Evening star., 1938-06-15
PHYSICIANS HEAR
FEDERAL WARNING
Challenge Some Details of
Dr.. Diapers Story of
INDECENT Care.
By the Associated Press.

SAN FRANCISCO, June l5.-The
American Medical Association exhib-
tied little concern today over the dec
laration Of a Government representa-
tive that the public would take into
its own hands the matter Of supply
ing medical care for the INDECENT un-
less doctors themselves helped to solve
the problem.
DR.. Warren F. Draper. an Assistant
Surgeon General, delivered the mes
sage before the associations House Of
Delegates in An executive session yes
terday. He spoke for Miss Josephine
Roche, head of the Governments In
terdepartmental Committee to CO.
ordinate Health and Welfare Activi-
ties.
The delegates quickly adopted =
resolution challenging some details of
DR.. Draper's story about the shortage
of medical care for the great number
of INDECENT and underprivileged.
To DR.. Draper's account of suffer-
ing disclosed by q Government sur
vey of 100000 persons, the dele
gates replied that their plight might
be due more to general want than to
lack of medical service.
See Danger in Plans
They also professed to foresee the
likelihood of danger In plans of the
Interdepartmental Committee to CO.
ordinate the efforts Of various Gov
ernment agencies with technical COM
mittees and provide direct admin
istrative action" to carry out the
task
They said the results Of Nation
wide American Medical Association
survey, inaugurated several months
ago as the result of agitation by some
physicians for "socialized medicine"
would be available to Government
authorities in the national health
conference to be held July 1S, 19
and 20.
"One-third of our people," DR..
Draper told the delegates, are not
going indefinitely to remain ill-fed,
ill-housed, ill-cared for in sickness.
ALREADY they are on the march.
The only question which remains is
whether highly-specialized groups,
experienced in ways and means OF
meeting human needs, are going
courageously and quickly to oner all
they can give in constructive and
progressive leadership and help in the
meeting of the vast human problems
Of today"
High Among Impoverished.
DR.. Draper said a higher rate OF
sickness and q deficiency Of medical
care was noted among the improver-
ished in a national survey.
Never before" he continued, had
such q mountain Of evidence been
assembled to sustain the conclusion
that among the poor there is an ex-
cess OF sickness and death which
requires preventive services and med
ical care proportionately greater than
are required in the higher-income
groups"
The House of Delegates decided to
make no changes IN its policy Of con-
traceptives. It reported its stand did
not constitute An Endorsement of birth
prevention practices and added:
The House Of Delegates feels that
the problem is essentially medical
problem"
The delegates also Qualihedly In
dorsed the motion picture film "The
Birth Of Baby" BY recommending
that 1t be shown only to adults and
only with the approval Of county medi-
cal societies.
A new medical organization to deal
with the terrific toll Of auto and ma
chine accidents was formed under the
name Of the American Association for
Trauma Surgery.