Part: 12         Session: 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536         Page 341342343344345346347348349350351352353354355356357358359360361362363364365366367368369370371372373374375376377378379380381382383384385386387 of 1143

that it was extremely necessary and reasonable, but we thought there was so little chance of her espousing it.

What was the motivating force behind Bloomgarten?

I never could find out. I said to him, “Had you had any experience with illness?” He said, “No, not a great deal.” “How have you come to be so interested in this?” I said. “Well, I just see that we're not doing enough.” I never could find out what his basic motivation was but, indeed, he did have a motivation and he was indeed extremely helpful in interesting and making Margaret Chase Smith sympathetic. I think Margaret Chase Smith had had some illness in her own family at this time, and she realized that we did not have answers that we needed.

She lost her husband, and I can't remember whether that was due to heart or what?

Well, I think she lost somebody close to her maybe to cancer or to one of the other major diseases, and she wanted to do something and she at last saw that we hadn't been doing enough. And Bloomgarten really got to her and sold her on doing this, and it was extremely useful.

By about November 1st, rumors came to me that--from the Public Health Service--Mr. Folsom was planning to increase the