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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 1955)
EIGHT- MEDrORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE Tuesday, November 8, 1955 Law Urged On Reporting Health Condition of Country's Leader By DR. WALTER C. ALVAREZ Emeritus Consultant in Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and Emeritus Pro fessor of Medicine, Mayo Foundation During the last month the American people have seen a marked and most commendable improvement in the methods of repdfting on the health of the President. There have been times in the past when a president 9 was operated on for cancer, and every effort was made to keep this information from trie public. As Ike Hoover, once chief White House usher wrote, when Presi dent Wilson suffered his first stroke and suddenly became a much-changed and "difficult" man, this fact and its tremen dous importance to "the world was not published. Later, when on a speaking-trip Wilson had another stroke this too was kept secret. Still later, when Dr. Hugh' Young, the country's leading urologist, was summoned to the White House, physicians could guess what was happening, but as I remember, the public was not told much. Sick" Man Left at Helm Because of this secrecy, a very sick and inflexible man was left at the helm of our government at a time when an exceedingly able, diplomatic and conciliatory man was needed to complete the negotiations for the peace, and to so arrange matters that a sec ond World War would not be come inevitable. We saw much the same sort of thing toward the close of the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt. No physician, or even layman, could look at the picture of Roosevelt with a cape over his shoulders, sitting between Stalin and Churchill, without knowing that here was a very ill man a man who was dying. No physi cian listening to Roosevelt, as he made some of his later speech es, could help but note the changed voice, so typical of a man who has suffered a series of little strokes. As, in their last years, I watch ed the marked changes that took place in Wilson and Roosevelt, I kept wishing that Congress safety and our international rela- would devise some method by which the mental and physical fitness of a President, or candi date for the Presidency, could be assessed by an impartial board of outstanding physicians. These men, without any restrictions on their opinions, should then re port to Congress and the people of the United States. They should report as Dr. Paul Dudley White recently did in simple, under standable speech. Could Summon Specialists The board of experts could consist, perhaps, of the senior professors of medicine of the six leading universities in the coun try. When in need of advice in some particular field of medicine these men would summon out standing specialists, just as Presi d e n t Eisenhower's physicians summoned Dr. White. Why should we in this coun try set up such a board? Be cause, in the past, we have had no way of getting the truth about the health of our leader or of a presidential candidate for whom we were asked to vote. The White House physicians have always been bound by the same injunction to secrecy that us ually makes it impossible even for a court to learn from a phy sician what is wrong with his patient or what his patient said to him in confidence. We cannot expect a President's physician to tell us any more of the truth than the President or his political advisers want us to have. The doctor's lips are sealed. Worse yet, if the President or his party's leaders desire it, the doctor must lie manfully and maintain that a very sick President is wonder fully fit. If consultants are call ed, they also must remain silent, unless they are given permission to speak. Must be Frank and Honest The only justification for re stricting this right of the Presi dent to privacy in regard to his health and 'the nature of any illness he may have is that, as our most important public serv ant, on whose health and espe cially mental health, our national On The Side by e. v. Durimg (Distributed by King Furum Syndicate, Inc.) An extremely lively place in . is a baron of beef? How much Europe in the good old" summer j does it weigh? time is Sylt Island, which is off "I had no great faith in astrol- tne nonnwesi corner ui many. This island has two gam bling casinos, innumerable night clubs and 30 miles of beaches. It is a sun bather's paradise. No bathing suits are worn. Every body bathes in the nude and thinks nothing of it. Horses and Women A day never passes somebody doesn't bring up that query, "Do women dress to attract men, or to arouse the envy of other wo men?" There is nothing baffling about this question. The answer is simple. Women dress to at tract men. If they attract men, they arouse the envy of other women. Which is, of course, ad ditionally pleasing. Another question discussed daily is, "Are men fetter automobile drivers than "women?" The answer to that is also simple. Men are more skilled drivers than wo men. Women are safer drivers than men. That is, a man can park a car better than a woman or guide it more skillfully through traffic. On highways or city