from serious malnutrition. Food production, even with major technological
breakthroughs, cannot catch up with
population's exponential growth.
It seems better to concentrate our.
government efforts first on stabilizing
the world's population to a level where
all people can be fed even in the low
settling, and the involvement of con
gressmen by the hundreds and money
in the millions has dwindled to a couple
of congressmen and a couple of thousands in campaign dollars, 1 wonder
how we can ever retrieve the reputation of our friends, the Korean people?
*Koreagite” brings up spetiers, ouw-
ever unthinking, of an equal horror to
our minds.
For the alleged actions of one Ko
Tean, we bave, unconsciously perhaps,
fainted the image of an entire nation, 2
Korea of 35 million people who have
harvest years.
His a eruel hoax of this “human
Tights” administration to promote ex-
Open a pillowto the winds and you can been our friends und allies for many
never re-gather the feathers.
"years.
We have fallen vielim to the press
The word “Koreagate” has infected
penchant for a slick label. Afler the our nation with bad feelings, feelings
which will swell the world’s population
during the bumper crop years only to
wipe out milions by starvation when
Teagale,” a word containing nothing
analogous exceptits fanviliar sound.
perimentation
with
food
supplies,
an unforeseeable plant disease or im-*
scasonable weather condition causes a
crop failure,
RICK C. NORMAND
«Washington
a
Tread with some concern in Marquis
Childs's Oct. 19 column that President
Carter has formed vet another commission to study world hunger. What's
going on here? Is this the same man
who once staled that there were 72
agencies responsible far health but that
Lwo would bea gracious plenty?
i President Carter is so hot to increase rather than decrease the bureaucracy, why is he avoiding the real
issue? Mr. Childs hit the nail on the
head when he wrote that the popula.
tion explosion in Jess developed cotntrics is the root cause of hunger. Finda
solutiog ta the population prablem, and
hunger will take care of itself,
Alexandria
RONALD DEES
‘Curious Similarity’
suiccess of “Walergate,” what an easy
but meaningless move it was lo “Ke
The word “Walergate” fills the
Ametican heart with fear, anger and
scattered
as
feathers.
May
the
fealhers be swept away that we may
again see the Koreans as they are—
friends and alties.
RAYMOND FL MOWARD
NewYork
Al Broken Trust
Iwas appalled, as were several of my
patients, by your Oct. 11 story “‘No
Clues’ to Suicide Given by Paisley; Psychiatrist Says Ex-ClA Otficial May Have
Had Emotional Crisis" [Metro]. The psy-
chiatrist involved seems to think the
Ihppocratic cominitment lo keep patient-doctor “holy secrets" confidential
died with the patient. Like the National
Commission on Confidentiahty of
Health Records, on whese board of di-
rectors I serve, 1] believe thal when society las a legitimate claim to personal
health infarmalion-—as it may have in
some criminal-justice or medical-re
search cases—some Information can be
shared. But socicty had no apparent
“need to know" in this case, and the
physician's lips should have remained
sealed.
This is particularly true in the case of
psychiatrists, who must keep their pa-
tients’ secrets to prevent erosion of
ment is essential, In recent years, there
‘has been a great deal of effort by psychialrists in the Washington Psyehiatric Society and the American Psychiatric Association and ils other branches
to protect confidentiality from unwarranled intrusions by various inquiring
third parties, such as the governinent
and insurance companies.
lam greatly concerucd for what 1 believe is a blatant disregard for confidentiality by Dr. Baruch that unfortunately may well be generalized to all
psychiatrists and other professionals in
the hehavioral science fickl who do
psycholherapy. Howadversely will this
affect the therapy of people alreadyin.
treatment? How many people will re-
sist needed therapy because of their
concern about how seriously the psy-
chiatrist will aceept the professional responsibility of confidentiality?
trust. What is said in therapy should
remain locked in the therapist's office
PAUL D. SULLIVAN, M.D,
Past president,
until released by the patient—and not
by the patient's demise, which releases
nothing except possibly his or her soul.
Interestingly enough, the patient group
involved in this slory appears to have
Has anyone noticed the curius similarity bebween the contradictory sila
tions two of the workd’s radien! pucr- had the best intuitive prasp of the
Tilla movements find themselves in at ethics involved.
the moment? Both the PLO and the
HENRY A SEGAL, ALD.
Rhodesian Patriotic Front have at last
American Academy of Psychoanalysis
allained the conditions for which they
Washington
have been strugyling: The PLO (with
Jordan and Syria) has been invited te
0
participate on terins that they have so
long been fighting fer—the Camp
David aceords—but refuses: the Patri
Tread in stunned disbelief the Oct. 11
news story,
otic Front has been asked to join in the
free elections provided for by the “inL consider this action by the psychiaternal settiement”—but refuses.
Urist Dr. Jack Baruch, an irresponsible
breach of confidentiality and Lam con.
The democratic intentions those two
cerned about the impact of this on
terrorist organizations are supposcaly
people in psychotherapy. I fect a strony
trying to attain are ostensible ones
only, and their true object as simply the sense of urgency to express my betiet
and hope that Dr. Raruch’s action is a
sudjupation of the land by military
Lare ¢acepeon.
forca,
‘The assurance of confidentiality for
PATRICK HENRY
Washington
as
people who are in psychiatric treat.
Washing low Psy chtal rl Suchet y.
Rockville
The Washington Yost
TUGENE MEYER tets-1959
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KATHARINE Of AHA M
Chalrman of tie awed
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President
3, fC 2a (920) 4 are
ee
AOLDO ‘AVGIUA
9TY
oT,