this a step further, the purpose of this bill, on an international basis, will not only create good will, but will encourage the exchange of information between research laboratories and workers in many of the countries of the world. Not only will this lead to the improvement of health in these countries, but will be of great benefit to our own country.

Our experience in World War II taught us that diseases in many parts of the world present themselves in a form to which we were unaccustomed. Control of these diseases was extremely difficult and our morbidity rates were very high. Our operations in the South Pacific brought our personnel in contact with malaria, fungus diseases, and many exotic diseases of the tropics. Our records showed more men on the sick list from disease, than from battle casualties.

With transportation as it is today, the countries of the world are being drawn closer and when one realizes that an individual can travel from any part of the world to another within 24 hours, it is easily understood that transmission of disease, from any part of the world is a positive thing.

We know, also, that diseases originating in the tropics present entirely different symptoms when transmitted to human beings in a temperate zone. The various diseases of viral origin present violent symptoms when carried to other parts of the world; so different from those present when in the area in which it originated. A good example of this is the last influenza epidemic, which originated in Asia.

Research should be carried on intensively in this broad field of virus diseases. In a recent press article, we learn that more than 100 seamen in the U.S. Navy, on duty in the Mediterranean, contracted infectious hepatitis, which is a disease of virus origin. Again-experience in World War II recorded thousands of casualties from this type of disease in the Mediterranean and African theater. The American Typhus Commission for World War II, of which I was a member, furthered intensive research in the prevention of this very deadly disease. At the present time, the Medical Department of the Navy operates a modern research laboratory in Cairo, Egypt, which has performed an outstanding service to not only American personnel, but to the health of the people of the Middle East through its research findings and through the teaching of personnel from many of the Arab countries.

In our country, we have many diseases that have not yet been conquered. Measles kills more children yearly than poliomyelitis, and causes tens of thousands of children to be physically handicapped by damage to ears, kidneys, and other vital organs. The neuromuscular diseases require concerted effort in finding the cause. A great example of what can be done by intelligent and concentrated research is the conquest of the virus of anterior poliomyelitis.

The cause of cardiovascular disease must be found before this great killer can be stopped. Cancer stands in the same need. It is imperative that we broaden and intensify studies in genetics, in the investigation of the cause of malignancies. The same is true in determining the cause of malignant blood diseases.

The list of diseases still to be conquered is too long to go into here-the points I make are applicable to all. In our own country, we approach this problem on two fronts the social and the economic. From the social standpoint, it is ideal to have a healthy citizenry. From the economic standpoint, it is imperative.

The purpose, then, as to research in the cause, diagnosis and treatment of disease, can be accomplished by an intelligent program which can be framed under this bill. At the same time, it is a very necessary thing to establish a more comprehensive plan for rehabilitation of our physically handicapped citizens and find ways and means to return them to as near a normal state as possible-making them useful individuals in their communities.

It is estimated that there are between 25 to 30 millions of men, women, and children who have a physical disability serious enough to prevent them from leading normal lives. This is a direct threat to our economy. The President's Committee for the Employment of the Physically Handicapped, of which I am a member, and its chairman for a period of 7 years, has taken positive steps since World War II to inform the employers of the Nation of the advisability and necessity of employing physically handicapped persons.

Rehabilitation may be divided into four parts: (1) The discovery of the disability-from whatever cause; (2) medical and hospital care; (3) retraining and vocational measures; (4) gainful employment.

Rehabilitation, following World War I was not satisfactory. The lack of trained personnel and proper facilities prevented the sort of service that we now know today is all important. As Surgeon General of the Navy, it was my duty to

establish a department of rehabilitation in the Medical Department of the Navy, which would return to useful existence the men and women of the Navy and Marine Corps who were damaged by injury or disease. This was accomplished in excellent fashion. The Army did a similar service following World War II.

A number of us decided that the experience of wartime rehabilitation service should be transmitted to the good of physically handicapped citizens. The Congress has been extremely helpful in this matter and a good start has been made throughout our Nation in this regard.

The surface has only been scratched. Each year we place on the permanent rolls of our Nation more than 250,000 people who have permanent damage from accidents on our highways or farms, in industry and in our homes. Last year, less than 75,000 physically handicapped people were given rehabilitation. There is a backlog, today, of more than 21⁄2 million people with a physical handicap of one sort or another. With proper training, and rehabilitation service, these people could be made available for employment and-instead of taking money from the tax rolls-be taxpayers.

