MRS. INDIA EDWARDS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR I r J DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE RING BUILDING. 1200 ISTH sr. N.W. WOMEN'S DlVlSlON WASHINGTON 6, D. C. March 17th 1950 Confirming our comersation of Wednesday I will trg asd tell pu a little of what I am plming to do during the next few months to fmiliarize Democratic leaders with The President's Health l?rogram so that they will want to t&e the true story to the voters in the coning cwpaigz. great progan by the &erica? Xedical Associe.tion have achieved at least one benefit: ereryoxe is aware that there is an dcbinistration FIealth Progm ad that the k?,A is fighting it tooth. sd -mil. The untruths that have been circulated about this Ir, n;. extensive travels of the last two yeas I LTve found that few geople 7~m~ any details of the Bihinistration Health Frogan; all they lrnow is !That the AU publicists have dinned into the ears of the general public and of course, tkEt is all covered by the oae terinu, socialize? medicine. As I see it, it is u~) tr> XIS Demcrsts to see tk-t sur own lesders are first, educzted to the fact that it is XOT socialized nediche that Tne President is popwing a.3 second, that the Progra3 that is backed bg the Aikinistrztion is one that the voters will den,ma when they untterstand it. Deniocratic leaders must knoi~ the trzth ;Lboxt this Progrm and the only way in which they car- how this truth is for us of the ITationzl Com5ttee to t&c It to them. Eiez the:, in turn, CZL esj>lp.in health ins-xace end- thc other phsec of the Progrzm to tho voters cf their comnmities. It is ~7 belief tliet prog~as of this sort are flsol?" not just by speakers on glatfornis but ir, conversations letween neighbors ant? acqdntznces aid eo it is abso1utd.X nccessmy that every Demcretic worker (there are over 300,000 of then in the country) bo fwiliar with the proposed Iicdth Frogran and zble to poixt olit the tliltnflte thzt have teen circulated by t3e &A, There has beer, ore school of thouGfit that has ndvised that this year we &e no issue of the Hedth Plw; that. we just let the opgositiou t& aljout it and that we sit back in silent SCOrii mi? rekse to be dram into c?iscission about it. That is a conphteQ erroneous wax o? thiding in 2vcr; &ol.la- spent during the next three morrtks will be worth nuch more thar, during the last three nonths 'mfore the olectici? so a, contri1fc:ion at this time will be of more value tk- one ua,Ge ktw. I €eel sure that there vd.11 be enou& money forthcmiq, for necessary cmpaigr, ex-ences ht -- hie iieed to start 3ur work in-edirtely. 5etai;ilod budget plan for I >rvc not vorke3 it out ?a% tie nee6 on 3u* staff Progar to cite szeeches, to prepze Ilte;.etwe for distribution znd to assist with pdolicity. tl3zcl etc. I caxzot &vc" p-i~ z, couple of eAyerts who are coqlctelg fs-.(?ic?r !rith the Abinistration we rieee uor.ey for printiug an?. for visd presents- I want to have a repcserLtative af i?lwjr national ccnveritions this spriag to trr a-2 Get nore fZvorz3le rasohtims passea. thenselves mea nothir-g but if t;" orgw-2zeqtiofi tFit cane out against hedth iasuymce last yeaz sasses a fzvoralle resolution this year, it is newsworthy and we should be in E position to n;CriE;e the nost of it. bomeorie to contact the key peo2l.r ir, tkcse ori;;Lnizations before the con- ventions; there is n3 question about our trying to fi&t the &;A with tlie saxe weapne it iz usiri for we never will have the mems to do thrtt but ve have a progzm that is appealing to the people so we do not need the S~E Fuig gais that the opposition uses. ad Goliath but kvld wmt have a sliamhGt, at leest, These resolutions in We nsod It will be mother case of David As I to12 yo^ the other day I a going to talk to The Proeidext about the Pssibility of holcir are s:mathetic to the Propam. We must fight the &IA but not indivizd off-tbe-recorl conference of ncdicd leaders who - 3- Yzs- Altert 3. ksker March 17, 1950 nedicd mea who are not inimical to ou Program, and it seeus to me the height of folly not to develop a reservoir of professional un0erstrud.ing mc? spsatb. Pkjsfcians I know who realize the necessity for health ir!surauce are a little hi-t because they never have been consulted 2nd I feel 9-06 onlg sdutzry resdts worcld occur if The President wou'd hold scch an off-the-record conference. I hLve discussei! this ides with several Governors, liational Cozmtittewer, stnd women as well as with medical leaders aid they all are enthxsiastic about it and feel that scch a confereslce would do rich to help ia tkeir rnepective states. I an going to talk to The ?recider,$ abut it as so011 as 210 returns froc; KeJ- Vest; I had an zpsointment to see him before he left 3ct unfortu- mtely I was tdzer, to the hospitd wi:k tho flu nerit. Only Tho President cajr do this, however. thc &-q of the agpoint- Eli: is an inadequate presentation of what we are goir-g to try ai? 50 tc help ewlain The Adninistration Xealth Progm tcl the voters during the iicxt six months but perbps it will give you emu& of an iCea SO that jrm tiill wwt to helg us. even when car-maked for a specific educatiorml pro;ect, car,"_of exceed $5,900, as you knov, but it is not WA~WFG.~ for two, t.hree, four or five cedxrs 05 2. fir;lily t.r, contribute. I feel s-we 5": aq- contributions interidea to be use2 1;. the Women's Division for Alrthering The Precident's Iiealth Prosza 31 %e 13.ite Eouse rtricl the Cornittee CFairm. I hop 90. Poli5icd contrihtions, be so ear-nax>bed wrlth thc urd-erstaxding and ap,rGvd 111 q estiAwtion, this iE the number one iscue of the carpai~ w-r! ws r.sr:t ;?c~cjte mch tine m-3 energy and ina&r,atior,, as well as iuoneg, to Leeiq C,!iat the opposition does not brsd T~wna Democrats as Socialists 2ust by tk:e siqle method of labeling the President's Health Progran: socCalize2 me8ici.m. 32s- Albert D. L3sker 29 BeelJcan Place Xew York, IT. P.