Evening star., 1949-01-13
Defense Heads Reject
Single Medical Force,
Back AT Own Corps
By John A. Giles


Defense officials have concluded
that a single medical department
for the armed services is not feasible
and that the Air Force should be
given its own medical corps, it was
learned today.
This was indicated in a hospital
consolidation report, issued yester-
day by special committee, headed
by DR.. Paul R. Hawley, former
medical chief of the Veterans Ad-
ministration. Offcials confirmed
that they have decided that single
medical force would not give the
necessary fexibility. especially on
the troop or station level.
The committee recommended
closing large hospitals at Pearl
Harbor. Pasadena. Calf, and Guam,
and the reduction of three others
at Anchorage, Alaska; Long Island,
N. Y, and Fort Dix. N. j., to smaller
type station hospitals.
Change to Dispensaries.
1t also recommended that 48
station hospitals, including those at
Fort Myer. Va, and at Andrews Air
Force Base. Md, be reduced to Army
dispensaries, which afford no in
patient care. General hospital-type
patients in 38 areas would be sent
to the nearest armed forces general
hospital. no matter what service
they came from, under the plan
The committee estimated 1000 beds
would be eliminated.
The committee has decided that
Joint utilization and stating of larger
hospitals is the only feasible means
Of savings. At Walter Reed Army
Medical Center and Bethesda Naval
Medical Center, there would be no
change, except that they would use
jointly civilian consultants and med
ical specialists within the two corps.
The committee also has concluded
that the Air Force should be given
its own aviation medical center,
similar to Walter Reed and Bethes-
da, 1t was learned.
Medical care for airmen now is
furnished by Army Medical and
Dental Corps officers on detail to the
Air Force. The title of Maj. Gen.
M. G. Grow, head Of the air medical
forces and an Army officer, is air
surgeon. rather than surgeon gen.
eral, which is the rank of the med
ical chiefs of the Army and Navy.
This arrangement was the subject
of protest by the Air Force at the
time it became independent.
Officials Change Minds.
At first, defense officials were in
clined not to agree to the air officers
request for separate medical setup,
but now they feel such an arrange
ment should be worked out through
the station hospital level. A station
hospital is a facility equipped to
provide medical, surgical and dental
care. including emergency treatment
in case of accidents at stations or
bases where the unit is located.
Release of the report by Defense
Secretary Forrestal, who emphasized
that he had neither approved nor
reviewed it's findings as yet, found
DR.. Hawley in the position of hav-
ing taken two different positions
with reference to the administra-
ton of Government hospitals.
AS a member of Hoover Com
mission Committee, DR.. Hawley
signed a report recommending that
all military, VA and Public Health
Service hospitals be Jumped to-
gether under new civilian agency.
DR.. Hawley's defense board, how
ever, concluded that there are in
herent and necessary differences be-
tween military and nonmilitary, or
civilian, hospitals IN regard to their
respective functions and roles, :"
which made it impractical to merge
them under joint administration.
Convalescent Cases Cited.
The defense report stressed that
civilians could recover or convalesce
in their homes, while such prac-
tices are impractical in the
case of military personnel, who are
widely separated from their homes
and family physicians" Thus mil
itary personnel must remain in hos
pitals until they have completely re-
covered.
The Hawley committee added that
1t had kept in mind the necessity of
maintaining some reserve space for
military personnel and estimated
that the reserve it recommended was
sufficient only to meet probable re-
quirements for the first three months
of mobilization
The committee is being succeeded
by a permanent Armed Services
Medical Advisory Committee, headed
by Charles Proctor Cooper, president
of the board OF trustees of Presby-
terian Hospital in New York City
This group, which will review the
work and conclusions of the Hawley
hoard held tte first meeting VeStpr-