streets where speed is pos sible, women are safter drivers than men. o Q Passing By Yvonne O'Brian, Truly beau tiful wife of Jack O'Brian, the e distinguished and discerning tel evision critic. Mrs. O'Brian is the daughter of that picturesque figure of the sports world, the late James Joy Johnston, noted boxing manager . . . Sally Rand, the delightfully dynamic daring danseuse. Originally a cinema cutie, she was a Wampas baby star of 1928. Later that year she appeared at the Palace, New York, as - a dancer. That is a toe dancer no bubbles, no fans. In 1934 after she had switched to bubbles and fan dancing, her weekly salary was $6,000. Facts The proper way to pronounce the first name of Knute Rockne is "Kanute." . . . An old song that might stand a very success ful revival is Harry Kennedy's ballad titled "Molly and I and the Baby" . . . 'Add to members of My Name is a Poem Club Virgil SturgiH, Asheville, N.C., and Hillary Guillary, Orange, Texas. Asides What's the world's widest street? Gorky Street, Moscow, has six lanes for automobile traf fic on each side and a strip down the middle for the exclu sive use of ambulances and fire engines ... As for having the laundry done in a hurry, there is a sign in the window of a Daly City, Calif., laundry read ing, "In Dirty at Ten Thirty. Out Clean at Two Thirty." That is a four-hour laundry service . . . So xou consider yourself a well informed fellow? Alright, what ogy but decided to keep an open mind on the subject and check the claims of the stargazers," writes a feminine subscriber. "I checked the claim that Capri corn (December 22-January 19) women are flat chested. That is amazingly accurate. I ' checked on a great number of Capricorn females and there wasn't a sweat er girl in the lot. Scorpio (Octo ber 23-November 22) women have the most "oomph" but are inclined to emphasize it in a ra ther vulgar way. Besides, they pour too much provocative per fume over their persons." Briefly There are nearly a million licensed women automobile driv ers in Los Angeles county, Cali fornia. Exact number is 921,988 . . . Most recent of innumerable feminine celebrities to switch from blonde to brunette is Betty Grable. What's the matter with being a blonde? Could it be that blondes have taken seriously that film titled Marry Brunettes?" 'Gentlemen Sirens That superbly streamlined screen siren Diana Dors is re peatedly referred to as t h e "British Marilyn Monroe." There is a "French Marilyn Monroe," and an "Italian Marilyn Monroe" and a German Marilyn Monroe." In fact, practically every nation on the globe has a female they belvieve to be a reasonable fac simile of our Miss Monroe. How ever, I am in complete accord with the man who said, "Marilyn Monroe has a million imitators and no rivals." Formula When Adolph Zukor founded his film production organization, he said what is policy would be in five words. They were: "Famous plays with famous players." That is a film produc tion formula that rarely fails. It has made many a man a mil lionaire. Samuel Goldwyn, for merly associated with Zukor, has been following it for years. As for example, in the current Goldwyn production "Guys and Dolls," based on the famous play of the same name, with such fa mous players as Marlon Brando, Vivian Blaine and Frank Sinatra. IT Builders Supply 2 QUALITY BLOCKS Bricks. Fines Drain Tile ' W. McAndrews Phone 2-4107 tions depend, he must be frank and honest with us. We have a right to know if he is or is not fit to carry on his duties. We are like large stockholders in a com pany who have a right to know if the elderly man who is being considered for the position of President or general manager is still sufficiently fit and energetic, and youngish in his mental pro cesses. I sympathize deeply with the desire of a President of the Unit ed States to retain a little pri vacy, but in this matter of giving out reports on his health, I think j he should surrender his right to demand silence on the part of his physicians. The Lord knows a President has to surrender most of his rights of privacy the day he enters the White House. Would Be No Need for Law If a President and his physi cians and consulting physicians were always as frank and honest as we have watched them be in the past six weeks, there would be no need for the law I am advocating. If Congress ever does enact a law designed to give the public an honest and uninhibited opinion in regard to the Presi dent's health, the legislators ought to go further and make possible the securing of informa tion as to the health, sanity and efficiency of candidates for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency, and for candidates for the posts of Senators and Representatives. Many a time able psychiatrists have expressed to me their con cern over the condition of a member or members of Congress. -m-- ... ' j STORMY FAMILY Plymouth, Ind. U.R) The women in the Clarence Hlava cek family Gladys, Carol. Con nie, and Diane really have something to "blow about." All have had a hurricane named for them. Darlene, nine, is the only female member of the family who didn't make the distin guished list. But there's always next year. DIDN'T SEEK FAVOR Democrat Senator and Mrs. Den