Mr. FOOTE. That was in the year 1928. Senator DONNELL. How long did you stay in the automobile business from that time on? Mr. FOOTE. I stayed in the automobile business until I got fired in 1931, because there was a depression on. Senator DONNELL. Then what did you do next? Mr. FOOTE. I decided I wanted to be an advertising man, and I got a job with a small San Francisco agency. I worked there until I got my first chance to come to New York, which was in 1936. I have been in New York since then. Senator DONNELL. You have been in New York since then? Mr. FOOTE. Yes, sir. I took the first job I could get there, which was with the now defunct J. Stirling Getchell Agency. Senator DONNELL. Do you know Mr. Frank Burch of the Burch Advertising Co.? Mr. FOOTE. I think he runs an outdoor thing. Yes. Senator DONNELL. You have been in the advertising business in San Francisco and New York since 1926? Mr. FOOTE. Yes. I have been in the business since 1931. Senator DONNELL. Since 1931? Mr. FOOTE. Yes, sir. Senator DONNELL. All right. The first 5 years were in San Francisco, after that in New York City? Mr. FOOTE. Yes, sir. Senator DONNELL. Do you represent either of these associations, the American Heart Association, or the National Heart Committee? Mr. FOOTE. In doing any of their advertising work? Do you mean for money? Senator DONNELL. In any capacity, whether for money or not. Mr. FOOTE. I certainly never took the first 5-cent piece. I give them money. You said: "Do I represent them." The question is implied. Senator DONNELL. Do you do any advertising work for either organization? Mr. FOOTE. They don't do any advertising, but I help them all I can in my spare time in their publications, but I would rather drop dead before I took a nickel. Senator DONNELL. I did not ask you that. Mr. FOOTE. But your question had the implication. Mr. FOOTE. I beg your pardon. Senator DONNELL. I do not know that it would be a disgrace to take money. Mr. FOOTE. It would be in my eyes. Senator DONNELL. They have to pay for their supplies, their rental, and so on. Mr. FOOTE. Not for me. Senator DONNELL. Very well. Not for you. Mr. FOOTE. I give them money. Senator DONNELL. Very well. Have you done any advertising for either of them? Mr. FOOTE. No. I have given them public-relations advice. Mr. FOOTE. Yes, sir. Senator DONNELL. You say you came here at the invitation of this committee, is that right? Mr. FOOTE. Yes. I got a telegram. Senator DONNELL. From whom did you get the telegram? Mr. FOOTE. I will look at it and see if it is in my folder. Can I get it? I will see who signed it. I will show it to you. There you are, sir. Don't ask me how I got it. Senator DONNELL. Very well. This is from Mr. Rodgers. Do you know how your name happened to be given to this committee? Mr. FOOTE. I do not. I think it is only logical that a man who happens to be a director of both associations would be asked to come here. Senator DONNELL. At any rate, you did come here. Mr. FOOTE. And I came here at no small personal sacrifice. I got here after having not more than 3 hours of sleep, and that is the reason my nerves may seem brittle, and I am sorry if I seem to be abrupt in answering you. Senator DONNELL. You have the right to present your views in any way you like. Do you know whether Senator Pepper had anything to do with giving your name to this committee? Mr. FOOTE. I have no knowledge, sir. I saw Senator Pepper this morning, by accident, in a restaurant. I asked him, "Are you going to be there this afternoon?" He said, "I don't know." And that is the only contact I had with him directly or indirectly. Senator DONNELL. You do not know whether he is the one who suggested your name or not? Mr. FOOTE. I haven't any more idea than the elevator man. Mr. FOOTE. No. Here he is now. May I ask Senator Pepper myself? Senator, the question was just asked me whether I thought you were the man who invited me to come here. I said I have no more idea than the elevator man. Senator DONNELL. We would be glad to have the Senator clear it up. Senator PEPPER. I will be glad to do so. Mr. Bragman, my assistant, helped me prepare a list of witnesses. I also consulted with the Heart Association people and Mrs. Lasker, and I probably was responsible for Mr. Foote being here. Mr. FOOTE. You know I did not know that. Senator PEPPER. I know you would not know it, because it was only because of knowing Mr. Foote's reputation and his interest in this field that he was invited to come here. Senator DONNELL. I return your telegram, Mr. Foote. Mr. FOOTE. Thank you. Senator DONNELL. Have you studied the financial needs of a program of this kind? I think you mentioned a figure. What was the figure $15,000,000? Mr. FooTE. Yes. I said, sir, I thought it was so important that these little