In my various travels through the world, I find nations becoming more conscious of the need for similar service in their countries. In India, there are more than 2 million blind who could be given sight if facilities were available. On a visit to the Philippines 2 years ago, I had the opportunity to discuss with the then President, Magsaysay, their plans for bettering the health of their people. The Philippines is a democratic nation and has resisted the Communists at every turn. The rural health of that nation needs all the help that can be given it. The need is great there, for medical personnel in all classes. Magsaysay believed that if his people were on a high healthy level, communism would never have an opportunity to flourish there.

In this program that is proposed in the bill, we have a great responsibility to see that our research program in the prevention of disease, and all other aspects, is such that it will be a good example for other countries to follow. If it is not well-balanced, we cannot expect to see the results in parts of the world, where so little has been done, go forward. Our understanding, today, has changed greatly from what it was at the turn of the century. We know that many countries have excellent methods in the control of disease their research institutions are fully abreast those of ours and exchange of ideas, technical knowledge and personnel will be to mutual advantage.

The field of science has no definite boundaries. These are things we have learned in the immediate years. The man in science, whether it be in medicine or surgery, electronics or nuclear physics-all speak the same language-though the tongue may be different. What better method can we use than this international interchange of knowledge and information which pertains, directly and indirectly, to the prevention of disease.

The CHAIRMAN. Our next witness will be Mr. E. B. Whitten. Mr. Whitten, we are happy to have you here, sir. You received your B.A. degree from Millsaps College in Mississippi, but for M.A. degree you came to the University of Alabama. Is that right? Mr. WHITTEN. That is correct, Senator.

your

The CHAIRMAN. You were 17 years an administrator in Mississippi public schools; supervisor of physical restoration, Mississippi Vocational Rehabilitation Division; director of Mississippi Vocational Rehablitation Division for 2 years; executive director of National Rehabilitation Association since 1948; member of the Executive Committee of the President's Committee on the Employment of the Handicapped; member of Joint Commission on Mental Health and Illness; treasurer and member of the Executive Committee of American Hearing Society; member of the Committee on Aging of National Social Welfare Assembly; and professorial lecturer, George Washington University.

I am sure, Mr. Whitten, you were as gratified as we were to hear that fine statement of Admiral McIntire's.

STATEMENT OF E. B. WHITTEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL REHABILITATION ASSOCIATION

Mr. WHITTEN. I wanted to start off, Senator, by saying that it is a real pleasure to follow Admiral McIntire, whom we all admire so much, in supporting this bill in general and also in giving some emphasis to the meaning that it might have in the rehabilitation of the world's handicapped people as time goes on.

The CHAIRMAN. Now we would be only too happy, sir, to have you proceed in your own way.

Mr. WHITTEN. I am executive director of the National Rehabilitation Association, as you have indicated. This is an organization of 18,000 individuals concerned for the rehabilitation of the Nation's physically and mentally handicapped citizens. The organization has membership in all of the States and Territories and has affiliated State and local chapters in over three-fourths of the States. Its principal concern over the 35 years of its existence has been to promote in any way possible the rehabilation of physically and mentally imparied individuals. This being true, we are naturally interested in Senate Joint Resolution 41, which would establish in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare the National Advisory Council for International Medical Research, establish in the Public Health Service a National Institute for International Medical Research, and which has as its general objectives the mobilization of the efforts of medical scientists and research workers for an assault upon disease, disability, and impairment on a worldwide basis.

The accomplishment of the purposes of this legislation will contribute significantly to the objective of the National Rehabilitation Association, which is to assure to every handicapped man and woman, boy and girl, an opportunity to achieve a happy and useful life.

In our opinion, this legislative proposal has two important aspects; first, the effect it may have on the health and general well-being of mankind in this country and throughout the world; and, second, the effect it may have on relationships among nations.

Three ideas seem axiomatic in any consideration of this measure. First, disease and disability recognize no national boundaries. People of all lands are affected by the same disabling conditions, and contagious disease may sweep around the world in a few months. If for no other than selfish reasons, one must be concerned for the health of his fellow man in every section of the globe.

The second axiom is that scientific ability and research talent bear no label of nationality. We are proud, of course, that our own scientists are making valuable contributions to the solutions of world health problems, but we must and do gladly recognize the contribution that men of other nations are making to our own health and security.

Third, it seems axiomatic that a purely nationalistic attack upon health problems is extremely wasteful of time, scientific effort, and money. If as a result of passage of this legislation substantial progress can be made in the next few years toward developing a more effective machinery for the exchange of research information among health scientists, the result would, in our opinion, fully justify all that will be spent on the proposed program.

