The Why of WHO

The World Health Organization, designed to be the United Nations' family doctor,* was looking a little peaked last week. WHO's chief supporter, the U.S., decided that it was tired of paying doctor bills. The House Rules Committee tabled indefinitely a bill that would have made the U.S. the 24th permanent U.N. member of WHO. Georgia's Committeeman Eugene ("Goober") Cox explained: "It was a manifestation of impatience with the U.S. joining these joint enterprises and then paying the full bill."

Of this year's proposed budget of $6,250,000, the U.S. share would be 35%; other members would pay 65%. The U.S., which backed formation of WHO at San Francisco in 1945, has been supporting its interim commission in campaigns against the Egyptian cholera epidemic, malaria in Greece, tuberculosis (vaccinating 15,000,000 Europeans), medical neglect in China and Ethiopia.

The day after the House committee's turndown, Russia became WHO's 24th permanent member. It was the first specialized agency Russia has joined, the only one the U.S. has not joined. When two more nations join, the "interim commission" will become a permanent agency.

At week's end, chances of the U.S. being one of the two looked doubtful. Said one GOP leader: "It is dead and going to stay dead. The word has gone out to that effect . . . there are some members who don't want to get mixed up with Russia in that kind of a deal." Public health men were indignantly reminding Congressmen that cholera germs do not respect national boundaries, or even iron curtains.

* Among the few effective agencies of the League of Nations were its Health Organization, which combatted epidemics and malnutrition, and its special committees to fight international traffic in drugs and prostitutes.

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