Evening star., 1962-09-12
Sterilization Issue
Reaches Capitol
Probe Is Urged
If u. S. Funds
Are Involved


New Jersey Congressman has
asked if Federal funds were
involved in the hospital
project.
"If such funds are being
given." Representative Joelson,
Democrat of New Jersey. said,
"a thorough investigation Of
the details and motives of the
program should be launched
Immediately by the appropriate
congressional committee"
The voluntary sterilization
for medically INDECENT
women at the Virginia hospital
.Fauquier HoSpital-has pro-
voked strongly-worded denun-
Citations by some religious
leaders, but has won support
from others.
In a Washington pulpit SUM-
day, the program was termed
grossly immoral by the Most
Rev. Patrick A. O'Boyle, Roman
Catholic Archbishop Of Wash
ington.
In Richmond yesterday,
Catholic Bishop John j. Rus
sell labeled the hospitals sterili-
zation plan a terrible evil"
Fauquier County is a part of
the bishops Richmond diocese.
Called Morally Wrong
Bishop Russell declared:
Sterilization of innocent people
is morally wrong whether it be
voluntary or compulsory. I say
this. not merely because 1t Is
the teaching of the Catholic
Church. but because it violates
a right founded in TIE very
nature Of man. :"
Others, including evangelist
Billy Graham, have attacked
the Fauquier County project.
The hospital has reported that
SO voluntary sterilizations have
been performed in its maternity
clinic during two-and-a-half-
year period. 80
The hospital program was
defended yesterday by Bishop
John Wesley Lord, Methodist
bishop of Washington. who
praised hospital officials for
providing a beacon of hope
and enlightenment" for "those
thousands in our cities and
rural areas who do not have
the knowledge to keep from
having more children than they
can love, nurture and provide
for"
Staff Commended
Bishop Lord commended the
hospital staff for its efforts in
behalf Of the Virginia statute
specifically authorizing VOL
untary sterilization under
careful safeguards and con-
firming by legislation the free.
dom of the medical profession
in the area of voluntary steri-
lization."
An Arlington minister dee
clared the Fauquier County
program is IAN important ex.
pertinent many precau.
tions against abuse are in.
cluded in the practice"
The minister, Edward Il.
r oman of the Unitaria3
Church of Arlington, added:
The Searchlight of publicity
is useful for our best evalua.
ton of it (the sterilization pro-
Gram). and We shall need to
re-examine the metaphysical
status of the life process with
more searching reflection If we
are to protect our people in
the long run from arbitrary
judgments based on ancient
assumptions"
Replies to Attacks
Attacks on the program were
also replied to yesterday, in
New York, by a spokeswoman
for the Human Betterment
Association, which helped the
Warrenton clinic set up its
program.
Mrs. Ruth Proskauer Smith.
executive director of the asso-
citation, said the group receives
applications for sterilization
from all over the country. Last
month alone, she said, 161 were
received.
Nearly one-fourth Of those
who applied are Catholics, she
said, adding that 73 per cent
are Protestants and 3 per cent
stated they have no religious
affiliation
In Washington, Representa-
tive Joelson's inquiry as to
whether Federal funds were in
volved in the FauQuier Hospital
program was directed to the
Department Of Health, Educa-
! ton and Welfare.
Status Is Questioned
In a statement, Mr.. Joelson
questioned whether the opera
tions were really voluntary. He
said:
> THE women involved are
undereducated and underpriv-
ileged. Significantly, in a
State where local customs and
officials are not known to be
; over-zealous in protection Of
the rights of Negroes, the
great majority Of the women
I involved have been Negroes.
:. THE despair of poverty and
e the pressure of local officials
E may well have impelled these
I women to decisions which they
4 will later regret. =.
According to clinic officials.
1 the operations were performed
' on approximately the same
S number of white and Negro
i wnxR.I. They we're medically
Y irLS%ent, but orly a few were
t lon fsfsf. state and county
= tu.SE xe1A aaaa 10 pay for the