Communist infiltration of Hollywood motion-picture industry : hearing before the Committee on Un-American activities, House of Representatives, Eighty-second Congress, first session (1951)

174 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY Mr. Popper. There are two. The first is from Dr. Walter Model!, a distinguished heart specialist of New York, under whose care Mr. Bromberg presently is, who says: Mr. J. Edward Bromberg has asked me to write to you. Mr. Bromberg has rheumatic heart disease. He first visited me because of this in August 1944, and since he has taken residence in this city I have attended him regularly for it. Mr. Bromberg discovered that he had rheumatic heart disease in his youth. The exact time it developed has not been established. Since its discovery and until recently his heart disease has been well compensated and he has required no treatment. Since December of 1950 he has complained of symptoms of cardiac dysfunction. This was treated with mercurial diuretics with relief. In March 1951, in Philadelphia, he suffered a frank attack of congestive failure. This was treated with digitalis and mercurial diuretics. This form of treat- ment has been continued, and Mr. Bromberg is now symptom free. Treatment and dietary restriction will be required for an indefinite period. I have also- advised Mr. Bromberg to refrain from emotional upsets and to avoid tensions and anxieties. There is the possibility that unless this practice is followed there will be further attacks of heart failure. I also have a certificate from the physician at Philadelphia who treated Mr. Bromberg at the time of his heart attack within the past month, and if the committee wants me to, I shall be glad to read that as well, but it merely confirms that fact and indicates the course of treatment. I am also ready to present to the committee the electrocardiographs taken of Mr. Bromberg's condition in March of 1951 at the time of the heart attack, for which attack and general symptoms he is still under treatment. I would under these circumstances suggest that reason and safety itself would indicate the correctness of vacating the subpena, a course which is followed even in its most normal sense even in judicial proceedings of a kind which don't bring in this kind of anxiety. Mr. Walter. Do those affidavits go so far as to express the opinion; that if your client appears his health and his life would be endan- gered ? Mr. Popper. There is no question but that Mr. Walter. Do the affidavits say that ? Mr. Popper. First of all, they are not affidavits, sir. They are medical certificates. It says that any kind of emotional upset or anxiety create the possibility of a further heart attack at this time. There is no doubt in my mind that any inquiry of any of these physicians, because they have already been asked this question, would indicate that an appearance before this committee at this time leads to the definite danger of a heart attack, with whatever serious and terrible consequences may come therefrom. I should imagine, Congressman Walter, that under these circum- stances the gravity of the responsibility on any public body is im- measurable. Mr. Walter. We realize that, except I know, having practiced law for a great many years, that you can get doctors to make statements as to almost anything, and even though those statements don't go so- far as to indicate that this man's health would be endangered by an appearance here Mr. Popper. Not quite. I mean as far as these certificates are concerned. In the first place, I offered to the committee the electro- cardiographs of Mr. Bromberg, and as a matter of fact I have already indicated to Mr. Tavenner that we haven't the slightest objection to