Evening star., 1944-01-26

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Dispute Over Guffey
Letters Continues
The "Guffey letters" still held the
limelight in the long drawn out Dis
trict health row today, while in an
other development, DR.. Charles P.
Cake, tuberculosis ward chief at Gal
linger Hospital, decided to hold of
on his resignation so patients might
not lack care. DR.. Cakes dismissal
was demanded by a Senate investi-
eating committee last fall and he
disclosed yesterday that his resig-
nation had been submitted.
In the wake of charges and coun-
ter charges, further developments
are expected late In the week on
the unsettled question OF how pho
tostat copies of two letters Of SEN
ator Guffey, Democrat, of Pennsyl-
vania, concerning the assignment
OF his personal physician to District
health work, had become public.
Letters Called Confidential.
The contents of the letters con-
corning DR.. Eugene de Savitsch, one
addressed to Commissioner John
Russell Young and the other to
Commissioner Guy Mason, were
brought to light Monday by Mrs
Ruth Buchanan, one of the city's
most active civic workers.
Senator Guffey issued statement
in which he said the letters were re-
leased from the confidential files OF
the District Commissioners by Com
missioner Mason"
Mr.. Mason. however, followed this
with an explanation that the letters
had been photostated, without the
consent and knowledge of the Com
missioners, by Health Officer George
c. Rutland, and added that contents
had been given out by Mrs. Bu-
chanan.
Denies Rutland to Blame,
Advised of Commissioner Mason's
statement, Mrs Buchanan retorted
Il deny most emphatically that DR..
Rutland had anything to do with
my knowledge of the letters"
Mr.. Mason said the Office stamps
on the two Guffey letters showed
that they had been received by the
Commissioners and forwarded to the
Health Department. He said that
when DR.. Rutland was asked about
the photostatic copies, the health
officer admitted he was responsible
for their reproduction.
When Mr.. Mason was asked If his
remarks about DR.. Ruhland's part
in the episode constituted a repri-
mand, he replied: Put your own
construction on it,"
After conference of more than
an hour yesterday afternoon, at
Which DR.. Rutland was present,
Mr.. Mason would make no COM
ment on what had been discussed
and DR.. Rutland declined to talk
about the photostating of the let
ters.
Date Back to July, 1912.
The letters of Senator Guffey
dating back to July and December
1912, concerned the assignment of
DR.. de Savitsch for hospital work.
The city heads have declined to re-
lease any portion of the files on
the De Savitsch matter.
Mr.. Mason left the city last night
on a long planned trip to visit his
wife on her birthday in North
Carolina, where she has been for
several months because of i'll health.
Commissioner Young said no fur
ther statements would be forthcom-
ing on the Health Department until
Mr.. Mason returned Friday. The
department is one of those under
Mr.. Mason.
Chairman McCarran Of the Sen
ate District Committee said he be-
lieved publication of the Guffey let
ters, which criticized DR.. Rutland
should not have any influence on
the committee as to it's actions on
the Gallinger investigation report.
won't Affect Situation"
"I believe it should not affect the
situation one iota," he declared,
adding that this was applicable to
either side of the issue about
clusters. He said he regarded the
Guffey letters as "irrevelant, in
competent and immaterial' so far
as the Gallinger investigation re-
port was concerned.
Senator Bushfield, Republican of
South Dakota, member of the
Gallinger investigating group, said
he had recently seen copy of the
Guffey letters but would make no
comment on them.
AS to the custer recommendations
in the report. Senator Bushfield
said: Speaking for myself, I ex-
pect to press for action, either
adoption or rejection"
Statement Issued.
In a formal statement on his
resignation, issued last night, DR.
Cake stated:
"On Monday, January "a. I pre-
sented my resignation from the
position of chief medical officer of
the tuberculosis division of CALM
ger Hospital, effective April Is. 1914
Awaiting myself of accumulated an
nual leave, this meant that 1 would
leave the hospital on February /.
The acting superintendent of the
hospital, DR.. D. L. Seckinger, and
Commissioners Mason and Kutz re-
quested that I reconsider this ac-
ton, but in the circumstances,
feel that to be inadvisable. How
ever, at the request of the Com
missioners, have agreed to con-
tinue at the hospital temporarily
as my departure would leave nd ont
to care for the 215 patients in the
tuberculosis division"
Doctors Threaten to Quit.
Earlier in the day, Commissioner