ADDRESS DELIVERED BY CONGRESSMAN JOHN =. FOGARTY, SECOND RHODE

ISLAND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, OVER RADIO STATION WAR, PROVIDENCE,

RHODE ISLAND, ON OCTOBER 18, 1950 - 7:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

I believe every thinking American citizen is conscious of the dangers
which threaten our free democratic institutions. While it is possible that there
are differences of opinion over the methods which should be employed I am confident

that all of us agree on the absolute necessity for stamping out quickly the fire

in Korea which for a time threatened to engulf the world in a horrible conflagration.

Though it now appears that success will crown our efforts in that theatre
of war it is of the utmost importance that we do not fall back into the smug feeling
that nothing that happens in far corners of the world can seriously harm our peaceful

pursuits in the United States.

As @ Nation we have taken on grave responsibilities. We are committed to
& program of participation with the other peace loving peoples in the world's family
of nations. This commitment is not one induced by & desire to expand America's
authority over other nations, to add new territories to our land mass, or to bring

home to these shores the wealth of conquered peoples.

This commitment is one sponsored by cool, calm reasoning; forced upon us,
if you will, by the knowledge that only thus can we hope to preserve the peace of
the world and by so doing save America's families from the misery and destruction

which @ new world war will unload on our cities and our country-side.

It is vitally important that we concentrate our energies and make our best
efforts available to the promotion of the security of those peoples who wish only
to live in peace. Exerting ourselves to guarantee their will to oppose communist

aggression, 8nd providing them, to the best of our ability, with the physical means
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to oppose it, constitute the best weapons we can find for preventing the hordes of

the Kremlin from achieving theireworn goal ~ world domination.

In order best to guarantee that there is such concentration, and that
the efforts of 211 Americans are devoted to the all important purpose of saving
the peac e, it is not proper to neglect the responsibilities which we have at home.
One such responsibility, and a grave one, in my estimation, is the promotion of
good health among Americans and the prevention of disease which destroys life to an

even greater extent than does war—combat.

At a time like this, when the world is faced with the very serious
possibility of an outbreak of wer in many corners of the world, it is foolhardy
to abandon the efforts to prevent disease, or even to hesitate in pushing forward

the barriers thus far raised against the spread of death-dealing disease.

War, or the fear of war, produces terrific strains on humin beings 4s well
&s on natural resources. Men are more susceptible to ailments which my ultimtely
result in a serious disease. Ingredients which are now absolutely essential in
the preparation of many important medicines become scarce because of their use in
other fields. One problem creates another and unless we are constantly striving
to find new sources of these precious ingredients; new methods for their production
in mss quantities; &8s well @s more and more knowledge of disease and methods for
its treatment, we sh®1l soon find ourselves on the backward trail, confessing defeat,
at least temporarily, and standing by helplessly while disease demands its toll from

@ citizenry which refused to take the necessary steps to prepare itself.

At e@ time of international crisis in which we are living I think it is of

vital importance that we not only continue the research effats already undertaken,
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but, more important, that we broaden our horizon to take in new fields of research
in order to guarantee, with God's help, that everything possible will be done to

protect and improve the health of America.

A desire for economy in the last Congress prevented the expansion of your
Government's activities in basic medical research, Economy is necessary, Heaven
lmows. As & member of the House Appropriations Committee, reflecting what I knew
to be your wishes in the matter, I worked hard to cut Federal expenditures in many
areas. However, I fought vigorously against a cut in the appropriation for basic
medical research, And I promise you I shall continue to fight against such cuts
because I think it is economy we cannot afford. In fact, I think it is not economy,

it is waste.

The cost of medical care to your Government is now over One Billion Dollars.
Medical research offers @n opportunity, perhaps the only opportunity, to cut this
tremendous experiditure. Consider the terrific strain which disease of all kinds
plac es on the Nation's economy. It is not sufficient to declare a National emergency;
set up allocations of scarce mterials; insist on Defense Contracts being completed
first; or even announce a general mobilization of all the Nation's manpower and
resources; to win the war for peace. The last great war proved very effectively that
it is essential that we have strong minds, confident in the knowledge that they are
fully informed of the circumstances which call for their best efforts. Everything
that interferes with that confident, determined mentality, whether it be the
propagenda of the enemy, or the ravages of disease, cuts down the effectiveness of

the Nation's industrial effort.

