The Washington herald., 1920-03-29
HOSPITALSITE
REPORT READY
Mount Alto May Be Chosen
As Sanitariim ford. c.
Service Men.
NEED IS NATIONWIDE
Tentative Bill Drawn Ask
ing $S5, 600, 900 for
Hospitals.

The House subcommittee appoint
ed to select a site for Public Health
Service Hospital in Washington for
District disabled ex-service men
win report tomorrow morning to
the House Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds.
Although it's recommendations
will be confined to the District the
report of this subcommittee 1t is ex-
pected will be the means of focusing
Congress attention on the whole
problem of supplying hospitaliza-
tion for thousands of disabled or
diseased Yanks entitled to free
treatment.
This committee, headed by Repre-
sentative John w. Langley. of Ken
lucky, has considered for some
weeks a tentative draft OF a bill
recommended by the Secretary OF
the Treasury providing a blanket
appropriation of sS5.0OO,ooo to es-
tablish such hospitals throughout
the country.
May Pick Mount Alto.
While it is impossible to forecast
the recommendation of the sub
committee as to what site Will be
best suited for the Districts war
disabled, it is known that its MEM
bers are favorably impressed with
the temporary hospital at Mount
Alto on Wisconsin avenue.
The buildings and grounds at
Mount Alto, with certain changes
in construction and additions which
practically will double the bed ca
pacity, are regarded as almost
ideal. The stone buildings are OF
the detached type. They were con-
structed about four years ago as a
National School of Domestic Arts
and Sciences. The school was not
financially successful and during
the latter part of the war was used
as a high class inn for dollar-a-
wear men and army officers ana
their wives.
$4,000 on Alterations.
TIE .ubIic Health Service Is
r.." g $4,000 altering the build
!s;,s to adapt them for hospital use.
he temporary hospital which has
an uncrowded bed capacity for sew
enty-five patients, is now by the use
of sleeping-porches for tuberculosls
patients, caring for eighty-one pa
tients.
The medical officer in charge OF
the hospital is Lieut.. II. E. Trimble
of the Public Health Service, who
served during the war on antl-sub-
marine patrol duty with the Coas'
Guard Cutter Manning.
The site of the proposed perma-
nent hospital, located on high nil
overlooking the Capital and Rock
Creek Park, is regarded as having
many advantages for use as a hos
nitaI. The grounds are twelve
acres in area. There are four four
story buildings, formerly used as
school dormitories.
Has Open-Air Theater.
On the grounds is an open-air
Greek theater and dancing pavilion
with seating capacity for 500, which
could be used for entertainments
and recreation for the soldier pa
tients. There is greenhouse
which can be used for teaching the
patients gardening, while the ample
grounds could provide garden plots.
There is also a big green on which
the patients could play croquet and
clock golf, and four tennis courts.
In addition to the main dormi-
tories there is a frame building
used for administration Offices
The hospital is being fitted up
with the most modern, ,conveniences
for surgical and mental cases. A
special diagnostic station is being
built for expert diagnosis of cases
of patients who come from various
sections of the country to be eX-
amined to determine whether they
are entitled to compensation under
the War Risk Act and also whether
they need additional hospital care.