Evening star., 1922-05-06
HOSPITAL PROJECT
FAVORED BY ARMY
Cooperation With Veterans
Bureau Seen as Solution
at Walter Reed.

Officials of the United States Army,
which controls Walter Reed Hospital,
would be glad to cooperate in any
manner desired by the Veterans Bu
reau. Surgeon General Ireland of the
Army said today, if the bureau should
decide to spend part of the $4,000, 200
authorized by Congress for the erec-
tion Of permanent hospital buildings
on the site now occupied by tempo
rary wartime structures at Walter
Reed.
At Fitzsimons General Hospital at
Denver precedent was established
The war risk insurance bureau spent
$750.000 for the enlarging of this
Army hospital. which now is caring
for 500 tuberculosis patients of the
Veterans Bureau.
Co-Operation Seen Easy.
{ Exact details Of the cooperation
would have to be worked out. in the
case Of Walter Reed, but 1t is the
opinion not only of Gen. Ireland. but
also of certain representatives of the
Veterans Bureau. that 1t could easily
be arranged. and the veterans of the
bureau cared for with efficiency AL
though the Veterans Bureau has COM
plete control of many hospitals. in
GLIDING more than fifty recently
transferred from the public health
service by executive order of Presi-
dent Harding. facilities in these hos
pitfalls are not sufficient, and addi-
at thirteen Navy and six Army hos
pitals.
The Army has offered to treat as
many patients of the Veterans Br-
reau as 1t can accommodate. Surgeon
General Ireland said, and, according
to present estimates, the Army hos.
pitfalls are now caring for about 1.S0o
veterans under supervision Of the
Veterans Bureau.
Available ID. C. Hospitals.
In Washington there are four gov
ernment hospitals in which the
Veterans Bureau can place their pa
tients. and 1t has been estimated there
are more than 500 vacant beds in
these hospitals, which could be used
for patients of the Veterans Bureau.
1t would be the most feasible plan,
it has been pointed out, If the
Veterans Bureau would spend money
In making permanent the construc-
ton at Walter Reed, instead of going
to additional expense of buying land,
erecting a new hospital, and equip
ping 1t with a trained staff.
The hospitals already in the Dis
trict include the Veterans Bureau
Hospital, Mount Alto. the Army Hos
pital. Walter Reed. the Naval Hos
pital and St. Elizabeths Hospital for
the Insane, which are caring for
more than 700 Veterans Bureau pa
tients. and could care for more. than
500 more, with present facilities.
Opposition to Plan.
Strong opposition has developed to
the plan of replacing the flimsy
wooden structures at Walter Reed
Opponents are understood to favor
pendent hospital somewhere within
the District of Columbia.
Brig. Gen. Sawyer, head Of the fed
eral board for disqualification, who
has been understood to be the chief
exponent Of the new big hospital
plan, when interviewed today said he
was making an appointment to con-
fer with Director Forbes of the Vet
erans' Bureau as soon as possible. and
following that conference would have
an important announcement.
The Walter Reed project has had
the Endorsement Of the hospital board
of the Veterans Bureau, which has
recommended to Col. Forbes action in
that direction. Certain members of
the federal board for disqualification
are understood also to have favored
the Walter Reed project, but Gen.
Sawyer said that it had never been
officially considered by the federal
board.