Evening star., 1922-05-09
Opportunity Lost When Vet
erans' Bureau Plans Call
for Change.
FOURTH DISTRICT FUND
IS REAPPORTIONED
Entire Program of Caring for Men
Must Go. to President, Says
Col. Forbes.

Washington has lost the opportu-
nifty for either a big new govern
ment hospital or reconstruction OF
the temporary buildings at Walter
Reed General Hospital into modern
permanent buildings from funds au-
thorized by Congress for the Vet
Grams Bureau, 1t was learned today.
Action was taken at a conference
at the Veterans Bureau yesterday
whereby the recommendation of a
board Of medical experts urging con-
struction at Walter Reed was reject
ed, it is understood.
Col C. r. Forbes. director Of the
Veterans Bureau, expected to see
President Harding today, to lay be-
fore him the completed recommenda-
tions for expenditure Of the first
S12,000,000 of $4,000 which Con-
gress eventually expects to appro-
pirate for the use of the Veterans
Bureau. Col. Forbes has stated that
he would not proceed with contracts
until the entire program had been ap-
proved by the President.
Bureau Respon.ibIe.
The Veterans. Bureau is alone re-
sponsible for the expenditure of funds
authorized by Congress, the appro-
priation bill. which has passed the
House and Senate and now awaits the
signature Of President Harding, de-
claring that "the director of the
United States Veterans Bureau" is
the person authorized to spend the
appropriation.
Not only has Washington lost an in
stitutiOn, but 1t was understood in GER
tain quarters today that the money
originally allotted to the fourth district
Of the Veterans Bureau, including West
Virginia, Virginia. Maryland and the
District Of Columbia, had been taken
ed to others. The report from the House
committee on appropriations. submitted
in connection with the appropriation bill.
provided that the fourth district should
receive $750SO00 for the construction of
disqualification facilities for ESQ beds.
1t is understood that this has been lost
to the fourth district
The recommendation before Col.
Forbes from his board Of medfe4f exe
perts had urgently proposed that one OF
the most feasible places to spend money
in the fourth district, was at Walter
Reed Hospital, where there are provided
already not only the government owned
site, but a heating and power plant, and
practically all the overhead expenditures
for hospital construction. Surgeon Gen.
Ireland had pointed out fnat among all
the tentative sites for hospital construc-
ton available, Walter Reed probably
provided the one where the maximum
hospital facilities could be built with
minimum expense.
Where the money formerly allotted
to the fourth district has been reap
portioned was not learned. The fact
that there are roughly 500 vacant
beds in government institutions with
in the District of Columbia was be-
lieved to have had a considerable in
f1uence against the Walter Reed
project, or the proposition for a new
Independent hospital at this time.
Need OF Tuberculosis Hospital.
officials Of the fourth district had
stated in connection with the need at
present here that this district was
short a tuberculosis hospital and
there had been some influence brought
to bear for the construction of a
tuberculosis hospital somewhere with
in the three states and the District
Of Columbia. A recent recommenda-
tion, however, was presented to Col.
Forbes by a board of tuberculosis ex-
nection with their national associa-
tion, which stated that at present
there were sufficient facilities avail
able to care for all the tubercular
veterans throughout the country.
1t is known that Veterans Bureau
officials have seriously considered the
recommendation for neuropsychiatric
hospitals, made by board from a
conference of neuropsychiatric ex-
perts called to Washington for con-
sidering the question. The Veterans
Bureau had before it specific recon-
mendations as to the actual location
of such hospitals.
Whether there will be any addi-
tional construction at Mount Alto
Hospital. in the District of Columbia,
fl ON the recent appropriation is not
known. But the act authorizing money
for the Veterans Bureau states that
the bureau "is hereby authorized 10
provide additional hospital facilitiea"
for world war veterans, "by purchase
and remodeling or extension of exist
ing plants, and by construction on
sites now owned by the governme mt,
or on sites to be acquired by pur-
chase, condemnation. gift or other
WISE"