Trainman News

People Expect
Gov't to Guard
Welfare: HST

WASHINGTON—In an address before the Association of Military Surgeons, President Truman indirectly told President-Elect Eisenhower that the people still expect the government to be concerned with their welfare.

"In the field of health, as in other important aspects of our economic and social life, the people will look to the government to meet those great responsibilities which government alone can handle." President Truman declared.

"Anyone who interprets the election as a mandate to stop the efforts we have been making for social and economic progress is blind to history."

Progress made in medicine since the end of World War II, through joint efforts of the government and medical men, despite the opposition from American Medical Association, was noted by the nation's Chief Executive.

He told AMS that "We are confronted by a violent attack on the whole principle of government support and assistance in meeting our health problems. The attack is led by men who, in my opinion, are sadly mistaken in believing that our whole pattern of progress conceals some hidden danger to the livelihood and the independence of the medical practitioner. Nothing could be sillier, I think." "More progress would have been made," Mr. Truman said, if this opposition had not been encountered, which resulted in "our shortages of doctors and nurses and health personnel . . . despite repeated efforts to persuade the Congress to adopt a program of federal aid to medical education."

The national health insurance program has been "misrepresented and distorted," with the result that "many people have lost sight of the real issue at stake—making adequate health care available to all despite limitations of income," he asserted.

Federal participation in attempts to solve health problems is not, for himself, at least, President Truman said, "a matter of partisan politics."

"The health of the American people," he declared, "is one of our natural resources. It is as important to the welfare of our country as our land, our basic natural resources. It is as important to the welfare of our country as our land, our water, our minerals."

Pointing out that the President's Commission on the Health Needs of the Nation is scheduled to make a report in December, President Truman said: "Of course, I cannot tell you what effects this report will have on the new administration. I hope they will consider it on its merits. They would be wise to do so."