The New York herald., 1921-08-28
loan OF GOD wins
FRENCH TO REBUILD
RUINED CHURCHES
Soldier-Priest of Nancy Pro-
poses to Raise 15,OO0,OOO
Francs for Purpose.
GOVERNMENT WILL HELP
Movement to Be Extended to
Other Dioceses, Restoring
All Edifices.
Special Cable to THE New YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1921, by TIE New York HERALD
New York Herald bureau.

Special Gable to THE New YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1921, BIZ TIE New York HERALD
New York Herald bureau.
Paris, Aug. 81.
A great religious loan, to be known
as Gods Loan" Is being launched in
an effort to hasten the restoration of
thousands Of churches and chapels
destroyed by German shellfire or wan
ton mining In the devastated re-
gions. The initial steps of this move
mont grew out of suggestion by
Canon Thouvenin, patriotic priest of
. Nancy, whose diocese suffered heavily,
more than seventy-five churches hav-
ing been completely wrecked and 120
seriously damaged.
To repair these structures 1t Is esti-
mated would cost 50,000,O00 francs,
hut the priest believes that by uniting
congregations it will be possible to
carry on the religious work at cost
OF 100000 francs.
Government Approves.
He has grouped the leading finan-
ciers and politicians in the Nancy region,
anu Dy ignoring dll laws Icbai oii6 shS
separation Of church and state obtained
the Governments approval to float the
first loan this summer and Is now plac-
arding every vacant wall in Lorraine
in an effort to get the struggling peas
ants to devote at least tithe of their
receipts to Christian reconstruction
The Finance Ministry has done its
share by assuring an annuity OF more
than 100000 francs to further the
n xtrkxy rr N
teeng the loan. which will bear in
terest at per cent. like the industrial
loans Of Rheims. Verdun. Arras and
Bethune. 1t is intended to extend the
movement to other dioceses in the
ruined departments before winter comes.
with the result that 1t will be possible
to commence rebuilding houses of wor-
chip all over northern and eastern
France as soon as the SHOWS disappear
When interviewed this week Canon
Thouvenin. who during the war won the
Legion of Honor through bravery in the
face OF the enemy declared that he was
confident that Gods Loan will be sub
scribed Just as rapidly as anything
planned by mammon
Not All in Generation.
But we do not dream for an instant
Of bringing back the edifices to their
pre-Wdr Stdlt, nt Sdiu W. ~
place the homely huts where the clergy
are valiantly preaching by principal
nave. leaving the towers. side affairs and
choir lofts to be built perhaps by the
next generation.
Apart from our great need OF
churches, Gods Loan will be Frances
reply to the German charges that the
nation has overestimated the extent Of
the war damages and that France is
not working as hard as she might to
get back to pre-war conditions. With
the whole of the French episcopate be-
hind Gods Loan the world will be con-
vinced that the German charges are
baseless."
Papal approval has not yet been re
ceived for the churches to embark on
this scheme, which savors OF CONNER
cialism, but Canon Thouvenin has asked
Rome to give 1t official recognition In
tho hope that subscriptions may be OBJ
tanned In the next meeting OF the do
ceses of Europe and the United States.
Canon Thouvenin's letter to the head
Of the church is said to have been a
fervent denial of the German thesis that
the damage was not wilful. the priest as
we'll as numerous colleagues who served
with the French forces citing instance
after instance where the enemy used
steeples and towers as targets on which
the artillery registered while locating
charted trenches.