Senator DONNELL. Would you mind, for our record here, to tell us briefly your educational background? Dr. FOREMAN. I would not mind at all. I am a graduate of the public schools of Atlanta, Ga., and of the University of Georgia, where I received an A. B. degree in 1921, and I then studied a year at Harvard University and a year at the London School of Economics, and then I got my M. A. and Ph. D. degree in Columbia University in the faculty of political science. The CHAIRMAN. I am called away to another meeting, and I will have to ask you to carry on the meeting until I return. (At this point Senator Donnell assumed the chair.) Senator DONNELL. So that your degree is along the line of political science, I believe you said. Dr. FOREMAN. Yes, sir. THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE FOR HUMAN WELFARE Senator DONNELL. Doctor, the organization, the Southern Conference for Human Welfare, is how large an organization, and how is it constituted? Dr. FOREMAN. It is composed of some six or seven thousand people who are voluntary joiners of it. Those in the South are members, and people outside of the South who care to join, may do so as associate members. Senator DONNELL. Does the conference hold stated meetings from time to time? Dr. FOREMAN. It does, sir. Senator DONNELL. Go ahead. Dr. FOREMAN. It holds, according to our bylaws, prescribed biennial conferences which are open to the entire membership. Senator DONNELL. And when was the last biennial conference held? Dr. FOREMAN. The last meeting of the membership was held in Raleigh, N. C., in February of this year. Senator DONNELL. Did the meeting at Raleigh adopt any resolutions? Dr. FOREMAN. Excuse me, it was Durham. Senator DONNELL. Did the meeting at Durham adopt any resolutions in which it mentioned this bill, S. 1606? Dr. FOREMAN. The meeting of the membership in Durham, sir, was just for the purpose of reorganizing our bylaws. It was purely a business meeting. The board of the Southern Conference is left to its discretion on this, and the president in the absence of the board. Senator DONNELL. So that the meeting held in Durham did not pass upon S. 1606? Dr. FOREMAN. No, sir. Senator DONNELL. Now, the board itself is composed of how many persons? Dr. FOREMAN. The board itself is composed, I feel sure, it is 26. Senator DONNELL. That is 26 on the board? Dr. FOREMAN. Yes. Senator DONNELL. This meeting at Durham was attended by approximately how many persons? Dr. FOREMAN. About 400 people. Senator DONNELL. And were they entirely from the Southern States? Dr. FOREMAN. Well, there may have been some who came from outside, but I think it was almost exclusively from the South. Senator DONNELL. Now, there are 26 members of the board, and you call it the board of directors? Dr. FOREMAN. The board of representatives it is called. Senator DONNELL. Now, has the board of representatives passed upon and adopted any resolutions with respect to this bill, S. 1606! Dr. FOREMAN. No, sir. Senator DONNELL. When was the most recent meeting of the board of representatives held? Dr. FOREMAN. The most recent was just following that meeting in Durham. Senator DONNELL. That was February of 1946? Dr. FOREMAN. That is right. Senator DONNELL. Now, had either the membership at any meeting held by it, or the board of representatives at any meeting held by it, prior to the meeting held in Durham, passed any resolutions with respect to S. 1606? Dr. FOREMAN. Not with respect to this particular bill. We have, however, gone on record repeatedly as in favor of Federal aid to health and education, and this is so completely in line with the policies of the membership and the board of the Southern Conference for Human Welfare throughout its history that I, as president, feel perfectly qualified to take the responsibility of committing the board and the membership on it. Senator DONNELL. Has either the membership or the board of representatives ever gone on record specifically with respect to compulsory health insurance? Dr. FOREMAN. I am inclined to think that they have not. Senator DONNELL. Now, Doctor, then you have undertaken as I understand it, expressing what you deem to be the sentiment of the organization, to come here today to speak on behalf of the Southern Conference. Dr. FOREMAN. That is right. Senator DONNELL. But neither the board nor the membership has, itself, passed specifically upon this bill, S. 1606? Dr. FOREMAN. That is right. Senator DONNELL. How widely scattered are these 26 members of the board? Dr. FOREMAN. Throughout the South. Senator DONNELL. Does that board hold meetings from time to time? Dr. FOREMAN. It does, sir. Senator DONNELL. How does it happen that this S. 1606 has not been called to the attention of that board, so that it might pass upon the matter specifically? Dr. FOREMAN. Because the bill, 'itself, has not been submitted to them, but they have, as I said, endorsed the idea of Federal aid to health, and they specifically empowered me to act for the board on particular measures as they come up. Senator DONNELL. Of course, there is quite a distinction possibly, is there not, between the general authorization to express views on Federal aid for health and a compulsory health insurance program? Dr. FOREMAN. Yes, but, Senator, I am an elected officer of the Southern Conference, and as you will understand, an elected officer has to take a certain amount of discretion in these things. I am perfectly willing to risk my position as an elected officer in this interpretation of the Southern Conference's position. Senator DONNELL. The point I desire to make, Doctor, in interrogating you, is that this organization composed of six to seven thousand people, has never specifically passed upon Federal compulsory health insurance, nor has the board of 26 members which is located, as you have indicated, in the South, passed specifically upon Federal compulsory health insurance; and it is you, one individual, even though you are the president, who is undertaking to express here the opinion of this great organization of six to seven thousand people, is that correct? Dr. FOREMAN. That is correct, but what I want to repeat is that I am fully authorized to do so. Senator DONNELL. I am not questioning that. Dr. FOREMAN. That is what I am expected to do by the conference. Senator DONNELL. Has the conference authorized you, or has the conference directed you to come here and state to this committee that the conference unequivocally endorses S. 1606, the Wagner-MurrayDingell national health bill? Has either the conference of the membership or the board of representatives passed any specific resolution stating that your organization endorses unequivocably S. 1606? Dr. FOREMAN. The board has so authorized me. Senator