Evening star., 1960-10-20

The television debates"
should become a permanent
part of future presidential
campaigns, though many
would favor improvements In
formal.
Unfortunately, there is q
strong likelihood this expert
ment in enlightening the
electorate will not be re-
peated four years hence.
Then. the incumbent in seek
ing q second term, whether
Kennedy or Nixen, will not
find it in his advantage to
share the screen with a lesser
known challenger.
It was only because both
candidates could hope for
advancement through such
public exposure and both
could be confident of out
performing the other that
this innovation occurred this
year. Such circumstances
are not the norm. For ex-
ample, in 1852 and 1856.
President Eisenhower's great
fame plus Gov. Steven
sons greater ability in DO
litical expression would have
made it Strategically unwise
for the former to have par
ticipated.
Americans can more GER
tainly assure themselves of
knowledgeable and articulate
candidates for the Presidency
II they will insist that both
candidates pledge themselves
to a similar series of con-
irontationS If in a position
TO seek reelection in 1864.
Douglas Watson.
Senator Kennedy has tried
to create the image of the
Republican Party as the party
which "cut back" health and
medical services.
We may expect exaggera.
ton around election time but
the Hoover and Eisenhower
administrations have certain-
ly done too much for public
health for the image to fit.
People who know about public
health understand the great
leadership Of Hoover in the
1leld Of child health and the
sound policies in support of
public health of Eisenhower.
The Senator implies "that
health problems had been
neglected by the Republican
a ministYa ion for eight
years" This writer (an inde-
pendent voter makes quite a
different evaluation. The writ
er has in over As years of
professional experiences
learned a very important
lesson: Politics will not mix
with public health and med
ical care.
The Senator denies that
medical aid for the aged can
be achieved in any other way
than by the Social Security
method he recommends. He
seems unaware that medical
care introduces a new ele-
ment into social security. In
stead Of returning money
payments to the recipient,
Senator Kennedy would offer
medical and hospital services.
But medical care involves
much more than q mere f.
nancial arrangement. Medical
care involves the dynamic and
everchanging art and science
OF medicine and all auxiliary
services. 1t is a cooperative
affair. Today local health de-
partmentS, departments of
mental hygiene, many volun-
tary health agencies, family
welfare agencies, medical So
cieties, visiting nurse asso-
Citations, Blue Cross and Blue
Shield and a host of health
and welfare agencies are
achieving ever improving
team work in solving human
problems. This spirit of CO.
operation is needed in medi-
cal aid for the aged. But how
will it function in a climate
where the medical services
are paid for by the Federal
Government?
We had an experiment dur
ing the war when the Fed
eral Government paid the
doctors who gave the care.
This experiment was rather
limited but it was enough like
the experiment recommended
by Senator Kennedy that it
should be considered. Irefer,
OF course, to the emergency
maternity and infant care
program for wives and in
fantS of enlisted men. Doc
tors, not in military serv-
ice, did their best with this
emergency scheme as a pat
riotic duty. But it was not free