Evening star., 1923-07-26
URGESREBU|LD|NG
FOR WALTER REED
Hines to Ask Funds to Re-
place Temporary
Structures.

Congress will be asked to appro-
pirate funds to replace many of the
temporary wooden structures at wal
ter Reed Army Hospital with per-
manent buildings. It was announced
yesterday by Director Hines Of the
Veterans Bureau.
Gen. Hines had conferred with the
War Department. he said. concerning
cooperation. The Veterans Bureau
has large number of patients at the
hospital, which Is under direction OF
the Army.
Whether the War Department viii
provide in it's own estimates for 1929
for the rebuilding of part of Walter
Reed could not be Learned today.
Has 500 Patients.
Only two permanent hospital build
ings proper have been completed 1t
the great general hospital reserva- =
tion, where there Is adequate space
for the construction of one of the
governments finest, model instttu-
tions. At present 500 patients are
under treatment there, most of whom
are in the temporary buildings.
Surgeon General Ireland yesterday
made tour of inspection at Walter
Reed, especially to look over the new
Army Medical School. which is in
course of construction. 1t is the aim
of the Army eventually to complete
n great medical center at Walter
Reed. the foremost of its kind in the
country.
An order giving a more stable cora-
pensation status to disabled former
service men was also announced yes
terday by Director Hines.
:. status for Two Y-nrs.
: Under the new plan, which affects
men whose condition indicates that
their disability has reached sta
tionary level and cannot be benefited
by further hospital treatment, each
veteran at his next regular eXamina-
ton will go before n special board
of three medical officers, who will at
tempt to determine the extent OF dis
ability on n more or less permanent
basis and will fix the status of COM
'pensation for two years. At present
a new examination is required every
ninety days.
If dissatisfied with the gradings
given them, veterans will have the
privilege of a re-eXamination at any
time
.. Director Hines explained that the
purpose of the permanent partial dis
ability rating was 10 relieve men OF
the inconvenience of ninety-day re-
examinations and at the same time to
enable them to rely on definite com
:pensation over q long period.
:. Men still in hospitals with hope of
further Improvement remain under the
regulations now in force.
Business Executives.
The director also announced that as
another efficiency step he was consider
ing employment of business executives
TO assist the commanding officers of
Veterans Bureau hospitals. He said a
careful study of the hospitals had in
tlicated the need Of such executives. par
ticularly in view Of the large amounts
of money expended. Sixteen of the
or more a year. and fourteen others
are handling around S350.000 a year.
a conference OF the chief nurses of
the various hospitals is to be called
within a short time. II will be similar
to meetings of other field workers en-
ployed by the bureau and will seek to
Increase the efficiency Of the nursing
Service.
Director Hines also announced that
he was preparing to order number Of
negro physicians 10 duty at the veterans
hospital at Tuskegee, Ala, where the
question Of negro personnel has caused
bitter controversy.
The director declared he Still was
waiting for further advice from the com :
mlttee Of white Alabama citizens ap-
pointed to confer with him regarding
management Of the hospital, and. in
list of negro physicians available for
service in the institution. Some of them,
he said, would be sent to Tuskegee in
the near future.