DONNELL. Now, just how was that authorization conferred? Dr. FOREMAN. As far as my recollection serves me, sir, we had a discussion of the question of Federal aid to health and the board asked that I participate and do whatever I could to carry out the wishes of the board in that respect. Senator DONNELL. In regard to Federal aid to health? Dr. FOREMAN. Yes. Senator DONNELL. But I still understand from you that the board did not pass any resolution with respect to this particular bill, S. 1606, is that correct? Dr. FOREMAN. Senator, that is correct, but if it would strengthen the case of Federal aid to health, I will be very glad to get a resolution passed by the board at its next meeting which I expect to be very soon. Senator DONNELL. That is assuming that the 26 members of that board will do as you think that they will do. Dr. FOREMAN. That is right. Senator DONNELL. You have interpreted, in the absence of any resolution by the board and of the membership, what you think is the opinion of that board. Dr. FOREMAN. I feel fully confident. Senator DONNELL. That is what you feel, but the board has never expressed itself, nor has the membership, on this specific problem. Dr. FOREMAN. On the specific wording of this bill. Senator DONNELL. Or the specific provisions of compulsory health insurance. Dr. FOREMAN. I am not sure whether the compulsory health insurance aspect of Federal aid to health was raised or not. Senator DONNELL. You have no present recollection of any affirmative action being passed by either the membership or the board, affirming their being in favor of compulsory health insurance, am I correct! Dr. FOREMAN. I think that you are correct. Senator DONNELL. Now, Doctor, you state in your statement here, in one place, quoting, "We unequivocably endorse the President's national health program and S. 1606, the Wagner-Murray-Dingell national health bill, the main measure to carry it out." And yet, I understood you to testify that you have not studied all of this bill, is that correct? Dr. FOREMAN. I have studied the President's message. Senator DONNELL. But I am talking about S. 1606, which you denominate here as the main measure to carry out the President's national health program, and which measure you state that you "unequivocably endorse." Dr. FOREMAN. That is right. Senator DONNELL. Have you read all of that bill? Dr. FOREMAN. No, sir. Senator DONNELL. What portion of it have you read? Dr. FOREMAN. I am not able to give you the fractions, Senator, but I feel that I have gone through it sufficiently to understand its content and its meaning, and I am perfectly willing to take the President's own analysis of it as adequate. Senator DONNELL. Doctor, would you say that you have read half of the bill? Dr. FOREMAN. Yes, sir. Senator DONNELL. Have you read three quarters of it? Dr. FOREMAN. I probably have read three quarters of it. Dr. FOREMAN. I skimmed through the first part of the bill which I understand is not controversial, I understand that even you are not opposing that. Senator DONNELL. You centered upon the second part of the bill? Senator DONNELL. You have centered your attention on that? Senator DONNELL. Have you read all of that? Dr. FOREMAN. I think that I have, yes, sir; I think that I have read. as far as I can remember, I have read practically all of that. Senator DONNELL. I understand that you are not undertaking here today to testify as to the details of the bill; you feel that is a matter to be left to persons who are technically acquainted with the subject matter? Dr. FOREMAN. It depends on what you mean by "details." I do not pretend to be an expert, I am not a medical doctor, nor am I a publi health expert, but there are certain things that you might call details which I would not. Senator DONNELL. You are not undertaking to discuss all of the features of title II of this bill, am I correct in that? Dr. FOREMAN. I am perfectly prepared to be asked any questions of title II. ATTITUDE OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION Senator DONNELL. I want to ask you a few in a few minutes. Now, Doctor, you refer on page 5 of your mimeographed statement from which you have read, to what you call the "belated and extravagant claims of the American Medical Association." Dr. FOREMAN. Yes, sir. Senator DONNELL. Have you ever attended a meeting of the American Medical Association? Dr. FOREMAN. I have discussed in great deal with a representative of the American Medical Association, their belated and extravagant claims. Senator DONNELL. What do you mean by "belated"? Dr. FOREMAN. I mean by that, about 10 years ago they claimed that voluntary medical assistance even was communistic and socialistic and inciting to revolution. Senator DONNELL. I am not clear as to what you mean by the term "belated." Dr. FOREMAN. I mean that it is only now that they are even coming to the point of advocating voluntary health insurance. Ten years ago they thought it was communism. Senator DONNELL. You know today the American Medical Association oppose very vigorously compulsory health insurance. Dr. FOREMAN. I know that they do just as vigorously as 10 years ago they opposed voluntary methods. Senator DONNELL. And you also know that the American Medical Association is the largest single association of practicing physicians in the United States? Dr. FOREMAN. That is right, even monopolistic, I would call it. Senator DONNELL. Just what do you mean by that? Dr. FOREMAN. I mean in the District of Columbia they attempted to insist on their rights as a monopoly and to break up at that time, which was about 10 years ago, a voluntary medical association here in the District of Columbia. Senator DONNELL. The American Medical Association does, however, include many thousands of the leading or at least of certain of the leading physicians of the United States. Dr. FOREMAN. That is right. Senator DONNELL. And you know that its position is diametrically opposed to compulsory health insurance? Dr. FOREMAN. That is correct. Senator DONNELL. Now Doctor, you say on page 6 of your statement that doctors under this proposed bill, S. 1606, will not have to spend so much of their time and energy to collect bills. Do you regard this expenditure of time and energy which prevails under the present system in trying to collect bills as seriously impeding the efficiency of the physicians of this country? Dr. FOREMAN. I do. I think that the medical profession is torn now in a dilemma between being a profession and being a business. I think the reason that the American Medical Association is opposed to this is because too many of its members, or too many of the people who are controlling its policy, are thinking in terms of their business rather than their profession. |