Evening star., 1951-07-11
Senators Blame Gray
For Near Collapse Of
VA Medical Program
By George Beveridee

NY SG0I9G 0CNCtt09S
Senators investigating the vet
erans' medical care program
strongly criticized Veterans Ad-
ministrator Gray today, and out
lined moves to guarantee greater
control over the program by the
|agency's medical director.
The probe by the special Sem
ate labor subcommittee grew out
of charges last January by DR.
Paul B. Magnuson that he was
fired" as medical chief by Mr.
Gray over policy differences he
said were threatening the vast
program.
Largely siding with DR.. Magnu-
son, the Senators said the differ
ences-far transcending "indi-
Ividual personalities" es"-brought or
a crisis which could conceivably
return the Veterans Administra-
tion's medical care program tc
the shambles which made it a
national scandal in 1945."
In a lengthy report, the grour
set forth five administrative and
three legislative steps it said
should be taken to guarantee DR.
Magnuson's successor, Vice Ad-
miral Joel T. Boone, more direct
control over his program.
Mr.. Gray's refusal to grant
DR.. Magnuson such authority, il
declared, so shook confidence in
the program that it was threat
ened with complete disintegra-
tion." The danger, it added, SIS
anything but dissipated as yet
Mr.. Magnuson, prominent Chi
cago orthopedic surgeon. worked
under DR.. Paul r. Hawley to build
up the medical program when DIR.
Hawley was medical chief to Gen.
Omar Bradley Immediately after
World War II at VA. The COM
mittee, headed by Senator Hum
phrey, Democrat. of Minnesota,
noted prominently that Gen. Brad
ley had given DR.. Hawley "carte
blanche authority" during his
regime.
Medical Distrust Seen.
But soon after Mr.. Gray took
over the VA reins, the report said,
there was "a growing sense of un-
easiness and distrust" among med
Iical and professional men Coop
Ierating with the program through
out the country"
In strong language the report
described VAS organizational pat
tern as an administrators night
mare" and noted that Mr.. Gray
has spent IAN overwhelming
amount of time out in the field
inspecting institutions. It added:
He has been SO deep in the
woods. clearing out the under
brush from around individual
trees, that he has never had an
opportunity to see the forest for
the supervision of which he is re-
sponsible; he cannot have noticed
that the plethora of assistant ad-
ministrators he leaves behind him
swing such lusty axes in their at
tempts to carve out large bureau
cratic inches for themselves that
they are rapidly destroying his
forest"
A spokesman for Mr.. Gray said
the administrator would have no
immediate comment on the re-
port.
CO-operates With Probe.
! However, the committee said
Mr.. Gray had co-operated fully
with the probe and that he
seemed to be in agreement ire
Igarding the methods whereby the
/. program should be carried
on"
| The five recommendations the
committee said Mr.. Gray should
Immediately carry out were:
/ l. That he delegate to the med
ical chief such primary control
as may be necessary to assure
his effective control" over the
program.
2. That no VA hospital man.
ager should be named without
approval of the medical chief.
3. That all hospital special
service" workers and activities