharpest sarcastickle, aimed at the reviewers: "All it takes to be a drama critic is two seats on the aisle! le Girl-We- Prodigal's Return Army Checking Newcomers for Red Taint such members they are barred from service. The affidavit requires enlistees or officer applicants to state whether they have membership in any organization advocating overthrow of tile government. Draftees also are required to sign such affidavits when they appear for induction. 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Y. d st eye-fillin- Why producers get migraine A full page ad in Variety reprints a swellalujah review for a movie which appeared in Its Hollywood daily. But in the same issue Varietys New York critic raps it! Proving you cant buy a not ce with an ad which founder Sime always argued. . . . Have another illusion shattered: Despite Lassies girlish monicker shes a he. Egad, a canine female impersonator! . . . Colliers publisher Chenery wires that the mag isnt for ale and that hes sure we "wouldnt knowingly pnblish incorrect Information. He also says he counts on "our sense of fairness for a correction. We wish we could say the same for Colliers. headaches: One of the tastier lookie-cooki- the flickers is Geraldine Brooks. She can also act. . . . This is the time of the year when gazettes and mags waste space listing the In ... k MUST rROVE STATUS The army is looking closely to the political Integrity of its inductees and applicants for commissions. Army spokesmen have released an announcement that existing regulations now require all inductees and applicants fur commissions to certify whether they have been members of subversive organizations. If they had been MEDICINE: U. S. on Pan In Variety of Ways FACT-FINDIN- Sociology was looking up. The Australian Legion of and Women had taken up the ed. SOME OF THE . Presidents task of helping young veterans and troubles. friends declared that If he should their wives with They started a scheme to enable finally decide that Marshall cant veterans forced by housing short- carry the load, he probably would like to have Chief Justice Fred ages to live with parents-in-laVinson take over. to exchange homes with others. To do so would mean a great for the said Spokesmen legion many English marriages had been personal sacrifice for the Kentucksaved from disaster by a similar ian, for his position on the court is scheme operating in Britain. They permanent, while an administrafound couples could live happier tion change might leave him out with strangers where they were in the cold and Vinson is no young man, either. paying guests. Alt Probers looking officially Into the activity of foreign espionage agents In the United States were becoming irked. Too many witnesses had fallen back on the constitutional guarantee of immunity to questioning by claiming the possibility of The probe group would put an end to that they would provide stiffer penalties for contempt of such groups. REPRESENTATIVE MUNDT. of South Dakota, and Nixon, of California, Republicans, authors of the proposal, did not specify just how much stiffer they would make the penalty for persons convicted of contempt of congress. They did comment that offenders should be severely and appropriately punished." Existing law provides a maximum penalty of one years imprisonment and a $1,000 fine. Among reforms suggested for probe group procedure was protection of the right of all. witnesses to counsel in both closed and open session; right of the accused to testify in open session; right of the accused to submit questions. The new congress was to be given the proposals. Plans for socialized medicine received a rough setback when the Hoover committee reported it had found waste and extravagance in the present federal setup, which it described as without any cenFOR CHINA: tral plan. Watch and Wait FINDINGS of the committee a U. S. policy on China, for the "task force of the Hoover comtime being at least, appeared to mission on organization of the exbe one of watching and waiting, ecutive branch of the government were sure to be hailed with decoupled with a resounding diplomatic silence. light by members of the American Medical association battling America had two good considerations upon which to base that against enactment by congress of a program of socialized medicine. policy: 1. THE UNITED STATES stood The investigating group, howconvinced that nothing other than ever, made it plain in its report direct intervention in the military that compulsory health insurance situation in China would change the was outside the scope of its inquiry. course of events, and that the govBut, even so, its declaration that ernment is not prepared to inter- governmental medical agencies and its program were inadequate vene to that extent. 2. There is, in the United States, and inefficient was certain to be an inaccurate assumption that construed as whistling over two American economic aid is a fool- strikes on the compulsory health proof solution to the difficulties of insurance adherents. THE other countries: that this aid, if group recput into a given country as raw ommended a sweeping reorganizamaterials are put into a machine, tion of federal medical services, would suddenly be processed Into and urged channeling of federal an effective, finished product. Life subsidies to the upbuilding of medical schools and community and was not precisely like that esprivate hospitals, with a minimum pecially in China. To all of which might be added of supervision by the government. The report asserted the governthese two additional factors: ment is assuming uncalculated ob1. The United States was caught in this dilemma: If it issues a ligations without any understandstatement supporting the National- ing of their ultimate cost, the lack of professional manpower to carry ists, as Mme. Chiang ' urged, it 'might merely associate them out, or their adverse effect on the hospital system of the itself with tjie collapse of the present Chinese regime without precountry. venting that collapse. BEST COWBOY: 2. On the other