Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-01-27
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Priceless Treasures Taken From
Historic Library.
UNIVERSITY IS HANDICAPPED

Rector Says Reparatlon viii Not In
elude Rebuilding Of Library-Ger.
many Required to Furnish Manu-.
scripts, Books and Rare Objects
Corresponding In Number and Value
to Similar objects Destroyed by
German Soldiers.
Germany's failure to restore
single book or manuscript Of the price
less collections carried off during the
sack Of the historic library Of the Uni
versity of LOuvain Is made known by
J.. Ladeuze, rector, In message to the
national committee OF the United
States for the restoration Of the uni
versity. P. Ladeuze asks the committee
to reveal to the American people the
difficulties encountered by the univer-
sity through lack Of library facilities
in providing for the several thousand
students who are enrolled. The value
OF the stolen treasures, he adds, may
be fixed by the Germans at 5OOO,OOO
francs.
The executive committee. composed
of DIR. Nicholas Murray. Butler chair
man; Thomas w. Lamont, Alexander
j. Hemphill, e. II. Outerbridge and
Herbert Putnam, librarian Of congress,
issued an appeal for subscriptions to
the fund for rebuilding the Louvain
library. or the $5O0.OOO needed, the
committee said, only $15O365.5s had
been raised. Contributions may be
sent to ]. P. Morgan & Co. or Doctor
Butler at Columbia.
What Germany Must Do.
says: ut is impossible that the COM
mittee Of the United States should
not carry out successfully the plan
which 1t has solemnly begun" and
adds:
Article PAT of the treaty of YER
sailles says that Germany pledges
herself to furnish to the University OF
Louvain within three months following
the time that demand will be made Of
her by the reputation commission
manuscripts. incunubula printed
books maps ard rare objects CORE
spending in number and value to sim.
liar objects destroyed IN the fire set
by Germany I'm the LOuvan library"
II Is simply n question OF the execu.
ton OF this article.
since the Germans are pledged 10
deliver to us books manuscripts. etc,
corresponding In number and value to
those which we had. We have been
Obliged 10 make a declaration as to
what We had. We have. then. furnished
lists OF the books. manuscripts and in
cunnbuln which were burned OIL the
Goth Of August. 1914. but II has been
Impossible for us to furnish complete
lists since all Of the catalogues were
also burned in the fire.
Value Fixed at 100000 Francs.
Wherefore In order to establish a
record OF all that which we had and
which ought to be returned to us we
have been obliged 10 resort to general
terms to fix an estimate Of the value
OF our books. manuscripts. etc. The
Germans have recognized that this
value Gun Ice fixed at 5.OOO,OOO francs.
They will be obliged then to deliver
TO us:
I'D Books which we can prove were
Ia our library. and (2) other books In
accordance with our needs 40 that the
total value Of the two categories Of
books which they will deliver to us
shall amount to about 5,OOOOOO francs.
| say about because In that figure
are also included the rare objects that
were burned.
ut Is n question OF a simple state
inent OF the German obligation. And.
you see. In ull this there Is not a cen
iine for tn" building Of the library
which your committee has been good
enough 10 ask us to reserve to IL. We
Ito MOI expect a centime from the Ger.
mans for that purpose. since the build
Ing. according 10 the opinion Of Mr..
A. J. Hcmphll must he entirely dis
Iinct from the burned 'llalleS'
up to the present time we have
not received single book from Ger
many. Let us hope that we shall not
he too disappointed"
The funds subscribed have already
,een turned over to the Louvain au-
horitieS and work on the new struc-
ure will begin soon.