The San Francisco call., 1909-02-27
PRESIDE SITE THE
ONE PRACTICABLE
DR.. Rupert Blue Discusses the
Proposed Marine Hos
pitaI
Location Mentioned Has Been
Dedicated for This Spe-
cific Purpose

: The United States army is the factor
mat is delaying the building Of a $500
eeo marine hospital on the site that
lnsents the Preside reservation in the
; hichmond district, according to a re-
port that has gained currency among
members Of the chamber Of commerce
and. the marine hospital service. That
the. pretensions Of the army are base
less. for the war department has no
more claim 10 the marine hospital site
than it has TO the fortihcations that
Soilthand the grand canal Of Mars. Is
Atso. asserted by the proponents of fha
marine hospital services plans
Dr. Rupert Blue Of the federal nuhlic
t;e@tth and marine hospital service.
A.lllle- refusing TO discuss the renort
. llls4.1 |ne army has been Instrumental in
ty2Ag UP the 100000 appropriation.
go. en- inphatically, in discussing the
= - between the army and marine
. +-9sa5L1al service, which was published
N me Call yesterday morning. that the
( marine hospital is not on the Preside
n reservation. Doctor Blue said that the
Slte OF the marine hospital was dedi
Gated. Tor that purpose and transferred
. g, To- The treasury department about 2S
years ago.
SITE
Doctor Blue was firm in his declara-
,3 Lloh lilat the present site Of the hos
L pltai IS the only suitable location for
BUILDING the modern half million dolla~
ST Gcture contemplated. Regarding the
statements made by army officers that
the. presence Of the hospital at the edge
.2f the Presidio is detrimental to the
telalth or the garrison, Doctor Blue said
yesterday:
s s.. IT he question Of the noIIution of
the. waters of Mountain lake is
absurd. All the marine hospital
- sewage enters the city sewer main
SHu lhere Is no more danger from
= the hospital than there is from the
Womes IN the Richmond district
near by. Besides the drinking
= Nauer IN the Preside should not be
:laken from Mountain lake or
- l.ObOs creek. Such water is dan
serous ia the extreme and no up
10 date sanitarian would permit
: 3. AIS water TO be used even for
zltLses- The question Of lack OF
SRace tor PresidiO Improvement is
-. gr0nnoLess There is a great deal
r '.gL htnd which is not being used for
any purpose whatever which might
E(e. utilized for the cavalry corral
-. -Af9lch the Quartermaster depart
: 'inent claims II needs. The placing
~ 4ls' He cavalry camp SO near the
Richmond district will cause. BY
reason Of the creation Of flies and
isao smell great depreciation in
Y.
ANGEL. ISLAND IMPRACrICABLE
70 place the marine hospital.
-: which affords surgical and medical
r. FetleL 10 thousands Of sailors in
tnls port each year, on Angel
j. island would be absolutely imprac-
Iica'ble on account Of the distance
from the city and the length Of
time which would elapse before
s5afterlng sailors could be given re-
~.#llef. The Rincon hill site is en-
Jtreiy inadequate in size, and is alb
solutely UNIT for the treatment OF
patients. The position which Gen
: eral Wyman has taken is entirely
: .~3egical and is prompted by a hu-
~ lnanltarian desire for the best in
-, terests Of the people for whom the
=. service cares. 1t is to be regretted
II. tilet the attitude of the quarter
masters department is standing in
=. the way Of the erection Of a hospi
tai which this city needs very bad
~ The sailors of the merchant
? marine are the wards of the ma
= t5On. and al the present time. when
- 50 much IS being done TO pre-
T.. vent foreign nations from driving
=. oar merchant ships from the seas.
+ every effort should be made TO care
for the men who man these crafts
-. A great deal of the prosperity of
this city is dependent upon the
shipping interests. and everything
which is done for the betterment Of
the sailor reacts to the commerce
aT9.d. prosperity OF this city. The
- finest hospital is none too good for
the men who bear such an impor-
-. fant relation TO the prosperity of
the entire nation.
=. THE ouartermaster generals depart
nlent of the army has already secured
an appropriation of 81, 500. 600 for build
.sngs| on the Preside. The marine hos
pitaF appropriation bill was introd-
duced in the senate by Senator Per
% kins but has been stifled in commit
tee. i IS understood that the cham
.ber Of commerce and the marine hos
initial service are about to unite in a
movement against Quartermaster Gen
: eral' Aleshire and the secretary of war
and have that department OF the gov
ernnient call of its opposition to the
marine hospital appropriation bin.