The Detroit times., 1910-07-06
HENRY FORD SAYS HE'LL
STAND BY DR.. METCALF



--
hospital. except upon the absolute and
unqualified condition that the new
and larger hospital should be erected.
maintained and conducted upon the
one central thought and idea describ-
ed above.
"At about this time DIR. Metealf was
appointed. with others, by the new
hospital authorities upon committee
TO examine the hospitals OF Europe,
with a view TO having the latest and
best In hospital construction and
equipment AT his own expense. DR..
Metcalf made this tour OF examina-
tion, giving freely Of his time and
money and sacrificing his practice In
the meantime.
During his absence the proposed
merger plan was worked out, contrary
10 explicit assurances given upon his
departure. Assent TO the merger was
given by a number of the new hos
pital board. under complete misap-
prehension, believing that the PLAZA
conformed to the ideas referred TO
above, but upon examination II was
found that the merger was not for
INFLATED along these ideas and that
the labor Of years and all moneys that
had been pledged might be devoted to
ends entirely foreign TO the purposes
for which they were given. Then
halt was called. The principal donors
are not willing that the project should
stray from It's original design.
1T Is easy to asperse individuals
snd impugn motives. 1t would be the
easiest thing in the world for me TO
point to much that savors OF trickery
and overreaching in the matter OF
bringing around the so-called merger.
But why do SO? On the other hand.
what excuse Is there for any person
or newspaper 70 accuse OF selfshness
and obstruction the very men who, up
to this time. have performed the great
burden OF the work and accomplished
whatever has been accomplished
Henry Ford, one OF the heaviest sub
scribers, was shown The foregoing In
terview and asked for his views re-
garding the merger, Mr.. Ford Is
man of few words and II Is hard To
induce him TO speak at all upon tue
subject. Finally, however. he said:
Il am not a medical man and know
very little about hospitals, but havo
wanted 10 see something different and
better in Detroit than we have. What
ever have done and whatever l shall
do has been and will be elong the lines
mapped out by DR.. Metcalf His plsns
meet with my entire approval l gave
some study 10 the situation lately, and
becoming thoroughly convinced that
the merger was not on right lines, |
" ithdrew, and | think the new hospi-
tai should pursue its original plans.
II think I am safe In saying there
will be q hospital"
Or Metcalf would consent to dis.
cuss the matter only briefly. He said:
"Since l am person1iy attacked in
the interviews recently published
prefer TO remain silent
Nearly all the subscriptions wero
obtained on my personal solicitation
and | consider my obligation In tie
nature OF trust, therefore I am
bound TO see that the money is used
according to the purposes or the
donors.
Il have never opposed a merger
with Harper hospital but necessarily
The merged institution must conform
in is scope and plans with the funda-
mental ideas OF those providing the
money"
The meeting OF the board OF trus.
tees OF Harper General hospital, called
for Tuesday afternoon, was attended
only by those members who formerly
had been members of the old Harper
hospital board. Not one OF the tr1;s-
tees representing the Detroit General
hospital responded to the call, which
is interpreted by J. l. Hudson. chair
man OF the board, TO 'Iean that the
Detroit hospital has Withdrawn from
the merger. No further designations
were received, however, and no COM
munication from the absent trustees
was at hand. The resignation OF Hen
ry Ford. received by Mr.. Hudson a
week ago, was accepted and his place
was not filed. After transacting rou-
tine business the trustees adjourned
to meet In another month.