Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-23
Doctor Dissents

When q pillar Of logic and
sober civic responsibility like
The Star agrees President
Eisenhower is medically At"
to run again, the evidence
must be convincingly persua-
sive. All six of his physicians
agree that Mr.. Eisenhower
should be able to carry on an
active life in the presidency
for another five or 10 years.
Surely, to doubt or question
this almost unimpeachable
medical authority would be
both presumptuous and icono-
elastic. Yet, if The Star will
permit an admitted fool to go
through the mockery of play
ing devils advocate. would
reduce the medical verdict to
its true political significance:
1t is in effect the verdict of
a medical board with plenary
authority, certifying that Mr..
Eisenhower is a good $l9-
billion political life insurance
risk. This estimate is predi-
Gated on the amount the stock
market sagged when our Presi-
dent first was stricken and the
demonstrably salutary effects
upon security values when the
medical evidence indicated i'm
provement or future available
ity. Quite obviously. if the
President does not measure up
to the medical boards political
representations. it is highly
probable history will repeat
itself. And II it does, it should
be noted that the panic selling
of the Nations securities in
vestments never did originate
with the little people. the small
investors. 1t was the no-confl-
dence. short-selling Of the big
time professionals whose faith
was in a man, rather than our
Nations splendid future. It is
these very people who now in
sist our economy will collapse
unless Mr.. Eisenhower expends
himself for their pocketbook
security. His consolation is
that if God does not measure
up to the health certification,
Mr.. Eisenhower will never
know the debacle which could
follow.
AS political insurance exam
liners, DR.. Paul White and his
five Army colleagues. have ig-
nored their previous standards
of physical certiflcation. Ad-
mittedly the Biblical promise
of a life expectancy of three
score and ten should not be
binding upon the professional
perspicuity of DR.. White. He
admits the Presidents future Is
in "the laps of the gods" But
by what finesse of logic does
he conclude that a man of IS,
who has had a major cardio-
vascular catastrophe, can be
expected to live as long as
or longer than one who has
not? And would mere living be
enough? DR.. White reports
a.. And this is fundamentally.
you see. an arterial disease and
not primarily a heart disease.
It is the arteries that are af-
fected." Has the President a
new set Of arteries and If he
hasn't, what is to prevent the
next manifestation of his aging
arteries taking place in the
brain?
More puzzling than DR..
Whites politically significant
prognosis is the radical depar-
ture of Gen. Snyder, senior
Army medical consultant. from
the exacting standards of ply
steal fitness demanded of Of
ficer personnel certified for
major command responsible
tiles. Any Army officer of the
Presidents age with his his
tory of an authenticated at
tack of coronary thrombosis,
seeking certification for future
major command responsible
tiles. would be turned down
cold. What makes Gen. Sny-
der think a man of SIS, whom
by his standards he could not
certify for a major military
mission, is physically fit to take
on the man-killing job of the
presidency for another four
years?
Thomas E, MattinpIy. M. ID.