Letter from Agnes E. Meyer to President Harry S. Truman, with Attached Pamphlet

286-A Road NATIONAS FRUMAN ARCHIVES Ase files RECORDS SERVICE 1624, CRESCENT PLACE. N. W. 12-20-43 WASHINGTON 9, D.C. December 2, 1948 Dear Mr. President: As you and I have always agreed one hundred percent on all social legislation, I am sending you herewith the outline of what I feel is a sound national health program. The ideas in it are, of course, not mine. It is simply a reporting job on the best things that are now being done for public health and how they can be expanded along democratic lines. I know, of course, how completely you are committed to compulsory national health insurance. But I venture to submit this statement to you because it is based on the kind of democratic thinking of which you have always been an exponent and because you know me well enough to realize that I have no axes to grind. My pamphlet is being widely circularized throughout the country by various groups both lay and professional because it contains such a large area of agreement by the people who are for and those who are against compulsory health insurance. For example, everyone agrees that we must have local health departments throughout the country supported by state and local health councils composed of laymen and medical leaders. There is also agreement that the Hospital Construction Act should be expanded and its provisions changed to enable the poorer sections of the country to take advantage of it. Would it be possible, in your opinion, to concentrate all the health insurance upon these three points of agreement before the new hearings are begun on the Murray-Wagner-Dingle bill? If you are not too busy to see me, I should like to talk this over with you personally sometime. / I should also like to ask you what we are to do about Federal aid to education. Unfortunately, the opposition to the Catholic Church X7GB has mounted to such a point that most of the big national organizations like the P.T.A.'s and others are coming out against the Ellender-Taft Bill S.472 because it permits a modicum of help to parochialxschools In states where they are now receiving some tax support. If we want x107 Federal aid to pass the Congress without too much unfortunate debate on this question of Church and State, it is possible that the Federal aid bill should be re-written in these and other matters. I should be grateful for your guidance. Yours respectfully, x103 Cgres E. Theyer (IGr. Eugene Meyer) The President of the United States The White House xPP7945 xben. Washington, D.C. view was truly providential. all good wishes. P.S. me election from my Republican pouil of