Evening star., 1944-11-25
Letters to The Star
Questions Governments Right
In Hospital Condemnation

III IlOSpltdI AOnQemnat1On
To the Editor Of The Star:
I have just returned to Washington
after an absence of some months and
have noted the protests against the con-
demnation of block 54 In which the
Church of st. Paul and It's parish house
are located, as well as the homes of
great many citizens. In all, 500 per-
sons are affected. No one, take it,
questions the undoubted right of the
Government to seize private property
vitally necessary to the Government,
for its own use; aside from that, the
Bill of Rights assures the citizen that
he shall remain secure in his right to
his own property.
In these condemnation proceedings,
however, we have a very different situ-
alton from that envisaged by the Con-
stitution and one that while it imme-
diately affects the unfortunate owners
of property in that block, holds impn-
cations of serious danger to every other
property owner In the United States.
For not even the Government any longer
pretends that this land is being con-
demned for the use of the Government.
1t Is being taken away from the owners
for the benefit of George, Washington
University, which wishes to build hos
pital on the site. In other words, by
the aid Of the United States Govern
ment, the property of one private in
stitution, the church, Is taken from 1t
for the benefit of another private in
stitution, the university, and, as usual,
the taxpayers are footing the bill I
have before me a letter addressed to
me by one of the Presidents secretaries,
William D. Hassett, from which 1
quote his exact words: The building
will be erected at Federal expense e. e.,
with the taxpayers money! and then
leased to the university for period of
not less than five years. after which the
university will have an option to pur-
chase" Coming from the White House,
this can be accepted as the official view-
point and purpose. The Federal Gov
ernment seizes the property and cloaks
its act with the shadowy mantle of
governmental need, but shows its real
quasi partnership between the Govern
ment and the university will last but
five years and that then the university
shall have the option Of complete own
ership. Drop out the five years and
you have the property belonging to the
university and not to the Government
For whose benefit then, was 1t con.
demned? If that is not in effect. taking
1t from the church to give to the uni
versity, what is it?
Disputes "War Effort"
The Department of Justice backs its
claim on five different acts of Congress,
all in connection with the war effort and
these laws are SO broad in their effect
as to give the President power to regu-
late what we shall eat or wear, If literally
construed and without any regard for
the Constitution or the Bill of Rights
1t is our contention that the present
situation is too far removed from the war
effort to have any actual relation to it.
So far, the courts have held that the
condemnation is not unconstitutional,
basing their decisions upon the claim
that it is for the benefit of the war. Rare
are the courts that will ever have the
temerity to hold that the Government,
which appointed them. could be wrong
But what are the actual facts? George
Washington University now has hos
pital of 80 beds. The new hospital calls
for 400 beds, gain of 800 beds. The new
hospital cannot be opened for probably
two more years and would any one feel
that that would have any noticeable
affect on the war effort? Further, Sem
ator Tydings has bill before Congress
Why then spend extra millions of the
taxpayers money to build another little
institution of 320 beds at so great cost
in money, to say nothing of the suffering
OF the 500 elected from their homes and
one of Washingtons fine churches
destroyed?
In another passage in Mr.. Hassett's
letter Is this statement: Gen. Fleming
Federal works administrator assumed
that President Marvin of the university
had reached a satisfactory rapproche-
ment with the officials of the church
before the condemnation proceedings
were instituted" Here is the admission
that the matter originated with Presi-
dent Marvin and the Government actu-
ally left it to him to break the news to
the church that their property was to
be taken from them. This was the salts
factory rapprochement with the officials
OF the church"
The action of the President in signing
the order for this condemnation is
plainly consequent upon the opinion of
the Attorney General (the famous Gen
eral' Blddle who commanded the VIC
torious United States Army in the Battle
of Montgomery WardD at which time he
stated that "the President is as inde-
pendent of the courts as he is of Con-
gress." The President now comes out in
the open to act as any dictator would.
REV. GEORGE B. KINKEAD.
Pronunciation Explained
To the Editor Of The Star:
Radio news broadcasters seem to