Evening star., 1942-06-03
Freedmen's S
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B. Miller, FSA assistant admin
istrator, entirely concerned flnan-
cial and bookkeeping affairs anc
did not reflect upon the quality oi
medical care at the hospital They
included principally matters Of
supplies, whisky. drugs. narcotics
choking fees" from INDECENT pa
tients and others.
First OfficiaI Disclosure Today.
The whole matter OF Freedmen,
was uncovered by the House Sub.
committee. Informal indications hac
come to light within the last week
but the frst official document.
were disclosed In the full committee
hearings made public today with
the report Of the committee on al
Of its work.
Subsequently it developed thai
the GAO had made an exhaustive
investigation" of the hospital. anc
a report on this was submitted tc
the committee along with letter.
from Controller General Warner
and Federal Security Administrator
McNutt. The report of the GAG
was considered too voluminous fol
printing in the record, but was
placed on file" with the committee
The two letters from Mr. Warren
and Mr.. McNutt outlined the situa-
ton in brief.
Mr.. McNutt disclosed that in ad-
dition to the inquiry by the GAO
his ONCE of the Federal Security
Agency. now responsible for admin
istration of the hospital. had con-
Quoted its own investigation, and
there was also Information on hand
from the Public Health Service
which had its own representative
staff physician at the hospital
In his letter to Controller General
Warren, Mr.. McNutt outlined the
five-point program Of reform and
declared: The seriousness Of the
conditions brought out in all the
reports under. review is recognized
I want to assure you" he said, that
all the points covered in your report
will be considered and measures to
correct the serious defects of orga-
nization and management will be
taken"
Jones Eligible to Retire.
In regard to the status Of DR.
Jones, head of the hospital. Capt
Miller reiterated today a statement
he made when the investigation
first came to light. to the effect that
Dr. Jones was a Federal officer OF
more than Al years of service, and
under the plans Of reorganization
was to be allowed to retire" This
means he would go on regular Fed
eral retirement pay. DR.. Jones is q
veteran of the First World War,
Capt. Miller said, and had been
commended for service beyond the
call of duty, when he exposed him
self to enemy fire to treat wounded
soldiers on the battle lines over
seas.
AS chief of the institution now
under criticism, however, he was
held to be the responsible head of
the hospital. Certain charges were
laid to him. The fact he is being
permitted to retire." however. was
said by officials to have ameliorated
somewhat the severity OF the charges
against him.
DR.. Jones told The Star that he
had applied to the Federal Security
Agency for retirement several
months ago because of the recur-
renee of a disability incurred during
the last World War. He said he
might 60 into private practice II his
health would permit but first plan
ned to take an extended rest" He
said that of his Al years in Fedora
service, % had been at the hospital
He pointed to a statement last weel
by Capt. Miller, exonerating him oi
any personal or official dishonesty
and stating that Irregularities were
of a bookkeeping and financial ma
ture rather than in the quality o1
medical care.
DR.. Jackson was not available fol
comment.
Freedmen's is a Federal hospital
under the jurisdiction of the Federal
Security Agency as result of q
transfer from the Interior Depart
ment year or so ago. 1t is operated
by Federal funds with the District
reimbursing the Government fol-
service to District patients. Under
the present arrangement, the Dis
trict repays IS per cent of the hos
pital budget subject to readjustment
on the basis of the number OF
patient days used by the District out
of the total hospital patient days
load.
GAO Charges in Detail.
The GAO report, according to Mr.
Warren's letter, disclosed numerous
irregularities. Among the subject
headings were listed the following
Il. Shortage Of 2311a quarts of
whisky at Freedmen's Hospital
which was under the sole custody
Vi LII. L. cuWdfO JOneS, uTeCCoI
in chief.
q. Purported breakage in trans
portation and storage of liquor; also
partial or complete erasures and
substitutions on liquor reQuisitions.
"3. Refills Of liquor prescriptions
by DR.. r. Edward Jones, who was
not the original prescribing physi-
clan.
4. Gratuitous dispensation OF
whisky to nom -hospitalized employees
and 0fhers hv administrative