hand, if it explains why it is not granting Y o Film Star further aid to Chiang, and pubThe small fry could bellow and lishes what has happened to previcomplain all they liked the best ous aid, it might hasten Chiangs cowboy was not Gene Autry or collapse." the attitude of watchful Roy Rogers. Hence, Instead he is Gerald Roberts, waiting. Phoenix, Ariz., who was top cowboy-worlds champion, to get techMARSHALL: nical for 1948. The Rodeo CowIlow Long? boys association announced Robd cowThe question of who would be erts was the best President Trumans secretary of boy of the year, and they had the records to prove it. state was concerning official Washwon top honors by ROBERTS and the centers ington diplomatic of the world. leading the 2,100 professional cowwho were scored in the assoAiling Gen. George C. Marshall boys ciations system for 575 rodeos in was ordered to rest, observe strict the U. S. and Canada. instructions. was Evidence dietary The scoring system was based largely at hand that the President was reluctant to trust the touchy on one of the most impressive facproblems of international policy in tors in any American competition the dollar. One point was scored less experienced hands, yet the chief problem persisted: Could for each dollar won in competition, and Roberts ended the 1948 season Marshall carry on effectively despite his serious ailment loss of a with winnings of $21,866 in cash awards. There was no arguing with kidney through operation? sort of record. THE PRESIDENT appeared that committed to a policy of letting Marshall stay on, or, rather, keeping Marshall on the job despite any desire of the latter to give up his post. A close associate of the President was quoted as saying the chief executive was willing to wait until Marshall recovered sufficiente ly to do a job, even if that should require months. Robert A. Lovett, said not to gee as well with the President as Marshall did, would continue to act for Marshall while the latter restfull-tim- Operation Tactful Coffee Tabb Used PROBERS: Want More Law The hoary feature should be bottled and peddled as a sleeping potion. . . . Televisions progress has many radio jumpy. . . . There will always be room for radio programs, however. . . . The showfolks "bible notes that because of technical obstacles 40 per cent of the nation will always be without televiz. . . . The animal wisecrackers in the cartime called "Hiawatha make it one of the best Mother, you know what wonderful relief you get when you rub on Vicks VapoRub! Now...whenyour child wakes up in the night tormented with a croupy cough of a cold, heres a special way to use Vicks VapoRub. Its VapoRub Steam and it brings relief almost instantly I Put a good spoonful of Vicks VapoRub in a bowl of boiling water or vaporizer. Then,. . . let your child breathe in the soothing VcpoRub Steam. Medicated vapors penetrate deep into upper bronchial tubes and relief tint h 1 bring . every V ... ... Bob (CBS) Trouts of his query-and-answ- deft handling shindig ("Who Said That?) keeps it quizip-py- . . . . Jimmys Duranting is always gggle-getteBut the lilhping ker rickter on his program is strictly ho humor. . . . Does the affable Spike Jones ever listen to playbacks of his radio jokes? Oh, Spike! You need a joke. . . .The girls tell you the most expensive perfume is "Joy. r. One more broadcast for the finest sponsor we ever had, Andrew . . . Sixteen full years. . . . Started Dec. 4, 1932. . . . Hes a loyal Republican and he never edited this New Dealer once. . . . The few differences of opinion were former third Jimmy Dykes, baseman of the Fhlladelphia As caused by us not by Mr, Jergens. . . . Once during an argument (over and manager of the Chicago the teletypes between New York White Sox, gets welcome handshake from Connie Mack after and his home in Florida) we No more Lotions of Dykes signed up as coach of (he yipped: Love! With seven seconds till Athletics. microphone time, he kidded us out of it with this memo: WOMEN: Now, now. Walter, put some on and make it Fewer Home Smooth! Thanks for the pa Fewer American married women Hence, the understanding and the were staying at home. In a com- cooperation to get the news to the plete reversal of the war years, people, Mr. Jergens. married women workers in the nation topped single women holding Russia expects us to recognize her rights in Europe and overjobs. look her lefts In America. A report by the federal census bureau showed that there were in And then theres the most exciting the labor force -- those working and looking for work about 8.300.000 show stealing of them all the way married women and 5,900.000 single Harry Truman stole the show Election Night. women. Jer-gen- UCIiS Getting Beat? rs An ABC commentator (out of the Capital) reported that Presidential Army aide Harry Vaughan tossed all the protests into the wastebasket." The 250,000 American Gold Star families must have winced if We reminded they heard that. Vaughan that no person holding office can accept a foreign medal without permish of the congress. . . . Vaughans alibi is that nobody complained when Argentina med-al- d Generals Bradley, Devers and others (It eluded us). We reported that Argentina (during the war) helped kill U. S. seamen and others by permitting Hitler and Mussolinis ships to refuel in Argentine waters and to protest to the White House about Vaughans decoration. . . . So he tossed the protests into a basket. . . . Gold Star families, please send this to the President. bream Thousands now know there is no excuse-fo-r letting deafness kill the joy of living. An amazing new radionict hearing device has been perfected in the great Zenithh Radio laboratories so simple so easy it can be sent to you for Ready to wear, no individual fitting necessary. Accepted by the American Medical Association, Council on Physical Medicine. Come out of that world of silence. Write todry for full details to Zenith Radio C''"., Hearing Aid Division, Dept 19 - S Y, 5801 Dickens Ave. Chicago 39, Illinois. 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