The New York herald., 1921-04-27
FOX HILLS DIRECTOR
DEFENDS HOSPITAL
Denies He Called Patients
'Bums, Dope Fiends and
Thieves as Alleged.
CHALLENGES HIS CRITICS
Committee of American Legion
Hears Explanation by
Lieut.-COl. Cobb.

Lieut.-Col J. o. Cobb. medical di-
Hospital at Fox Hills, took advantage
yesterday of the presence in that in
stitution OF committee from the Ameri-
can Legion to set forth his own opinion
of the hospital, its inmates. its equip
ment, It's staff and It's critics. Briefly
he declared the staff and the equipment
excellent, the morale of the patients
high and the physical conditions as good
as might be expected of plant COM
posed of buildings subjected to usages
never intended.
The legionnaires composed commit
tee investigating the disqualification of
disabled ex-service men. George A..
Wingate headed the committee. He was
accompanied to Staten Island by James
NJ. Blackwell, William Deegan and Cor
nelius W. Wickersham. The hearing,
following q tour of the various wards,
took the form of statements by Mr..
Wickersham and Lieut.-Col. Cobb. and
questions put to the latter.
At the conclusion of the meeting, how
ever, Mrs. Lillian Paschal Day. chair
man of the hospital committee of the
Women's Press Club, said that she and
other women were in Ward 80 one eve
ming when the surgeon in charge of that
ward said that there were 1,200 patients
in Fox Hills. two or three Of whom
We're really i'll.
"Will you be good enough to mention
the name of that doctor?" queried Lieut.
Col. Cobb.
"Dr. Mercer" she replied.
Cobb Makes General Defence.
tt,n
dozen gold star mothers Of the report
to President Har ding Of the Dawes COM
mittee Lieut.-Col. Cob, holding a news
paper clipping in his hand, said:
IF any man says that 7 ever said
that the patients in Fox Hills Hospital
are buns. dope flends and thieves he
tells a deliberate and malicious lie. II
any woman says it l recommend her to
good ear specialist
This hospital was built in ninety days
and was meant for a debarkation hos
pital and nothing else. Undoubtedly 1t
Is the intention of this committee from
the American Legion to get for the men
the best possible. But when this COM
mittee began its work the personnel of
the hospital became demoralized. When
the investigation of this committee
stopped the morale was restored The
good patients came to the front and the
morale is now better.
"rhe Public Health Service didn't
want this place. We combed New York
for a hospital but couldn't find one. We
had to take this hospital. But a man
can get well between wooden walls as
quickly as he can In a marble building.
III this hospital does not go on, where
are we to go? You are out to get the
best for these men. I hope you get It.
There are many Of them getting more
than Is good for them. but not more
than they deserve.
I'VE sought a hospital for the neuro-
psychopathic cases. Those men should
have other quarters. believe. We tried
to get the Lincoln Hospital hospital
now devoted to negroes. We failed. We
are now negotiating for buildings on
Pocantico Hills.
I'VE are charged with having incom-
petent and inexperienced young doctors
That's untrue Our staff Is efficient.
The youngest member is 81.
Patients Free to Go Elsewhere.
I'VE do not want consumptive cases
here. Out Of thirty-one bed cases
twenty-seven came to us on stretchers-
came here from other Government hos
pitals In climates selected because of
cular patients. They came here because
they wanted to die here at home with
their people.
Go out into that tuberculosis ward.
ask any boy where he wants to go, and
j shall telegraph my recommendation at
once to Washington. They can go to
Saranac Lake. North Carolina or New
Mexico. or elsewhere II they want to-"
When his attention was brought to the
numerous holes seen In the beaver
board walls the Lieutenant-Colonel said
"Yes. they were punched through. The
great majority OF our patients would not
stoop to that. But there are men who
would do that sort OF thing and that
sort of man would break panes OF glass
In marble buildings"
The only patient to take the witness
stand was Richard J. Lynch He said
he was out after taps and, seeking to
pass the guard in the rear of the res
ervation. became engaged in a brawl
during which he hit the guard with a
stone and the guard kicked him while
he was on the ground, despite the fact
he had undergone a throat operation
two days previous.
"The guards made me come here and
tell the story" he said. Il came be-
cause I'd like to know why they have
II in for me-
TURN back a page and see the hundreds OF
4.