Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-01
SOLDIER HOSPITAL
ASSURED DISTRICT
One of Seven or Eight in Bill
!. Passed by House to
7 Be Here.

The District of Columbia was as
sured of new hospital for former
service men, when the $17,000,O0O
Langley disqualification bill passed
the House late yesterday without a
record vote. Col. c. r. Forbes, di-
rector of the L. S. Veterans, Bureau.
in whose discretion the selection of
sites and construction of the new
hospitals is placed by this legislation.
has assured the committee on public
buildings and grounds that Washing
ton will get one of the seven or eight
new hospitals to be erected. Brig.
Gen. C. E. Sawyer, chairman of the
disqualification board and personal
representative of President Harding,
has also declared that one of the
new hospitals is to be built in the
National Capital fer care of special
cases. The measure now goes to the
Senate.
BY viva voce vote the House re-
1ected an amendment by Representa-
tive Kindred, democrat, New York,
to increase the appropriation to $685.
900. 600.
The bill. drafted by Chairman
Langley of the public buildings and
grounds committee, would place the
charge of all activities which would
grow out of the passage of the meas
ure. including selection of sites, plans
for new buildings and for the remod-
cling of existing structures designed
to be converted into hospitals and
Treasury Department architect super
viseS the planning of new hospitals
for war veterans and their conStruc-
ton.
Amendment Rejected.
After an up-and-down fight the
House rejected, by a record vote of
167 to 1877. an amendment by Chair
man Madden of the appropriation
committee, which would have placed
expenditure of the fund carried in the
bill in the hands of the President,
with authority to designate whatever
government agency he saw fit to SUI
pervise the planning of additional
hospitals and construction work. The
amendment had been adopted by a
standing vote of Sc to 81, and was
eliminated just prior to passage of
the bill on roll ca1l demanded by
Mr.. Langley, who was opposed to its
adoption. LaSt-minute rejection Of
the substitute threw the House into
parliamentary tangle, which con-
sumed more than an hour
Executive Authority.
A flock OF amendments were offered,
but for the most part they were re-
jected. OF those adopted, one by
Representative Williamson, repub-
lican, South Dakota, would give the
President authority by executive or
der to transfer to the Veterans Bu-
reau buildings under the jurisdiction
of other government departments,
but no longer used by them. The
bureau director would have author
ity to remodel such buildings for use
as hospitals.
An amendment also was accepted
by Representative Kincheloe, demo-
crat, Kentucky. which would permit
acquisition of existing buildings not
owned by the government to be used
as hospitals.
Debate on the bill was marked by
an attack on Director Forbes of the
Veterans Bureau by Representative
Bland, republican, Indiana, who de-
clared that bureau had no RESPONSE
BILE head and very little efficiency in
organization.
Mr.. Forbes was defended by Mr..
Langley, who reminded the House
that the director had been under
shell fire in France