Milford chronicle., 1958-08-08
THE HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS

I1E OhIAN1AAllO1N
The March of Dimes" is going out of
business. However, the big organization
which has been known for all these years as
the National Foundation for Infantile Par
alysis is not disbanding.
AS one might have suspected, once such
a giant organization gets under way, with
all its volunteers, publicity, salaries, and
the good it no doubt does, it is not likely ever
to be disbanded.
Along that line, President Basil O'Con-
nor announced recently that the organiza-
tion would go after several other diseases.
OConnor and the National Foundation peo-
pie picked enough diseases so that if they
kill one or two of them they viii still have
a reason for existence.
The National Foundation is now going
out to lick all kinds Of virus diseases, arth-
ritis, diseases of the central nervous sys-
tenn, and the cOngenital diseases, common
ly called birth defects"
However, as also would be suspected,
when the National Foundation begins to
take over" in these fields, they are rum
ming into some other well-planted health or
ganizations which have been functioning
over the years. For example, the Arthritis
and Rheumatism Foundation, which for
years has been working against these dis
eases, charges that O'Connor should have
joined his forces with that organization in
order to utilize all they have done, and their
medical and scientific resources, to carry on
the advances already achieved.
This is probably correct, but it is case
of "too many chiefs and not enough Indians"
One thing, we often think that would help
the national health organizations is for mon
ey donated to go to local areas. In other
words, we think monies collected in a state
should stay in a state, with the minor ex-
ception of, say five percent-which would
be available for national emergencies or
national epidenlics.
We have always been a little suspicious of
the big New York organization, many of
them headed by professional publicity men
or fund-raiSers, which inevitably do tre-
mendous amount Of good but which smack
of bureaucracy nonetheless. The advantages
of these national health organizations are
many, and we do not want to lose them, but
if we keep them localized, as far as possible,
everyone will benefit in the end, and the work
they do will be less expensive.
1&S@&&
AUGUST, 1858
August, the eighth month of 1858, is
upon us After it has passed, the year will
be two-thirds over.
August is the last month of summer
thus the last complete month of freedom for
many youngsters of school age, who must
return to school or college in September. In
the United States history, many significant
military achievements occurred in August
Filled as we are today with news of the u. S.
Marines in the Middle East, it was just fifty
eight years ago, on August 18th, a force in
Guiding u. S. Marines arrived in Peking, after
meeting some resistance along the way. The
force relieved the American, British, FTerch,
German and Japanese egations-waicd had
been beseiged by Chinese Organization
popularity known as the Boxers.
On August 10Th, 1872, the American
Constitution" won it's famous victory over
the British frigate Guerrero. The British
had held the U. S. Navy in contempt, and the
victory of the Constitution" was something
OF a shock, and also achieved boosting of
morale among American seamen.
On August 14th, 1945, of course, the
japanese surrendered to the Allies and ended
World War IL, the greatest war in history.
On August 21st, 1889, President Roosevelt
appealed to Hitler to examine every possible
means which might prevent the outbreak
of general war Eleven days later Hitler
went to war with Poland
Other historical events, affecting the
United States, occurred in August. In 1892
on August 3rd, Columbus sailed from Palos
Spain, pledged: TO sail until should reach
the indies" Columbus however, was not the
first man to reach this hemisphere-for the
Viking had, much earlier, already reached
North America.
Herbert Hoover was born on August 10TH
1874, at West Branch, Iowa. He was, of
course, the thirty-first president of the Uast-
ed States. Robert Faltons steamboat Ger
mont, sailed up the Hudson River from
Ne& York City on August 18th, 1907. Ben
jamin Harrison, twenty-third president of
the United States, was born at North Bend,
Ohio. on August goth, 1888
The first commercial radio program was
broadcast by WEAF, now WRCA, on August
28th, 1922, and cost the sponsor $100 for
ten minutes.