Evening star., 1948-07-20

nom de plume. Please be brtef.
On this account. public apology il In order.
However. this faux pas should not be used
a. an excuse to attack the school system q
. whole.
No educational system IL perfect, but We
should strive to attain the best Tor our chill
dfen. Certain "frills" may be unnecessary, but
other "frills" have progressed beyond the frill
stage. Today, kindersartens. music, drawing
social behavior and the like are not frills sny
n,ore they belong as necessities Of complets
educational program.
1t Is my hope and belief that the Bethesda
group Is not generalizing from the specific. 1t
would be sorry indeed if. from individual difli-
culties, they are blowing up . straw man. This
would certainly indicate . lack of understand
ing and . strong need to acquire knowledge
and awareness OF the objectiyes to be achieved
through the methods now in vogue in Mont
gomery County. AARON B. NADEL.
District Challenge to MIR. Truman
TO ths Editor Of The Star:
Commenting editorially on Results Of the
x-ray Survey" The Star makes an ohserva-
ton to which voteless natives will shout q
fervent "Amenl": 1.-THE mass survey will be
OF little value If it produces only statistics"
This trenchant remark conceals world of
political realism. 1t is half prayer and half
lament. 1t is 4 prayer that for once our ever
defaulting political masters will do their
humane duty. 1t Is lament at our utter help
lessress II they contemptuously decide other
wise.
The Star discloses that the situation was
bad enough before our masters reluctantly
undertook the mass chest survey. Our made
quats public health facilities already were
swamped and stalled. The detection OF hum
dreds Of unsupported new cases of active tuber-
culosis has created veritable public health
crisis. To make matters worse, more than .
hundred Of our inadequate supply Of hospital
beds supposedly available for White Plague
victims must remain empty. We lack the
trained personnel to service them. Even the
less desirable alternative Of supervised home
treatment is not available. Our Health De-
partment is short of qualified nurses capable
Of servicing the mandatory two-year program
Of tax-subsidized aid for nonhospitalized
tuberculosis victims.
II this were bivouac in jungle whose in
habitants were primitive peoples ignorant Of
and unaccustomed to civilized standards OF
justice and security, there might be some ex-
cuse for an unbelievable default in elementary
hygiene But this is the capital Of an all
powerful nation dedicated to justice and Sc
curity for all. For Is years our public health
security program has been under the para
mount authority of the present Democratic
administration. That Democratic leadership
had primary and undisputed control Of every
fiscal, executive and administrative phase OF
this unfranchised community's public health
security program. That political leadership
is entitled to full credit for any perfection
achieved. BY the same token it must accept
full responsibility and accountability for dere-
lictions and default Of constitutional duty.
In accepting the presidential nomination
Candidate Truman blasted the Soth Congress
for its inhuman shortcomings in respect to
providing equitable health security and its
tyrannical antilabor policies, He announced
that he would reconvene ths'derelict and cyni-
cal Congress and cajole them to repentance.
The terrible plight of hundreds Of White
Plague victims here In this Nations yoteless
Capital gives Candidate Truman an inescapable
test of honest intention divorced from political \
machination. He has chance to lead the in
human sinners to the mourners bench. And
in leading them our local public health crisis
will give him opportunity to remedy past ne
glect ard meet the challenge OF the future. 1t
Is neglect for which he as titular leader must
accept full responsibility.
Remedying past neglect and default need
not mean grandiose plans for bureaucratic
paternalism in health security. 1t will merely
mean giving White Plague victims the stand
ard tax-subsidized disqualification provided
for many decades by even the less civilized
commupities.
The local public health crisis also will give
Candidate Truman opportunity to assume
leadership in providing fair and honest treat
ment of labor. We have a shortage OF hospital
beds and personnel to service them because
our District government under executive lead
ership of a Democratic administration habitu-
ally has been guilty Of unfair labor policies
and practices toward its own employees. AS
a candidate for President, Mr.. Truman bitterly
indicts sweatshop hours and pay. Yet IN this
yoteless community where the Federal Gov
ernment is paramount, Mr.. Truman has ex-
pressed no bitter Indignation at the uncon-
scionable exploitation of Federal employees
servicing our tax-subsidized hospitals Their
hours of compulsory labor are SO man-killing,
their job-security SO precarious and their
wage so far below humane living standards
that our District government finds 1t 1mpossi-
BILE to maintain minimal public health
standards. We voteless natives are not from
Missouri but we would be most grateful Tor
some "show-me" from someone who Is from
the Show Me-State.
THOMAS E. MATT1NGLY, MD.
Wases to Blame for Imitation