One out of every two people who dies from natural causes dies from heart

disease. It is estimted that today, in the United States, there are nine million
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people suffering from heart disease. It is probable, unless medical research is
stepped up, that one million people, alive today, will die from the evil of cancer.
The cost of cancer to the United States runs into the billions. Disease of the

heart and the circulatory system cost the country, each year, almost one billion
dollars. The cost of patient care in mental institutions is over half a billion.
Your Government spent in 1949, for mental illness alone in veterans! hospitals,
nearly $125,000,000. Consider for just an instant the increase in federal
expenditures in this field alone which will be necessary because of the current
military activities abroad. The Armed Forces of the Nation are to be increased
greatly. Men are to be sent to many corners of the globe to strengthen native
armies and névies in their resistance to the aggressor. Unless we expand our research
into medical disease the cost to the Nation will be tremendous. We must, I submit

to you, strengthen our mental health training program without delay. Time is against

Us.

Statistics demonstrete that deaths from heart disease are constantly
increasing in number. We 411 live under too great a tension. Add to the worry of
our present daily lives the strain that comes from living and working in an econony
geared to a war effort and it goes without saying that many unsuspecting persons
will find themselves victim of this killer. It is not only wasteful economy to cut
back research in this field, it is shameful that we would risk the thought that we

can afford this destruction of life and productivity.

Of the hundreds of thousands doomed to death through cancer many lives could
be saved if the dread disease were discovered early enough to permit treatment. We

must, I am convinced, engage more scientists with new approaches to this problem. We

must have new laboratories and training programs to find the basic cause of cancer,
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The consequence of better research would be practicing physicians who are better

trained in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

An expanded medical research program could call more and more on the
ability of scientists engaged in private research work and on the developments
in the scientific field which have been achieved by private industry. The prohibitive
cost of many medicines could be reduced so that they would be available to the mn
of moderate means. Private health foundations and organizations would have available
& nationwide research program, drawing on the skill and knowledge of all engaged in
this great work. ‘There would be correlation of all research activity, elimination
of duplication and in the end a wide diffusion of the knowledge gained by 211 = to

be placed in the hands of physicians for the benefit of all.

Permit me to quote from the report of the Hoover Commission, created as
you know for the purpose of reducing Federal expenditures:
"Transcending in importance any of our other recommendations,
is the need to outflank disease by giving the highest
priority to research, preventive medicine, public health,

and education, !!

I don't like to sound gloomy. Heaven knows there is enough gloom in the
world. But, as your Representative in the Congress, I think it is my duty to bring
these things to your attention. Actually, I bring good news. For, in the years
in which I have been associated with these research activities of your Government
I have come to the very firm conclusion that disease can be licked to a very great
extent. It is not necessary that hundreds of thousands of good A mericans must be
swept away e&@ch year through diseases which could have been prevented — or cured in

time if better methods of treatment had been discovered.
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fhe Nation finds it necessary at this stage in our history to develop
new &nd better implements of wer. Weapons and mteriel, food and clothing for
fighting men, are all subjects of intensive and time-consuming research in order

that the best may be found.

I acknowledge that all this is necessary. Our fighting men must be the
best equipped, best fed and best trained in the world. With that no one will quibble.
But, if all this energy can be devoted to the activities of defense and war, then I
insist there must be a place in our thinking and our planning for the things which

go to preserve life for the enjoyment of peace.

"hts Nation is considered fabulous by many becar e of the many great things
it can produce in such great volume. It is feared by others for the same reason.
This Nation s respected and loved oy its citizens not only for what it produces
for the benefit of all ~ but because it is & Government of th people, by the people

and for the peophe.

As Chairman of the Appropriations Sub-Committee which provides the funds
for the Public Health Service, I have been in the forefront of the battle to broaden
our research operations. I have developed @ very keen interest in this field. I
have become aware of what it can accomplish to help develop a better America, I an
convinced that research is of prime importance. It can help keep bodies and minds
sound and strong - and ward off the blow of some dread malady. It is my contention
that this Government of you citizens, operated by your elected representatives, can

do these concrete things for you,

It can expand its present basic medical research programs. It can bring into

these programs men of great scientific knowledge. It can discover the causes of
diseases, develop medicines and treatment methods, train doctors, nurses and technicians

in the best possible uses of these discoveries and developments, @nd thus provide for

&

the better health of you and your children, | |

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