Evening star., 1942-12-18
Minimum Needs
SET in Hospital
Exp ansion Plan
Baird Snyder Says
D. c. Project Failure
To Hurt War Effort

Baird Snyder, assistant admins
traitor Of the Federal Works Agency,
said today the hospital expansion
program for the District, now held
up pending a War Production Board
survey of the need for additional
facilities, represented a minimum
recommendation settled on by sew
eral agencies and that it called for
only a few more than half the beds
originally considered necessary.
He recalled that the program had
been prepared by the FWA, United
States Public Health Service and the
Senate and House District Com
mittees after careful study by COM
petent medical experts.
Would Impede War Effort.
He said further that failure to
provide the total number of beds
finally agreed on-1,172, including
beds for venereal disease patients
would impede the war effort.
Meanwhile, certain Government
circles in close contact with the hos
pital situation indicated there was
reason to believe the War Produc-
ton Board had acceded to local
pressure in the past in ruling on
prtorities for hospital projects and
that voteless Washington's applica-
tions may have been held up be-
cause sufficient political force could
not be thrown behind them.
Some private hospital projects,
these circles charged, have been
given precedence by WPB even
though they had not been analyzed
BY the Public Health Service.
= In his statement concerning the
present delay on FWA applications,
Mr.. Snyder said he considered it an
absolute necessity to safeguard the
health of the District.
Careful Survey Made.
"The Federal Works Agency and
the Public Health Service have
carefully surveyed the hospital sit
uation in Washington and environs,"
be said, land have reduced the orig
inal program from 2,10O to 1,172
beds. We aad the Public Health
Service are convinced that this
expenditure Of material is justified
because, if the beds are not made
available, it will impede the war
effort.
This program. in our opinion, is
the minimum requirement to safe
guard the health and safety of the
more than 100000 residents in this
area"
At Alexandra Hospital, one of
the hospitals scheduled to be ex-
panded under the program, Robert
Whitton, superintendent, said that
the fact chat. no word had been
received 'irfdicating ~tirat the War
Production Board intended to deny
the addition led officials there to
take an optimistic view of the sit
uation.
The final application for priorities
to build the 100-bed addition, he re-
ported. was forwarded to the WPB
today. He added that a WPB rep
resentative was expected to inspect
the present physical conditions of
the hospital some time during the
day.
Asked to File Request.
1--WE were advised as recently al
last Friday to file our application"
Mr.. Whitton said, land the order
to curtail hospital building was al
ready in existence at that time"
The FWA has made a grant of
$582,000 and a loan of Sl3O,00O to
the hospital to finance the new ad-
dition. Mr.. Whitton said he felt
that every means to establish TIE
need for the additional space vas
taken before the grant and loan
were approved.
Recent purchase by the hospital
Of the st. Mary's Academy Building
for use as nurses home eliminates
the need to construct a new home
as originally planned and a second
approval was given by FWA after
plans for the addition were altered
opd tho rodorv u,as r1lrcbos cod