Evening star., 1942-02-16
Mason 10 Ask Funds
For 867 Additional
Hospital Beds Here
Commissioner Also
Announces Gollinger
As Evacuation Center

Commissioner Mason said today
he would seek funds from the $780,
OOO, 900 Office OF Civilian Defense
appropriation fund. now before the
Senate. to provide the 867 additional
beds required by the city's private
hospitals to meet dangers arising
out of the ever increasing Capital
population.
At the same time, he announced
the Commissioners have approved
the designation of Gallinger Hos
pital as an evacuation center for
Prince Georges County and Takoma
Park in the event of a bombing.
This means that in the event OF
bomb damage to Prince Georges
County Hospital facilities, victims
may bef brought to 0aHnger HosA
pital. 4
Sees Little Hope in Lanham Act.
Mr.. Mason saw little hope of any
funds being left over from the $50
coo 600 Lanham Housing Act for the
District, which has passed the House
and is now before q Senate commit
tee for the construction of the tenn
porary additions to the private hos
pitals. He pointed out that at the
moment a maximum of $4,000 900
out of the $50 600 600 has been ear
marked for community facilities
which includes hospitals-since most
of this amount would be required
for sewers, temporary school facil-
tiles and other adjuncts to the pro-
posed new housing.
Mr.. Mason, however, thought
there might be enough money in
the Lanham fund to provide a total
of 1000 additional beds at Ga1linger
and Glenn Dale Sanitorium. II
this is accomplished, he pointed out
that the municipal hospitals would
then be able to relieve the private
institutions of much of their indi-
gent patient load and thus make
more private beds available for the
expanding population. He added
that If the private hospitals dispose
of their nonresident patients, ad-
ditional beds will be made available.
1,7oo Beds Declared Needed.
At a meeting with the Commits
sioner q week ago, the representa-
tives Of the private hospitals were
told that 750 beds for the District
would be the most that could be
expected. At that time. Charles p.
Taft of the Federal Security agency
said the total of some 1,700 addi-
tional beds were considered neces-
sary for the entire metropolitan
area.
Mr.. Mason said he would confer
tomorrow with Mr.. Taft and the
867-bed request of the private hos
pitals might have to be pared some.
If no funds are available either
from the Lanham Act or from the
O. c.. D. fund, the Commissioner
said that with both houses of Con-
gress now apparently interested in
the local hospital situation, \ spe-
cial appropriation for that purpose
might be sought.
Unoer the expansion program,
temporary two-story cement struc-
lures would be built at Federal ex-
pense on land donated by the hos
pitals and the hospitals would stand
the operating expenses.
Declared "Selling Job"
Mr.. Mason described the task Of
getting funds for the hospitals as
"a selling job"
In connection with the designa.
ton of Gallinger as an emergency
evacuation center for Prince Georges
County and Takoma Park, Mr..
Mason explained that it was done at
the request of DIR. John Reed, direc-
tor Of the emergency medical Serv-
ices Of the metropolitan area civilian
defense program. The private hos
pitals of the city area also are
participating as evacuation centers,
he said, and will take care of Mont
gomery County in case Of bombing
there. 80
No evacuations will be made, how
ever, across the river to nearby Vir-
ginia, nor will Virginia patients be
evacuated here, Mr.. Mason explain
ing that it was considered unwise
and unsafe to be transporting VIC
Tins across bridges In the event of