ON this date in 1987 - U.S. President Reagan told doctors in Philadelphia, "We've declared AIDS public health enemy No. 1."

Bun Man and Mr. Purple, Delaware Senators and summer residents of Rehoboth, and who had may friends who were afflicted, had championed the cause to Reagan.

Because Reagan was Republican, he declared it a public enemy but didn't do anything about it until it became politically expedient.