relatively pitiful amounts should be spent at once in order to save these lives. Senator DONNELL. Have you made any investigation as to the actual dollars and cents that will be needed for the first year of the investigation that will be made? Mr. FOOTE. If you will permit me, I can answer you only this way: When I see Americans dying, I do not have time to look at little things like that. I want these lives to be saved. That is the only answer I can give you. Senator DONNELL. I just asked you whether or not you have made any investigation to find out exactly how much, within reasonable limits, is needed. Mr. FOOTE. I have talked to people who I think know, and they have told me. Senator DONNELL. Would you mind telling me who it was? Mr. FOOTE. One of them was Mrs. Albert D. Lasker, and I know she talked with other members of the committee. I suppose it all channeled through her. Senator DONNELL. You do not remember anybody else who gave you that figure? Mr. FOOTE. No, sir. Senator PEPPER. I was responsible for Mr. Foote being invited here. I had consulted with Mrs. Lasker. She and others interested thought Mr. Foote was qualified in this field. Mr. FOOTE. Are there any further questions? Senator DONNELL. Yes; I have one. Do you represent Mrs. Lasker in any professional relation? Mr. FOOTE. I do not. Senator DONNELL. Do you represent any interest in which Mrs. Lasker or her husband have any connection? Mr. FOOTE. I do not. Senator DONNELL. Very well. That is all. Mr. FOOTE. Thank you. Senator SMITH. Thank you very much, Mr. Foote. Mr. FOOTE. Thank you, Senator. Senator PEPPER. Mr. Chairman, may I, at this point in the record, ask that pages 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, and to about the middle of page 8 of this book be incorporated in the record? This is a short summary in a book written by Mr. Carl Malmberg, on general health conditions in the United States-a rather compact book. Senator SMITH. Will you identify the book, Senator? Senator PEPPER. It is entitled "140 Million Patients," and was written by Carl Malmberg. Senator SMITH. That will be incorporated in the record at this point. (The excerpt referred to is as follows:) 1. HEALTH INVENTORY-U. S. A. "Human life in the United States is being wasted, as recklessly, as surely, in times of peace as in times of war. Thousands of people are sick and dying daily in this country because the knowledge and facilities we have are inadequately applied. We must promptly put this knowledge and these facilities to work."Final Report of the Committee on the Costs of Medical Care (1932). "I know of nobody that has a mind to die this year."-Thomas Fuller (1732). "THE HEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD" "Americans are the healthiest people in the world." Notice the quotation marks around the above statement. These quotation marks are important. If you do not pay special attention to them you may think you have just read a statement of fact. The truth is, the statement is not a fact. It is merely a cliché that most people hear so often it never occurs to them to question it. For reasons easy to understand, American doctors are among the most diligent spreaders of the cliché. Every day dozens of them write letters to the editor with the message: Americans are the healthiest people in the world. Hardly a day passes that doctors in a score of communities do not stand on lecture platforms and pass the word on to lay audiences: Americans are the healthiest people in the world. And in doing so most of them are quite sincere. They really believe it themselves, and haven't the faintest idea that they are talking through their hats. LET'S LOOK AT THE RECORD On the basis of international mortality statistics, it is a simple matter to prove that Americans are not the healthiest people in the world. One of the best ways to compare general health conditions and the level of medical care in different countries is to show the proportion of babies who die during the first year of life. In this respect America's record is by no means the best. In 1938, the last full prewar year for which international figures are available, the United States was eighth from the top of the list among nations for which the United States Census Bureau had reliable infant mortality data. Another good index of any nation's health status is the maternal mortality rate. On this score the United States comes off very badly indeed. In 1938 we ranked twenty-second among the nations for which comparable records of deaths associated with childbirth were available. (See fig. 2.) SWITZERLAND อาาาาาาย UNITED STATES ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÃÄÄÄ EACH SYMBOL REPRESENTS THREE DEATHS PER 1,000 LIVE *EXCLUDING ABORIGINAL POPULATION PICTOGRAPH CORPORATION |