Evening star., 1942-12-02
Army Doctors Probe
Causes Of Pentaeon
Food Poisoning
II Persons in Hospital,
so or More Treated
After Hash Luncheon

A special group of Army doc
tors was busy today on an inves-
tigation of the cause of scores
OF cases OF food poisoning which
occurred among Army men and
civilian employees at the Penta-
gon Building yesterday after
noon.
The exact number OF persons af-
fi1cted could not be determined.
Some estimates placed the figure at
more than so, but it was known
that many workers received private
treatment or were not seriously
enough affected to report their
illness.
A War Department spokesman
said none of the cases was serious.
Eleven persons admitted to Emer-
gency Hospital still were confined
there today and attendants said
they probably would be required to
remain there for day or two
longer. Others were treated in the
infirmaries at the Pentagon Build
ing, at the Fort Myer infirmary, at
Walter Reed Hospital and at nearby
civilian stations.
Food To Be Analysed.
All patients questioned. the
spokesman said, reported that they
had eaten corned beef at the cafe
terias in the building Exact blame
is expected to be fixed by the in
VeStigation, a report of which prob
ably will not be available before
tomorrow or later. Portions of
food from the cafeterias have been
impounded for chemical analysis, it
was reported.
When complaints reached mass
proportions, War Department off,
cials quickly set up facilities for
treatment and placed guards around
the cafeteria. Other guards were
sent to Offices of the building to
check on missing employees to be
sure no one had collapsed behind
desks or in places where they would
not be noticed.
Ambulances from Fort Myer, Wal
ter Reed and other local hospitals
were called to take the most severe
cases to places where they could re-
ceive more careful attention. A
number of first-aid nurses and two
civilian doctors on duty in the ONCE
of the Secretary of War assisted in
attending the patients at their place
of work.
The following were still confined
at Emergency today:
Mary Elizabeth OConnor, 1887 In
gram street NV; Anne Flanders
6l6 South Carolina avenue Sc.
Bartholomew Williams. 1914 Rose
dale street NE; Lee Coleman, 2O2s
F street NV; Sally Bombs, 1852
Nicholson street NV: John Redd
Alb South Lee avenue. Alexandria
Ruth Petruzella, 62S Lamont street
/ NV: Ruth Kuiken, 637 Otis place
/ NV: John Clausen, 572l Eleventh
street North, Arlington: John Bailey
2707 UpSur street, Mount Rainier
Mo. and Francis Caulf1eld. 1914 Hol-
brook street. Baltimore, Nd.
Assistant Secretary Of War John
J. McCloy took personal charge of
facilities set up for the care of the
sufferers. At times during the late
afternoon, many persons waited out
side the emergency rooms OF the
Pentagon Building to learn whether
friends or rela tives were among the
afflicted.
The six cafeterias and four food
bars in the building have been the
cause Of jurisdictional dispute
between the Army and the Federal
Work Agency that recently resulted
/ in public attention. In this fight,
the FWA claimed that commitments
had been made to have the restau-
rants operated by the Welfare and
Recreational Association and that
the Army had let a contract to a
private firm.
The Army recently ended the dis
pute for the moment by taking
charge Of the cafeterias and by
placing them under the manage
ment OF Walter p Mcfarland, who
held the original contract for their
operation.