Evening star., 1922-04-15
Enlarging 0. Mount Alto or
New Institution Now Be-
Iieved Assured.
LANGLEY BILL PASSAGE
PROVIDES NEEDED FUNDS
President Has Already Indicated
His Approval-3,000 Patients
in This District.

Washington may get either a great
new veterans hospital or additions
to Mount Alto Hospital, through allo-
cation of funds from the Langley bill
passed yesterday by the House, and
now awaiting the Presidents sigma
ture. Seventeen million dollars is
appropriated for expenditure by the
Veterans Bureau. The President has
indicated his willingness to sign the
bill.
Although it is understood tentative
ALLEGATION of the funds provided has
been proposed by the Veterans Bu-
reau. and no definite proportion has
as yet been assigned to the fourth
district. of which Washington is the
most important center. it was learned
today that in certain influential cir
cles there is a strong movement to
have erected in this city a great gen.
eral hospital. of the nature Of Walter
Reed, but Of permanent construction,
for the use Of the Veterans Bureau
to leave Walter Reed for the Army
alone.
Director Forbes Of the Veterans
Bureau Is understood to have stated
that hospitals will be constructed
Langley BILL at places where they are
most needed, and that there will be
no needing to political influence for
the relocation.
1000 Patients I'm Fourth District.
The fourth district has put in claim
to its share of the seventeen million
dollars. and owing to the high rela-
tive Importance of the district, 1t has
been estimated that perhaps this dis
trict might receive about one-tenth Of
the appropriation. The district is
third in the list, as to number Of hos
pitalized patients, with 5000, being
second district, comprising the states
of New York and New Jersey, and
the fifth district in the southeast, in
cluding great hospitals In the Blue
Ridge mountains.
Official opinion as to just what
should be located in Washington in
the new building program has been
divided, 1t was learned, some officials
pulling fer a great general hosp11qf
in Washington. others holding that
this city offers too many diversions
for the rapid progress of convalAsc-
ing patients.
"The dire need of the fourth district, 's
said Capt. Albert E. Ham, manager Of
the fourth district for the Veterans
Bureau. "is for a tubercular hospital.
The fourth district, he explained, has
at present no place for the care of
tuberculars. and is compelled to send
the men into other districts. farther
from their homes for disqualification.
Request has been entered for one or
two hospitals for the fourth district,
Capt Haan said, but as yet no de-
cision has been reached.
Several sites have already been in
spected for the location of q tubercular
hospital should funds ever be available,
it was announced. the investigators
going over several locations in the
Allegheny mountains. from Berkeley
Springs on the north to White Sulphur
Springs on the south.
Brig. Gen. Charles E. Sawyer. head
of the federal board Of hospitalization.
is understood to have favored in gem
eral way. a large hospital for Washing
ton in addition to present facilities,
though it has not been definitely an
nounced that he would favor building
it under the terms Of the new appro-
priation to the Veterans Bureau.