The Washington herald., 1920-11-26
YANK TOBUILD
LOUVAINRUIN
Whitney Warren Hopes
New University Will Be
Superior to First.
BY wINIFRED VAN DUzER.

NEW YORK, Nov. s5.-"After all,
the most interesting feature Of the
spectacle Of Louvain. rising Phoe-
nix-like above her ashes. is the OBJ
ject lesson set before the eyes of
the world.
The will to power gone down be-
fore the will to right; civilization
triumphant over barbarism: beauty
soaring above ruthlessness- What
more poignant than these."
Seated in his office at the Ritz
Carlton here, mid odds and ends of
altar pieces, tapestries, porcelains
and other bits that establish the
look of a medieval castle. Whitney
Warren today thus expressed what
apparently to him is the romance
Of the crowning honor OF an Illus
trious career.
For Mr.. Warren is the American
architect who has been selected by
the elgian-French committee to
restore the University of Louvain!
Notified only a day or two ago
by cable that Europe would look
to him to give back whatever is
possible Of the ancient seat of learn
ing, Mr.. Warren, who has not Wis
iAtN khC oCiBia CITY iLa uS-
struction by the German army Au-
gust 81. 1914, said today that he
has made no definite plans except
ing that work will be commenced
within the year. He continued:
'It is possible that We shall find
II necessary to add much which is
new to restoration of the olu
building.
This may be a benefit as is so
often the case when a building or
a city Is destroyed and rebuilt.
Consider the new San Francisco,
its advantages over the old city:
consider also Baltimore. New cities.
rectified alignments-msn ny improve
ments are possible.
Nevertheless, even though It
may seem expedient to erect tho
university upon q new plot. every
stone left from the destroyed build
ing shall be preciously guarded
and used In the construction. Just
as much as Is possible tho new
building shall be n reproduction Of
the old"
This vision undoubtedly sent him
into the great war long befor. the
United States entered 1t. One Of
his activities was oreanization of
the American COMMITTEES Of the
School of Fine Arts to look otter
the welfare of families OF the four
th"usanS students who were on the
firing line.
For his work he has been hon.
ored by the French government with
the order of the Legion of Honor
He is a frieuS ana t-,erican rep.
resnntative Of Gabrielle dAnnun-
4t nj al IN IL "a
poet-patriot.
Tall. striking. with iron gray
hair brushed straight hack, he
looks an artist whose brush is a
comets tail" Hearing him speak,
one feels that he, is the one to re-
store Louvain's traditions as we'll
as her stone and mortar. b
Mr.. Warren told of the part
America Is assuming in rebuilding
Louvain. He said:
only enne-third OF the amount
necessary has been raised so far,
The entire requirement is only
$500. 00.000-patheticaliy little when
one considers the millions donated
to our own universities.
America owes 1t to herself to
see the promise made Cardinal Mer-
cier when he visited us is fulfilled.
II is up to us to come across and
come quick. It seems TO me that
the task of raising funds should
be beloved duty OF the six hun
dred and forty universities in this
country. They should be repre-
sentsd in some manner In the build
ing Of that sncInt seheol."
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butter. pres.
fdent Of Columbia University, heads
the Ameriean committee which Is
known ~ the Nationss Committee
q the united states for Rssteration