Evening star., 1921-07-10
NEW GIFT OF THE UNITED STATES TO
BELGIUM AND THE WORLD OF LEARNING

Of sympathy toward all efforts in the
line OF mind and soul advance. which
really is the foundation Of the na-
tion's greatness.
tion is the fact that in this matter we
have had competitors. OF course all
allied Europe is in deepest sympathy
with this especial effort at reconstruc-
ton. but 1t will come as a surprise to
most Americans to know that our one
rival for the task of rebuilding Lou
vain library was Japan.
THE crown prince, on his recent
tour through Europe, expressed the
deep desire of his government and
people to make some practical demon
stration of their sympathy for Bel
gfum and suggested that this might
be best expressed, perhaps. in the re-
building of this structure.
For this proffer Belgium was duly
grateful. but Americans already had
begun to work upon the project and
the prince was tactfully informed
other way Of indicating the profound.
sympathy of her government and stu
dent classes.
After / had been called to Belgium
to take up the work of planning. I
was at once impressed with the great
Belgians to the offer. though as yet
entirely unrealized. of the United
States. The utilitarian significance of
the building Of the library is least In
the eyes of Belgium.
THE looting and destruction of
Louvain were not military necessities
or even military conveniences. The
city had been occupied for several
days before this outrage and the
wholesale murder of the city's citi-
zens began. The episode was typical
Of the reign Of terror tactics which
l. hn1i n,tla rtyr
the war and which are especially abb
horrent to the ideals of America.
The monument, therefore. will not
only by contribution to the sufferer,
but a symbol, an everlasting symbol.
Of American protest against such
ethics as made this destruction possi-
BILE, and those ethics which made the
whole war possible.
when ! WAS informed that the
great task had been intrusted to me
I was. I must admit. oppressed some
what by the weight Of the responsible
ity, for I realized that far more than
a personal achievement or failure. the
building when completed would stand
as an American success or failure.
CIT was Immediately obvious to me
that whatever produced must be
sober. classical and familiar to the
people who live about it and at the
same time must have the dignity At
ting to gift from our great coun-
try to the little nation which saSri-
feed itself that the word honor might
not become meaningless and that hope
of right, justice and advancing civili-
zation might survive.
THE site on which the building is
to stand is by far the finest in Lou
vain, occupying one entire side Of the
Place du PeupIe. and originally had
been selected as the site Of the Palais
de Justice of the province.
Much has been done already. Three
hundred thousand books have been
received. with Germany sending 10000
monthly as agreed upon in the peace
treaty. The requirements of the uni
versity. as laid down by the authori-
ties, include the ultimate housing Of
two million books. a seating capacity
for 800 readers, twelve seminary
rooms for special classes and students,
a small museum and Offices of admin
istration.
Realizing that the library must be
the soul of the university. l have
planned for the ground floor a vast
assembly place. open to the winds and
protected from the rain, such as exist
ed in the old library.
IF the room in which the books are
to be stored, technically called the
stack room be limited to a capacity
of 100000 volumes. the left wing