Evening star., 1944-08-20
Reporters Discover
Little to Criticize
In Facilities Here
By w. H. SHIPPEN. Jr.

0CNCIdl washington IcpOI teTS WIG
inspected Boiling Fields hospital
yesterday afternoon with Army off,
GERS saw little to bear out charges
it was "a firetrap. inadequate and
unworthy OF the Nation"
The 250-bed hospital referred to
Friday in a report by Representative
Fenton, Republican, of Pennsylvania
to Chairman May of the House Mil
itary Affairs Committee appears tc
be better-than-average canton
ment-type structure which is more
or less standard at Army bases
throughout the country.
Although the one-story buildings
have been undergoing remodeline
and renovation since April, they gave
every appearance yesterday of Offer
ing the patients on hand all rea.
sonable comfort, convenience ano
service.
Interiors Newly Painted.
The remodeled sections now oc-
cupied have been painted apple greer
inside, hoored with linoleum or with
painted and waxed pine, and the
roofs have been further insulated
Most of the space occupied by
patients is protected by automatic
sprinklers, and the sprinkler system
Will be completed, hospital officials
said. as soon as equipment on order
for months can be delivered.
Beds In the wards are ranged al
comfortable intervals, and no,
crowded together as they are ir
many civilian hospitals these days
and there seemed to be an adequate
stan OF male attendants and Army
nurses on hand. The beds wer,
headed against walls containins
many waist-high windows afYordin,
cross ventilation. Too, all the build
ings, even those not remodeled
contain exhaust fans between tn,
ceiling and roof over the wards
Private rooms were equipped witt
ceiling ventilators connecting will
free air space overhead.
Designed Only For Post.
In recent months the hospita
has accommodated temporaril,
about IS wounded men from over.
seas during stop-overs while er
route by air transport to base hos.
pitals nearest their homes. Las
week a group of about a dozer
wounded men arrived during tn.
peak Of the hot spell.
There can be no doubt that these
men. like the other patients, suf.
fered from the heat. There also car
be little doubt that because of eros.
ventilation and the exhaust fan,
the temperature was considerabl,
lower In the hospital than in regula.
ton Army barracks or in the aver.
age Washington dwelling.
The hospital was designed to serve
the post only, although extra bed.
are always available, it was said, fo]
wounded In transit. While equipped
with operating and X-ray rooms
physio therapy and ccnvalescenr
facilities, special cases such as men.
tai, neurosurgical and amputation:
are sent to Walter Reed Hospital
Officers Conduct Tour.
Accompanying reporters and pho.
tographers through the hospital yes.
terday were Col. r. w. c. Wimsatt
commanding officer; Col. Carl s
Williamson, chief surgeon at tn,
post. and Col. H. A. Rusk, chic
surgeon Of the Army Air Forces
who happened to be visiting tht
post at the time. Col. Rusk is ma.
tionally known for instituting s
convalescent training program fol
wounded and sick personnel of tn,
Air Forces.
Reporters were shown the recrea.
ton room at the hospital, where pa.
tfents, attended by volunteer Gre,
Ladies, lounge on comfortable chair,
and sofas, read or write or play tn,
two pianos or the radio. The room
Is equipped with a cooling unit,
In other rooms, patients do handi.
work and shopwork, attend motor
pictures, or classes in radio, gun.
merry, etc. The hospital, it was said
was one OF the first to provide facili.
ties for Col. Rusk's convalescen,