New-York tribune., 1919-10-08

tribute, with his head bare in the sun
shine. the breeze lifting his thin gray
hair and blowing the heavy folds Of
his crimson robe about him. Beside
him sat Archbishop Hayes and William
Barclay Parsons. chairman of the board
OF trustees of the university.
In his response to President Buffers
speech Cardinal Mercier expressed his
gratitude to all American universities
particular, his gratitude to Columbia
University, because Of the project
which has arisen there for raising
100000 for restoration of the burned
Library of Louvain.
when the Germans burned the Lii
brary of Louvain," he said, "it was one
of the great sorrows of my life.
have spent twenty-five years of MY
life in Louvain, and before that four
that used to go into one Of our most
beautiful galleries. painting galleries,
where all the glories of Louvain UNI.
versity since the fifteenth century
were presented And we were going
there to inspire our lives on the ex-
ample, on the traditions Of those schol-
ars of our country.
Germany's objectionable Sin
ne OcIHhiS cEpcCIdCcu EIcdI
crimes in our country-cruelties injus-
tees, violences, many of them which,
in the years to come, will be forgot
ten but one crime shall never be for
gotten, that great crime against hu-
, manity, against the mind of humanity
the burning of our library. Just now
the story recalls the story of the
burning Of the library of Alexandria
by the Musselmen; and so will be re-
oil laL ip ko f,,{ k,~
our university by the allies of those
| Musselmen.
"There is no man in the 'Unlred
, States to whom we are so indebted
in respect and gratitude as to your
illustrious President Butler In the
name of my country, in the name Of
| the University of Louvain, | thank
him cordially, and know that I have
received new benefit from your sci
a colleague of such men as are gath
cred here. | am proud to be on the
list of the scholars of Columbia Uni
versity.
May ask the young men here
present to allow me to give them true
heart Of sympathy. When l meet you
here. you young men, you give me
always an illusion; think become
ten years younger when see you. I
find in you, In your eyes, In your feat
ures, in your hands, such a generosity,
such a spontaneity, that feel that the
years seem to be less heavy on my
shoulders. ! would give you this coun-
sci only. think never q generation
has arisen in the world which has had
the privilege of finding in the events
such lesson of education such as
you have got in the events of the four
| last years. You have seen not only
individuals, but all nations inspired by
sacrifice for the welfare Of humanity,
and l may ask you the liberty to give
you my own Belbium as an example
of sacrifice to the youth
"On the I'd of August, 1914, not only
the King and his government, not only
the religious and civil public author
tiles. but the whole people, all the
nations as one man, stood for the de-
fcnse of our liberty and independence.
We knew that we were sacrificing all
we had and all we were, and every
body without exception, decided to pre-
fer honesty to our wealth with dis
honesty.
i leave that, young men, as an
example. because we stand before the
great moral reconstruction. The world
Is not as yet in peace. We expect q
profound peace of the soul. The pre-
pairing of that world peace shall be
your work, and we rely on you for
preparing dehnitive peace of the
nations and of all humanity.
MY last word is to ask the President
10 allow me to bestow on you, students
and citizens Of New York, my fatherly
blessing"
The crowd stood with barred heads
while the Cardinals hand moved in
the rite of blessing and then broke
up with some more exuberant under
graduate cheering.
Cardinal Mercier was the guest Of
honor later at a tea at the home Of
President Butler. where the project Of
restoring the Louvain library was dis
cussed with many distinguished schol.
ars and public spirited men and women
Of New York. The National Commit
tee for the Restoration of the Uni
versity of Louvain was represented by
Nj. and Mrs. Thomas A. Edison, Rt.
Rev Henry Gabrielle, Miss Belle Greene,
,Ir. ard Mrs. Alexander ]. Hemphill,
! MIR. and Mrs. Thomas w. Lamont, the
Rev DR.. and Mrs. William T. Manning,
/ Mr.. and Mrs. E. II. Outerbridge, Mr..
and Mrs. william Barclay Parsons and
! Nh and Mrs. Whitney Warren
The ceremonies at Columbia Univer-
sity were preceded by a luncheon at
| TIE Hotel Astor given by the Merchants
| Association, at which the Cardinal told
again the story of his Christmas pas
! toral letter of 1914 and how he had