The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-04-02
ANDERSEN TELLS
OF KINGS HOPE
Albert Of Belgium Foresaw That His
Country Was Always
In Great
Danger.
AN INTERNATIONAL CITY
Gigantic Plan Of American Sculptor
Was Delayed by the Break
Ing Out Of tho
War.
AN INTERNATIONAL CITY
[By Henry Wood, United Press Staff
CorreSDondent

[By Henry Wood, United Press Staff
Correspondent
ROME. March 10 (By maiD-Fresh
light has just been thrown by Hen
drick Christian Andersen on the man
ner in which King Albert OF Belgium
had for years, realizing the inevitable
fate that must overtake his little king
dom in the event of general Euro
pean war, tried constantly to build up
a bulwark Of protection. Andersen is
the famous American sculptor who,
just before the outbreak Of the war,
had all but carried to a successful
| realization his gigantic plan for the
building OF an international city.
This city was to have been the
worlds conscience.
1t was to have been ex-territorial,
like Washington, D. c., or the vatican.
1t was to have had its own independ-
ent government guaranteed by all the
nations of the world, and in it were
to be located the international head
quarters for every organization, every
society and every movement for the
betterment Of mankind.
There were to have been buildings
for religion, the arts, sciences, physical
culture, music, sports. agriculture. in
ventions, commerce, the drama. itera-
ture, journalism, peace, medicine, sur
gerry and in fact every branch OF hui
man development and endeavor; and
in each building was to have been To-
Gated the international center of all
that the world might be doing along
that line.
When the plans for this gigantic
idea had been completely worked out
by a committee of more than forty OF
the worlds leading architects, and
when not a detail remained to be
done except to hand the plans and
specifications to the workmen for the
con struction of the city, one Of the
first European monarchs to whom Mr..
Andersen presented the dea was the
king Of Belgium.
From the first instant King Albert
supported the project with zeal that
exceeded Mr.. Andersen's fondest
hopes.
He at once offered to make Belgium
the home Of the International city or
Worlds Conscience, and agreed to set
aside with full eX-territorial rights an
immense tract Of land just outside Of
BRUSSELS. which had as a matter Of
fact been previously dedicated by
King Leopold to a somewhat similar
end.
King Albert backed up his own en-
thusiasm for the project with that Of
several of his ministers. senators and
other public personages.
In doing all this, he made no secret
Of the fact that much of his desire to
have the international city located in
Belgium, was for the protection of Bel
GUM itself.
King Albert made 1t clear to Mr.. An
dersen, that in the event Of a Euro
pean war, and especially war between
Germany and England, he has seriou;,
doubts as to whether the mere treaties
guaranteeing the neutrality and in
tegrity of Belgium would be of avail
He also confided his belief that II
the international city, in which every
nation OF the world would be inter
ested, to which every nation of the
world would have Of necessity been
obliged to contribute several million
dollars each for it's construction, and
whose ex-territoriality would be guar
anteed by every nation in the world:
that IL this city we're located in Bel