Evening star., 1938-07-20
Health
Continued From First Page }

by both the A. M. A. and the Dis
trict OF Columbia Medical Society,"
DR.. Roberts. mentioning G. H. A..
specifically by name among other
similar co-operatives throughout the
. country, praised this movement of
groups of people banded together to
budget medical bills and buy their
medical service in group
DR.. Fishbein's laundering attack
on the whole general principle of the
Governments presentation of the
problem brought to blaze the
smouldering controversy which has
been apparent throughout the two
day conference, despite apparent ef-
forts to conciliate yesterday.
Mr.. Flshbein, in his charges that
the program might result in inferior
quality of medicine. carried forward
the A. NJ AS policy, which had been
laid before the conference in a sensa-
tional session last night. DR.. Olin
West, secretary and general man
ager of the A. M. A., had bitterly
attacked the program with its al
legged danger of political control and
had been brought sharply to task by
Lee Pressman, counsel for the Com
mittee for Industrial Organization.
Mr.. Pressman told the conference
the Federal Government should take
firm hold to carry through the pro-
posed program.
The conference, characterized by
DR.. Fishbein as amazing. promised
to continue as the battle-ground for
the contest between the New Deal and
Its supporters on the one hand and
the leaders of the A. M. A. on the
other. General discussion was the
order of the day for both the morn
Ing and afternoon sessions, and the
conference was to close late this aft
ernoon without any kind of a vote
by the delegates.
Presiding at the morning session
was Arthur Altneyer, chairman of
the Social Security Board, one of the
New Deals ace progressives.
Recognizes Medical Needs.
DR.. Fishbein declared he recognized
the medical needs, which had been
"dramati1ed,' but raised the serious
question as to whether the program
as outlined would work. The most
important problem before the Ameri-
can people. he declared, was not medi-
cal care. In this he took direct issue
with virtually the entire intent Of the
conference.
The editor declared he was both
''bewildered and amazed" at the ap-
proach to the problem made by the
Government and the peculiar ar
rangement" made by the conference
called at the suggestion of the Presi-
dent to get from the delegates, includ-
ing the medical profession, their
reaction toward tremendous ma
tional program already laid down."
Charging that medical care was not
the most important problem, Dr. Fish
bein declared any attempt to set up
such a picture was mot fair" The
principal needs of the American peo-
pie, he claimed, were food, fuel,
clothing, shelter and job with ade-
quate wages" Medical care, he said,
should come afterward. Declaring he
was not going to attack Government
medicine" because physicians had
given their cooperation to the United
States Public Health Service in many
OF its programs, Dr. Fishbein said that
II he wanted to he could tear to
pieces" many of the proposals laid
down at the National Health Confer
ence.
Emphasizing that the medical pro-
fession always would insist on a high
quality Of medical care, and expressing
doubts about the quality possible under
the proposed program, DR.. Fishbein
asked a pointed question without men,
vioning any names.
why do great public officials in the
City of Washington leave the City of
Washington with its magnificent med
tcal institutions" he asked, "and 70
half way across the country to get the
kind Of medical care that they want?
<Chere Is difference in quality af