Evening star., 1946-05-05
By Harold B. Rooers

The two new hospitals now under
construction in this city for George
Washington and Georgetown Uni
versities, stand out as the strongest
kind of precedents for enactment of
the Tydings bill for a new hospital
center here, it was pointed out last
night by leaders in the current move
to solve the serious hospital problem
facing the Capital.
Both of these new hospitals are
being financed by combination of
money advanced by the Government
through Lanham Act grants, and by
private funds from the hospitals and
their friends.
The Senate-approved Tydings bill.
which probably will be considered by
the House District Committee this
week, also provides for participation
by both the Government, and the
hospitals themselves in the cost.
Need for the legislation was
brought sharply before Washington
last week by the Metropolitan
Health and Hospital Survey, which
criticized hospital conditions here
as "a disgrace to the Nation" and
as the worst which could be en-
countered in any area in this coun-
try of comparable Importance"
The report has stirred all fac
tions concerned with the health
and welfare of the community to
action.
Tydings Bill Outlined.
Most immediate objective of the
several drives to improve condi-
tions is the Tydings bill. It's hackers
hope to get congressional approval
before any summer recess. As
passed by the Senate, the measure
provides for new hospital center
here to house three institutions
Emergency. Garfield and Episcopal
Hospitals. Together these three
would be pledged to finance about
one-third of the cost of the pro-
posed 1,500-bed institution, amor
tizing the expense over 50-year
period.
Construction would be handled by
the Federal Works Agency and its
subsidiary, the Public Buildings Ad-
ministration. These two agencies
now are in charge of building the
new hospitals for George Washing
ton and Georgetown Universities
The financial arrangement for the
new hospitals is in line with that
already approved in the Tydings bill
Governments Role Cited.
The Government took strong
role in obtaining the site for the
George Washington University hos
pital at Washington Circle. The
Justice Department instituted con-
demnation proceedings, resisted by
certain property owners in the site,
and won possession of the two
squares by order of the court.
Both new hospitals are well under
way now. The Georgetown Univer-
sity building is adjacent to its med
ical school on Reservoir Road.
One of the outstanding argu-
ments to be presented for the Tyd-
ings measure, it was pointed out is
that Washington is different from
any other city. Temporary resi-
dents get the advantages of COM
munity facilities here for which
they do not pay directly, because
they usually send most of their
taxes back to their home State.
Whether the Tydings bill will be
approved as it came from the Sen
ate is problematical, especially in
view of the freshly stimulated de.
mand that something be done about
the whole hospital picture here.
Chairman Mcmillan of the House
District Committee is expecting a
special report soon from Alan
Johnstone, general counsel of the
Federal Works Agency, on his latest
study Of the situation. Mr.. John.