In saying this, we are not unmindful of the fact that many scientists are doing what they can individually to keep up with developments in other lands, and that some efforts to coordinate research are being made under private auspices. We think all will agree, however, that present efforts are almost insignificant in view of the immensity of the problem. By means of study and investigations, training of research personnel, and cooperative research projects, we may confidently expect to add significantly to the world's knowledge and understanding of many of the current diseases and disabilities that plague us.

As important as is its potential contribution to the improvement of the health of the world, the potential of this legislation for improving relationships among people of various nations is even more significant. For many years, our Nation has been pouring out billions of dollars to help other nations. Most of this has been for military assistance, but substantial sums have been spent on economic assistance programs. There has been much disappointment that our bounty apparently has not resulted in making and holding friends. This may have been partially because our motives have been mixed. While we fully believe that the American people want to help their fellow man in other parts of the world, the debates in Congress and sometimes we fear the administration of these programs has emphasized too much our own national interest. Criticisms of our efforts have appeared both at home and abroad.

At the same time, some efforts have been made to help nations attain better health. Some of these projects are being carried on by affiliates of the United Nations. Other efforts have been made by foundations and individuals. Such efforts have been almost uniformly beneficial in achieving their immediate aims and have resulted in great gains in understanding between men of different nationalities.

I am more familiar with projects of this kind in the rehabilitation area and shall speak briefly about these.

I do not believe there is a better way to show our real concern for other people than to help them rehabilitate their handicapped fellow citizens. In 1957, I attended the World Congress of the International Society for the Welfare of Cripples in London. Representatives from many nations and from all continents were present. I was made humble by the zeal of these people, regardless of their race or nationality, to do something to rehabilitate their handicapped citi

zens.

I was further humbled when I came to understand better the difficulties under which many of these people worked and how they looked to the people of this country for leadership. This congress was the nearest thing to a world brotherhood I have ever experienced, although from Curtain countries, including Russia, were represented at this congress. I know how the people of other countries appreciate the visits of technicians from this country who help them organize their rehabilitation programs. I know how much they appreciate the services their handicapped people have received when they have come to the United States for rehabilitation services. I have found islands of genuine friendliness and hospitality in rehabilitation centers throughout Europe, many of them having personnel that have received their training in this country.

One of the most notable achievements in international good will resulting from rehabilitation activity is to be found in Mexico, where for 5 years a rehabilitation technician from this country, under the auspices of the International Cooperative Administration, has been assisting the Mexican Government in establishing a national rehabilitation program. Not only is significant progress being made in the rehabilitation of the handicapped, but everywhere we found concrete evidences of good will toward this country. We found that even a former President of Mexico, still regarded by many as the strong man of that country, and almost openly an anti-American in his sentiments, has been strongly moved by the help that a crippled friend has received in this country.

Results of such programs spread like waves on a lake. In Mexico City, I saw a small but very efficiently operated facility for teaching deaf children, the first to be established, incidentally, in that great country. Two young women trained in this country were the chief instructors and, significantly, students from seven other Latin American countries were studying under them, expecting to go back to their own countries to develop rehabilitation programs for their own deaf. In all of the small programs that have been developed on an international basis, and of all the visits of the American technicians to foreign countries to help in rehabilitation programs, I know of not one single program or visit which has backfired to hurt our relationships with other nations.

The rehabilitation needs of many countries, particularly those in Africa and Asia, are very great. People of these countries are pleading for help, not so much for money as for know-how. There is a tremendous potential for the improvement of international understanding to help these people plan to rehabilitate their handicapped. And I am hopeful that under this resolution, many research and demonstration projects will be developed.

The importance of rehabilitation in helping to achieve the objectives of this resolution are such that certain administrative features of the resolution become very important.

Let me say parenthetically, Mr. Chairman, that since this testimony was prepared, I have heard that testimony has been introduced that would call for a rather radical change in the administrative setup as suggested in the resolution as it is now before us, which, I think, makes the statements that I want to make here more pertinent than they might have been otherwise.

In our judgment, it is extremely important that authority to administer the programs be lodged in the Office of the Secretary. In a program that involves relationships at high levels with officials of other governments, it would not seem appropriate that authority to administer this resolution be established at lower than the Cabinet level. Administration in the Secretary's Office would also assure that the resources of the entire Department of Health, Education, and Welfare are utilized in carrying out the provisions of this resolution.

Second, it is important that the resolution set forth the obligations and responsibilities of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Children's Bureau, the Surgeon General, and other units of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, which are in such a position as to contribute to the attainments of its objectives.