The Washington times., 1905-12-31
TO RESTORE RES NOTED No
SPANISH PALACE
Prominent Men Will Pre-
serve the Alhambra.
KING ALPH0NSO OBSTINATE
Ruler of Spain Has Refused to Aid in
the Preservation of Moham-
medan Monument.
KING ALPH0NSO OBSTINATE

PARIS. Dec. 29.-lt has 5cai decided
~ restore as far as possible the famous
palace of Alhambra to its old-time mag
nihcence. IL the prominent men who
have conceived and are to carry out this
idea will only respect the Moorish arr
and not make a modern palace out of
the old building the idea is splendid
and at any rate ii is the duty of Europe
to do everything to prevent the mag
nihcent old pile from crumbIing into
dust. As 1t stands now il threatens to
tumble down almost any day and. IA
naticai as he is in everything. Alfonso.
the young King of Spain. absolutely re-
fuses TO use his influence with the Span
ish provinces toward the preservation
of monument built by followers of
the Mohammedan faith yfniIe so many
Christian churches all over SSssssin are
sadly in need of repairs
Poor AIhambra.
Poor Alhambral 1t was partly demol-
isbed by Charles " and il is also told
in history how Philip V. King of Spain.
put into his own pocket money wnich
had been appropriated 10 strengthening
its walls. In 1872 brutal French soldiers
were at the last moment prevented from
blowing up the building. which they in
their ignorance thought was fortress
1t has had many narrow escapes and
1t AS no more than cur duty TO guard
~ against decay.
There is another Mohammedan rnonl-
ment in Spain which is equally in need
OF repairs: the Mosque at Cordova.
which has been transformed into a
cathedral. 1t is one OF the wonders
OF the worlds architecture. Its beauti-
full arches are supported by more than
4 thousand columns of marble and Jas
pis. 1t has time and again been shame
fully ruined in part by Catholic priests
and even now the most fanatical of
these are conspiring TO have II thrown
down and to build in Its place = modern
cathedral Let us hope that a cry of
Indignation from the lovers of tho
beautiful in all narts Of Europe will
prevent such vandalism
In this connection, it may be said,
that there are all over the country mag
nificent monuments or times gone by
which are rapidly decaJing because we
in the fierce struggle FOR life refuse to
take any interest, in anything which
does not bring us material returns.
These monuments are scattered all
over. and belong TO a score of different
nations, though It seems to me that
they, by right. ought to belong TO the
whole civilized humanity Irrespective
of nationality we should take proper
care of monuments like the Coliseum
PArthenon, the BasiIicas IN Rome. the
Cathedral Ulm, Strasburg. Melin, and
Cologne, and the works of Michael
Angelo and Rembrandt We should
consider ourselves the guardians of all
these venerable relics. Every nation
in the world has the right to blame
the people of France because we had
neglected to make the buildings OF
Louvre fireproof as they have the
right TO blame Germany for not bav-
ing taken care of the canvases of the
old masters at Munich and Dresden.
and Italy for allowing the city OF
Venice TO decay.
Aroused the World.
The collapse OF the Campanile at
Vei-ice some time ago aroused the whole
world and we are now trembling for the
for the magnificent palaces along Can
alette and Guardi.
In 1870 German soldiers did not dare TO
destroy the forest at FontainSieau or
touch a single stone OF the palaces at
Versailles because they felt that If they
had done so they would have robbed
not France but the whole world.
IL Egypt should decide to tear down
the pyramids would not the whole
world step in and stop? We are al
ways ready 10 protest anything of this
kind but we are terribly slow in real
izing that It is not enough TO prevent
the sudden destruction but also to guard
= 81 40 ell a