Evening star., 1941-08-10
Hospitals Seek
S5,960,000 for
Expansion Here
Garfield, Columbia
And Arlington Plan
New Buildings
pictures on Page A-16.) J

Three big hospital projects in
Washington and vicinity already
have asked for funds from the Fed
eral Works Agency and application
will be made soon for fourth, it
was learned last night.
The three projects for which for
NAL applications have been sub
mitted to the F. w. A. are:
A S4,O00,0O0 new building for Gar
field Hospital. providing $50 beds, to
be financed by part loan and part
grant
A new building for Columbia Hos
pital, to cost 100000 providing rs
beds, to be financed as a grant, to
this federally owned hospital.
A new general building for Ar
lington Hospital in Arlington Coun-
ty on North Sixteenth street short
distance south of Lee Highway on
a 16-acre tract, to cost ST l,260, 900,
part loan and part grant.
Preparing Enabling Act.
The fourth project for which
funds will be sought is new $780,
600 ward building for Gallinger
Municipal Hospital to provide for
children and maternity cases. The
District Commissioners now are pre-
pairing an enabling act to permit
the District to accept loans from
the F. w. A.
Disclosure of actual progress made
toward financing the four projects
came late yesterday after the Dis
trict Commissioners had written to
the Federal Works Agency certify
ing that all such hospital projects
in Washington and the Metropoli-
tan Area were 100 per cent defense
projects.
Need for the expansion in hos
pital facilities here has been forced
by the pressure of defense popula-
ton in Washington. officials empha-
sized. Funds are being sought un-
der provisions of the Lanham bill,
which authorizes money for such
community facilities" as hospitals,
sewerage plants and other things
necesSitated by expansion of de-
fense population. Washington and
the Metropolitan Area already have
shortage of 800 hospital beds, the
District Commissioners said.
Expansion Held Necessary.
The Commissioners in their let
ter to the F. w. A. yesterday put
their stamp of approval on the COM
prehensive program for hospitaliza-
ton in Washington and its Metro
politan Area developed by the
Health Security Administration.
In our opinion" wrote the Com
missioners, the proposed increase
in hospital facilities for this area,
As recommended by the Health Sc
curity Administration. are urgently
necessary and are 100 per cent de-
fense projects
The formal applications, which
are imposing legal documents OF
many pages, and architects plans,
have been filed on behalf of the
Arlington. Garfield and Columbia
projects with c. T Watson, regional
engineer of the Federal Works
Agency, at Richmond. Va.
The documents were signed by
officials of each hospital organiza-
ton and were accompanied by a
supporting letter from the Health
Security Administration. There was
no indication last night as to when
action may be expected on the ap-
plications
First Action Here.
The three projects which took the
lead here in applying for Federal
funds became the first point of at
tack on the under-hospitalizatio ton
problem of the National Capital, it
was explained by DR.. Herbert P.
Ramsey, spokesman for the Health
Security Administration, because in
the first place, they each owned the
land on which the new construction
is projected. The corporations were
willing to 60 ahead with the pro-
posed expansion. DR., Ramsey eX-
planned, as the shortest and surest
way to get the beds Washington
needs in its emergency.
The emergency is already acute"
said DR.. Ramsey, "and it will be
more so before these beds are avail
able"
Figures from the Health Security
Administration, private organiza-
ton which arranges disqualification
for a large segment of the popula-
ton with medical needs which they
cannot fully supply themselves,
show that Washington needs more
hospital beds now.
The great increase in young mar
Continued on Page R-2. Column IL