The Washington herald., 1921-01-02
REBUILD WAR
AREAS TO AID
WORLDPEACE
Carnegie Fund Erects
New Libraries in Euro
pean Cities.
LOUVAIN, BELGRADE,
RHEIMS, SELECTED
Gifts of Valuable Books
Also Being Made to
Universities.


negie Endowment for International
Feace is carrying on world-peace
movement, involving large projects
Of reconstruction in the war areas,
a system of intercourse with foreign
Offices and with leaders of political
thought everywhere and an elab-
crate plan of education through
which libraries in many lands are
being provided with collections OF
books, it is announced here.
Announcement of a gift OF 10000
sterling made by the trustees Of the
endowment to the fund for the res
toration and protection of the fabric
Of Westminster Abbey again focuses
attention on the work which the
Carnegie Endowment is carrying on
throughout the world in laying the
foundations for international peace
upon international good feeling, in
ternational understanding and close
international relationship.
Abbey an Historic Structure.
The gift to the Westminster Abbey
fund, ii was stated today, was made
in recognition Of the fact that
Westminster Abbey is the most i'm
portant and most notable structure
associated with the history of the
English-speaking peoples. 1t marks
and typifies as does no other build
ing. it was said. the essential unity
of the English-speaking race and is
in effect the shrine of English
~, 1v11A he
Rudyard Kipling who referred to
Westminster Abbey some years ago
as THE Abbey that makes US we"
While the ravages of the recent
war were at their height the trus-
tees Of the Carnegie Endowment set
aside a large sum OF money to be
expended in works OF reconstruc-
ton in the devastated regions as
soon as conditions might justify
undertaking the work.
Thes oversight and direcrion OF
this work of reconstruction was
committed to the division of inter
course and education of the endow-
ment of which DR.. Nicholas Murray
Butler, president of Columbia Uni
versity, is the director. The other
two divisions of the endowment,
those of international law and of
economics and history, are pri>
marily charged with duties of In
vestigation and research in the
fields which their titles indicate.
Deals with Public Opinion.
The division Of intercourse and
education deals actively and con-
stantly with public opinion through
out the world, keeps track OF poll
Cies and acts which have an inter
national bearing or an international
influence, brings leaders Of opinion
in various nations into personal re-
lationships and in a hundred diff
ferent ways works to provide a
solid foundation in public opinion
for the work Of governments whose
aim is to maintain and strengthen
the peace of the world.
On the recommendation of the d.
rector of the division of intercourse
and education the trustees Of the
endowment have begun and are now
carrying forward three notable
pieces of reconstruction IN Europe.
These are aiding in the restoration
of the famous library of the Uni
versity of Louvain in Belgium. de-
stroyed by the invading Germans in
August, 1914; the reconstruction Of
the municipal library at Rheims.
FTwnce, that was completely de-
molished by the German lombard
ment during the war, and the erec-
tion of library for the public and
the University Of Belgrade in Serbia
to take the place of the one that
was wrecked by the Austrian
armies.
Money stn Needed.
These three projects are now
going actively forward, DR.. Butler
declares, although but a portion Of
the sum needed to complete the re-
construction of the library at Lou
vain has as yet been provided.
The city of Louvain lies about
twenty miles east Of Brussels. In
1925 the University of Louvain was
established under the authority of
a bill issued by Pope Martin V. In
the six centuries of it's development
It has been practically the religious
capital of Belgium.
Among the world renowned names
connected with the university are
Erasmus, Jean Nevius, Nicholas
Glenard, Jean du Marais, Justus Lip
sius, Vesalius and Mercator.
LII 4S41 the university DullOlnES
were more or less scattered about
the city. The library was housed in
the old Clothmaker's Hail, a build |
ing of rare archaeological value dat |
ing from the fourteenth century.
On August Is, 1914. 1,12o houses |
of Louvain were burned and the Ii |
brary of the university containing |
about 100000 volumes and priceless |
manuscripts and incunabula was de- |
stroyed.
Appeal for Rebuilding Fund.
On November IL. 1918, the Ma
tional Committee of the United |
States for the Restoration of the |
University of Louvain made public
appeal for a fund of $500, 900 to be |
used for the construction and equip- |
ment of a new library building. Up |
to the present time, it was said |
today, the contributions received |
total $3.50, ,396.5S, which includes the
gift of the Carnegie Endowment for |
International Peace.
In the repeated bombardment of /
the city of Rheims, France. the IA
nous cathedral was irreparably
damaged and the library founded by |
Cardinal Gousset and housed in the
modern building constructed for II |
at the expense of the state was de-
stroyed.
B.. Formerly the kings of France
were crowned in the thirteenth CEN