nis Chavez of New Mexico smile and wave a greeting as they arrive in Washington, D. C, aboarc' a regularly scheduled military air transport from Europe. The senator stoutly insisted he never had ordered a special Air Force plane be sent to return him to the U. S. Air Force officer at top of ramp is unidentified. Personal Income Highest in History Washington U.R) Ameri cans received more personal in come in September than in any one month in history. The Commerce Department has reported that if the Septem ber rate of personal income from all sources were sustained for a year it would total more than 305 billion dollars. American Lawmakers Meet Chiang Kai-Shek Taipeh, Formosa (U.R) Two American lawmakers "who con ferred with Genealissimo Chi- ang-Kai-Shef leave Formosa to day for separate destinations. Senator Leverett Saltonstall (R-Mass.) and Rep. Michael A. Feighan (D-O.) met with Chiang Monday. Subject of the talks was not disclosed. Saltonstall goes to Manila and Feighan heads for Tokyo today. Quotes From the News , By, UNITED PRESS Memphis Joseph C. Chastain, of Dallas, Tex., in a speech to a Disciples of Christ meeting: "The church is facing a generation which is trying to drink its way to prosperity, war its way to peace, spend its way to wealth and enjoy its way to heaven." London The London Daily Mail quoting Egyptian Premier Gamal Abdel Nasser on Egypt's arms purchase from the Soviet bloc: "I read in an American newspaper a careful analysis of our situation. It said the Arabs would always be defeated by Israel un less Egypt could buy arms from Russia. So I took that good Ameri can advice." Washington Defense Secretary Charles E. Wilson to photog raphers who asked him to remove the homburg he wore on his return from the Geneva foreign ministers conference: "You mean you want me to look more like a businessman again and not a diplomat?" Hutchinson, Kan. Farmer J. O. Snyder to a Senate Agricul ture subcommittee which asked him for details of his proposed farm program: "Ignorance is forgivable, but knowing something and being stupid about it, that's something else." Hollywood Producer Jack Denove on his fruitless search for a girl to play Tarzan's mate in a television series: "Too many girls here look as if they're going to Ciro's instead of to the jungle." Fairmont, Minn Eugene Smith, 27, of Toledo, O., burglarized some 3,000 churches in three countries: "I have a grudge against churches." on why he N. Y. C. EXAMPLE Chicago (U.P.) The Civil Service Assembly holds up as an example to other communi ties the New York City policy of giving recognition to city em ployees who write articles, book reviews and books connected with their work. New York puts out a special pamphlet listing its employee-authors and their contributions. The pamphlet is sent to other officials and em ployees of the city. 117 S. CENTRAL PHONE 2-6241 U Li, r-S?j4l kfr,,' J : ft R - ' ' firA - S 'Bo-lt-YourselF Demonstration SEE HOW TO INSTALL PLASTIC TILE . WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9 See how your bath, kitchen and util ity room can be modernized at low cost. Wards will show you how to in stall Wards Plastic Wall Tile yourself. No special skills needed any careful workman can get professional-looking results the first time. Upkeep ex pense disappears, too. Wards durable Plastic Tile is dentproof color never wears off. Wide color range. Bring in measurements for free estimates. Buy now on FHA Terms. SPECIALLY PRICED FOR THIS DEMONSTRATION REGULAR 27.98 PLASTIC TILE Kit Choice of Colors 24.88 Covers 43 sq. ft. One complete kit with all the material and tools you need tq tile-Fn the average recessed 5-ft.: tub area. Applying plastic tile is easy ... if you can paint, you can do it! Hurry, don't miss this sale. OPEN TILL 9 WEDNESDAY NIGHT y' v 'f' -"f'A Many a big moment in life starts with the telephone... whenever a call brings news of an engagement in the family, or a birth, or of a visit by someone special. And this doesn't include the hundred and one other ways your telephone serves you helping you get things done and making life easier and more fun. 'Round the clock, every day of the year, telephone people are on the job to see that your telephone is ready to serve you in every way possiblewhenever you need it. The phone call Bo'sun Bill dreamed of for months. The long, low tanker had docked earlier in the afternoon. But it was dusk before Bo'sun Bill could step ashore and get to a telephone. He had thought about this call for nearly half a year. For looking forward to a reunion with the family back home is a favorite pastime when a man's away at sea. As Bill placed his long distance call, he sounded perfectly calm. But inside, his excitement ran deep. And maybe you can imagine the feeling at the other end of the line when the phone rang moments later. For can't you recall telephone reunions that meant just as much to you? Indeed, time and again, the telephone plays an unforgettable part in life ... as it helps bring each of us closer to those who count most. Pacific Telephone. (IS The telephone people of Medford work to make your telephone a bigger value every day Tour business office: 131 N. Bartlett St., Tel. 2-6101 o
