The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-09-01
BY NATHAN ROBERTSON

Washington (LPA)-The Ameri-
can Medical Assn sees nothing
wrong in the new advertising
policy adopted by Minnesota doc
tors to establish a closer relation
ship with editors who feel they
cannot carry organized medicines
story without compensation" :"
Glenn Whitaker, the AMA's high
ly paid publicity director, made
that clear at a luncheon with the
press here last week. In fact he
seemed to think the disclosure of
the negotiations between doctors
and editors in Minnesota for closer
relations was "un-American" and
"a definite attempt to undermine
advertising by people who don't
believe in our way of life"
At the same time, just to be
safe, Whitaker wanted it under
stood that the ANA had nothing
to do with what happened in Min
nesota." He branded as absolute
ly false" all charges that organic
ed medicine had tried to buy news
paper influence.
The Minneapolis Morning Tri-
bune took a similar attitude toward
the disclosure by Labor Press AS
sociates. 1t said charges of bribery
and "secret deal' were "prepost-
erous distortions" and that such ac-
cusations had call the earmarks of
a deliberate campaign to smear
editors opposing Mr.. Truman's
health scheme"
With such expressions of inno-
Icence coming from both parties to
the alleged deal, the public will
have to make its own judgment of
the facts. Here is an attempt to
re-state the indisputable facts in
the case, without editorializing or
drawing conclusions:
On April s, statewide meeting
of doctors and editors in Mime
sofa was held at the invitation of
the Minnesota State Medical Assn,
which was attempting to work out
a closer understanding with the
press in its fight on President
Truman's health insurance pro-
posal, in accordance with directions
from ANA headquarters. At this
conference there was some discus
sion of advertising by doctors
but just what took place is not re-
corded publicly. One editor who at
tended the conference told LPA it
was sparkplugged by a top ANA
publicity man and the whole atmo-
sphere of the conference was "dis-
gustingly venal."
At its annual convention in May,
the Minnesota Medical Assn ap-
proved a resolution aimed at clos
er relations with the press. After
a whereas declaring that zone
criticism frequently heard from the
press is that the medical profess
sion expects the press to maintain
the entire burden of indirect pub
licity from the doctor to the public
without remuneration" the resolu-
tion approved advertising by doc
tors and medical societies.
The doctors and editors have al
ways carried professional advertis-
ing. But the public has always
that the medical pro-
fession opposed advertising to pro-
tect the public against quacks. Ap-
parently, the press did too, be-
cause in June the Minnesota Edi-
torial Assn issued to the editors
an announcement of the medical
society's action, calling it zone of
the most significant items" ever
carried in the Bulletin.
This was a "Confdential Bull
etin," marked mot for publica-
.ion." The news was announced
lnder headline reading Medical
Eases Ethical Restric-
ions on Advertising" This bull
etin quoted the state medical as
ISOLATION as saying the editors at
he first meeting with the doctors
n April had asked for a "recip-
'ocal arrangement that would
benefit both professions. The edi-
.ors were quoted as saying they
we're perfectly willing to carry
he story Of medicine as private
but felt that the ply
;icians "have a responsibility to
ELEVATE the financial burden con-
lected with publishing LEGAL news