Decorah-posten og ved arnen., 1921-10-28

could moi conceive of a sum of money
sufficient to repay him for the loss of
this ability should it be taken from
him. 1t was not a matter measurable
in money. This applies, no doubt, to
practically all persons with some pre-
tense to culture and education. In
fact, | a conceive Of no normal
being with a mind SO sordid and
coarse that he would exchange price
less spiritual values for purely ma
terial treasures.
Our age has been referred to as
one of blood and iron, of rapid motion
and quick action. The automobile,
the airplane, the telephone, and the
innumerable mechanical inventions
and devices of the last fifty years,
have no doubt contributed to this and
quite legitimately. The screen and
scenario writer have, through the
motion picture, made it possible, in a
brief half hour, and without mental
effort, to ecu some vague notion
of a book or story which it would
ordinarily have taken entire evenings
or days to master. Theirs may be
some of the responsibility for the rest
lessness and Impotence which per-
meate so much of present day society.
Possibly the jass band and similar
hideous manifestations in art and
music which have exercised SO bane-
full an influence in this and other
countries should come in for some
part of the blame.
One thing is clear, only those on
the ground and intimately concerned
with the administration Of Luther
College can realize how difficult it
must have been under existing con-
ditions to adhere to the ideals and
principles on which this institution
was founded, and on which its entire
development has rested. They know
how great the temptation at times to
adopt different policies, more likely
to appeal to the masses and to lend
to that publicity and immediate gain
Sc highly priced by many. For
tunately, the College has so far never
lacked men fully cognizant of the
fact that strict adherence to lofty and
noble ideals has served to carry many
an institution and many an individual
through periods of darkness and de-
preston, when considerations Of policy
and expediency might have seemed
to call for some relaxation of prin-
ciple, a greater readiness to yield to
the popular demands of the moment.
These men have been fully aware of
the fact that popular demands are
tickle and changing, like the shifting
sands, and that no institution which
builds on sand can endure.
The erection of the Library which
we are dedicating today has been
distinctly a work of peace, a credit
able and honorable undertaking. We
can we'll consider it a contribution to
reconstruction, to a return of sanity
and goodwill, an appreciation of the
intellectual values as against the
purely material, something which
should serve as an example and in
spiration to others.
This college was built during a
crisis which rocked our country to
its deepest foundations. The Koren
Library has been built during times
which have threatened collapse not
only of the social fabric of the United
States, but the very existence of that
social structure which we ordinarily
refer to as modern civilization. This
college was built by the pioneer far
mers of the Northwest, while still in
volved in the clouds of conflict and
striving to save the union and to
establish once for all the principle of
freedom OF the human race from
bondage. The Koren Library has
been built by the sons and daughters
of these same pioneers during times
as serious and as momentous as those
of the COS, while the entire world
structure seemed for the time being
wrenched from its base and tossed on
the conflicting winds of u~ltra-con-
servatism on the one side, and ultra
radicalism on the other, while the
press and other agencies ordinarily
expected to exercise a calming or
ot>oby iHS ihiiuNiNS "SlS, oh lllC NoH-
trary, adding t. the confusion and
uncertainty. For this reason, l repeat,
the erection of this Library at this
time is a credit and honor to those
who have made this undertaking
possible.
The Library as it stands today con-
tains less than 10000 volumes but it
is a choice selection, is organized on
modern lines, with a librarian of ex-
ceptional experience and ability, and
is housed in a fircproof building. All
this will open up possibilities of inter-
library loans, which should place at
the disposal of the faculty, students
and other constituents, the resources
of hundreds of the greatest libraries
throughout the country, including
those of the Library of Congress.
With these advantages, you should
then look to the Koren Library as a
center of cultural and intellectual
inspiration, sure to measure up with
the best, and to which all should feel
free to resort, and in which they
should find opportunities for quiet
communion with those true friends,
wise counselors, and faithful guides
which we call books = guides and
counselors which speak all languages.
are ever ready to bring information,
instruction and recreation to all man
kind; which are enemies Of ignorance
and slavery, allies of enlightenment
and liberty, friends and counselors,
who treat all alike regardless of race,
color. or social Ambition and uybo