Evening star., 1948-09-17
Doctors Held Powerless

helpfully suggests tnat ooctOfS 1oFmulate an
urgently needed health security insurance pro-
gram and present it to Congress themselves.
Tragically, however, this voteless community
has no standing with Congress. We are i'm
potent political dependents. The last expert
ence local doctors had in respect to involve
ment in health plans was q most unhappy one.
The New Deal prosecuted Us as common GRIM
inals under the Sherman Antitrust Act. They
cynically used 50-year-old statute against
doctors who disagreed with the doctrine that
the practice of medicine is a trade Never In
half century had the purpose and intent Of
the act been SO perverted. Yet had they sue
ceeded in their totalitarian purpose, the other
learned professions would have been ut the
mercy OF a partisan prosecutor.
1t is understandable why doctors will show
little initiative in formulating practical, solvent
health security plans until We have sympa-
thetic administration in power. At least that
administration should believe in socially consci-
Gus capitalism and have no secret motive Of
regimenting doctors and their patients. Even
voteless doctors dislike going to jail because
we emphatically disagree with the ideology OF
the political party in dictatorial control Of our
economic and social potentials.
Voteless doctors are hoping for that happy
day when politically minded bureaucrats will be
forbidden to use their discriminating admin
istrative power to impose bankrupting and i'm
practical notions on the Nation as adequate
national health security.
THOMAS T. MATTINGLY, M. D.
The Shippers "Orderly Thinking"
To the Editor Of The Star:
It Is perfectly apparent that the letter by
Catherine Dill, published in The Star on Sep
tsmber IL, was, Is she stated, dashed on in
the heat and fury of the moment" Certainly,
it was not the product of calm thinking or
sound reasoning.
The story, THE Skipper Surprised His Wife, +"
In This Week Magazine of September did
not attempt to offer = complete answer to the
general problem of how to live . happy and
calm and unhurried life though married and
possessed of two or more children. The au
thor did not cover the problems Of inadequate
living space, how to make the children behave
properly, what to do about undependable baby
sitters, or what his wife does with her leisure
time.
The article as recall 1t, dealt only with the
problem OF finding more efficient and time
saving ways Of performing specific household
tasks and the economy Of time that results
from planned and organized effort. One thing
tIldt uAPuCSoS0 AlC WdS Vic law tAh1 uAS 0AAP-
pers wife was sold on efficiency to the extent
apply to other tasks to which her husband had
not turned his attention Furthermore, the
locale Of the article was the home of the
Skipper, his wife and children, and not q bat
tleship with large staff, no children and few
pets.
Mrs. DilpS letter reflects q sort Of frantic
helplessness or hopelessness in the face of
problems which may be difficult; and 1t is easy
to sympathize with her Nevertheless, her own
problems, even though they may differ In
some respects from those Of the Skipper and
his family, will come much nearer to solution
when she takes constructive attitude toward
really helpful articles such as the one In ques-
ton, instead Of taking the author apart hgur-
atively for not giving her q panacea for all
the problems of life.
In addition to the detailed accomplishments
described, the Skipper gives us all something
very basic to think about That is. that calm
| approach to our problems, and clear -cut, order
| ly thinking will bring about the best solution
available (although not necessarily the perfect
answer) to our respective problems believe
that when a man and his wife develop the
habit of solving their problems together in that
manner both they and their children will be
QdpplcI dIu WALL IS&AcCt AIOAS coaAcu uSeAFC AtoA
tudes as result Of better ordered living by the
whole family. They might even hnd better
baby sitters or get along better with those now
available DADDY OF TWO.
Un.American Committee Defended
| To the Editor of The Star:
There are quite few individuals in the
country like Edwin A. Lahey, Chicago Daily
| News columnist. Il hope am not misjudg-
| ing Mr. Lahey) These individuals are quick
| to attack q committee like the House Com
mittee on Un-American Activities or any other
| legally constituted body making inquiry into
| suspected subversion or disloyalty within the
| Government; and equally quick to defend, by
implication at least, other individuals who be-
come involved-yet not at all necessarily i'm
| plicated-by witnesses testimony.
An article by Mr.. Lahey, recently published
in one of our San Francisco newspapers, is
headed: "The Case Of Alger Hiss-Example OF
Committee Responsibility"
Now if there is any one thing that Congress,
or a committee of Congress, is responsible to
to the American people for In these days OF
Communist trouble making (and that Is a
mild term, it is to turn the spotlight on every
area where there is even suspicion OF sub
version or disloyalty. Innocent parties, OF
| course become lnFolVeo-hAu aS edoaAy ~ie e~-
tricated, for in such cases honesty, virtue and
| loyal Americanism cannot remain hidden Tor
| long.
Mr.. Lahey says: THE case Of Alger Hiss may
prove the perfect example Of the committee S
recklessness" It may, or it may not; one guess
| is as good as another.
Why didn't the COMMITTEES do this? Why
didn't it do that? Mr.. Lahey does lot OF
| hairsplitting here. "Mundt says with insolent
callousness that Hiss should be grateful for the
opportunity to answer the charge against him.
And why, may I ask, should not any honest
| hearted American welcome such an oppor-
| tunity?
Police state? Bah on such talkl As long rs
| true Americanism rules the hearts OF citizens
there is no danger Of that the danger
from the temporizing individual, be he In the
ranks of Government employees, columnists OF
n,reiH