The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-05-28
U. s. HOSPITAL
DELAY IS LAID
TO POLITICS
G. o. P. Opposes Plum for
District Represented
by Democrat.
CITY IS LOGICAL SITE
Legion May Tell Hoover of
Situation in Effort to
End Maneuvering.
CITY IS LOGICAL SITE
BY LAWRENCE SULLIVAN
Times staff Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 2e.-Stub-
born refusal of Indiana's Republican
congressman to approve the location
of the veterans bureau hospital in
district represented in congress by
Democrat, is blocking the selection
of indianapolis for the 100000 in
stitution.
On Dec. Is, 1929, President Hoover
signed bill authorizing construc-
ton of a $5OO,000 veterans hospital
in Indiana.
Today, almost six months later,
the federal disqualification board
has not even selected a site for the
new institution.
From three distinct quarters there
arises the question: why six
months delay over a project SC
sorely needed, especially in view of
the fact that money for the job is
waiting in the treasury"
Politics Only Answer
The answer is found in a single
word-politics.
The American Legion's national
disqualification committee promises
a formal inquiry to place response
bility for the delay.
Members Of the house committee
on veterans legislation propose a
formal congressional investigation.
A third probe is demanded by a
group of Indiana physicians and
surgeons who have been interested
for several years in the fight to OBJ
tain adequate hospital facilities for
the states war victims.
Legislative representatives of the
American Legion declined to discuss
that organizations projected in
quiry because they can not afford
the hostility Of certain influential
Republicans on the Indiana con-
gressional delegation with whom
they must deal constantly on other
matters.
1t was learned in responsible
quarters, however, that a group of
legion officers is preparing soon to
present the ugly story of Indiana's
hospital politics to the White House.
Cite Their Ethics
Neither will the physicians who
have interested themselves in the
case permit use of their names.
They cite professional ethics as their
reason. But they have presented
the case to three or four Indiana
congressman in no uncertain terms.
The bill authorizing the hospital
did not specify the location. 1t
provided only that it should be
somewhere in Indiana. The selec-
ton of the exact site was left to
the federal board of disqualification,
which is composed of the director
of the veterans bureau and the sur
geon-general OF the army, navy and
public health service.
Forty-two days after President
Hoover signed the bill, this hospital
ization board finally bestirred itself.
1t held hearing Feb. Z to deter
mine upon a site. Every city which
had anything to offer was heard.
Then the disqualification board went
to sleep on the problem for seventy
seven days more.
On April "a subcommittee of
the board visited the state to ex-
anime a number of the more inter
esting sites.
Since that inspection, the whole
project again has gone into the
pigeon-hole. Although a full month
has elapsed since the commit
tee made its recommendation to
the disqualification board, no action
has yet been taken on that recon-
mendation.
Secretive on Status
Veterans bureau officials are ex-
tremely secretive about the present
status of the project. Not only is
it impossible to drag information
out of them, but they frankly pro-
fess to know absolutely nothing
about this most amazing exhibition
Of bureaucratic impotence.
From other reliable quarters it is
learned, however, that the delay
has been occasioned by S,1e political
influence /of the Republican mem
bers of the house and senate. Every
bit Of evidence submitted at the
public hearings dictated erection of
the hospital at Indianapolis.
Representative Louis Ludlow, In
dianapolis Democratic cogressman,
has refused Steadfastly to take any
action which might be construed as
political maneuvering.