Evening star., 1928-03-24

ditions in the District, In part, as fol-
lows:
Men with practically no scientific or
medical education have, 10 all intentS
and purposes, conferred doctor" de-
grees upon themselves. by organization
of fraudulent institutions, and have
undertaken the practice of the healing
art. The result has been to imperil
the health and lives Of the people OF
the District of Columbia and else
where.
These fraudulent institutions having
no faculties and no educational facili-
ties have not only operated extensively
in the District but throughout the
United States and in foreign coun-
tries. Data in the Office OF the United
States attorney for the District shows
that when these institutions are incor-
porated so or 100, or in some instances.
much larger numbers Of degrees are
sold to people in the District who call
themselves doctors and by other titles
prey upon the defenSeless public.
The degrees are sold also by corre-
Spondence TO persons resident abroad,
and this evil has become so great that
several foreign governments have made
representations TO our State Depart
n1ent on the subject. When the degree
is sold TO some one abroad. the diploma
has attached TO it q statement sworn
tc before notary public. the Attorney
Generals Office certifieS TO the fact
that the notary public is such, and the
Secretary Of State certifieS that the
other officials whose names are thus
obtained upon the diploma are persons
they represent themselves to be. Thus.
10 an ignorant person abroad. this di-
ploma comes with all the insignia Of
the recognition and authority Of the
United States Government.
ITO facilitate this impression the op-
orators take advantage of the fact that
their So-called institution of learning
was Incorporated under the District Of
Columbia code, which is an act
OF Congress, to claim that the degree
was conferred by authority Of the Con-
gress OF the United States and that
they are operating under the super
vision OF the Federal Government"
The committee report further de-
clares that the 'evl has not been con-
fined TO the sale Of degrees in the Dis
trict of Columbia and TO credulous per-
sons abroad. The charters of the So
called institutions of learning have been
made the subject Of traffic and have
been sold throughout the United States
to groups Of persons who, similarly op-
Grating under them, undertake To con-
fer degrees TO residents Of the different
States
There are a few States with laws
sufficiently stringent TO protect their
citizens from this practice, but large
number of States---in fact, consider
able majority--hage at the present time
no adequate protective laws. Even
where stringent laws exist in the States.
as IN New York, the authorities have
been forced TO appeal TO District on
cials and business organizations 10 help
protect them from practices possible
under present District laws. The presi-
dent OF the board OF regents OF the
State of New York, for instance, has
solicited corporation OF the people Of
Washington 10 prevent the operation in
New York Of fraudulent institutions in
corporated In the District. because OF
the difficulty Of coping with the situa-
ti0n outside the District"
This bill, the committee explained,
would not affect an institution unless II
undertakes 10 confer degrees. The re-
port also points out that II will not af-
feet in any way the universities and
institutions incorporated By special acts
Of Congress.
The committee points out that the bill