Evening star., 1926-04-25


progress being made by the
United States since the war In
acquiring the rarest treasures
of art from the galleries OF stricken
Europe But one Of the foremost
scholars Of the most outstanding coun'
try in the annals OF art. DIR. Johs nnes
Gennadius. an eminent patriot OF
Greece has given proof OF his appreci-
alton of America as the preSerVer or
classic art. for he has put into our
keeping forever his unique library OF
Greek books and rare documents, on
the sole condition that the collection
is to he suitably housed in Athens.
apart from all other collections.
1t ia a law OF Greece that only GER
tain Incorporated and approved organ
iZations shall be licensed to conduct
research and make Xcavations in that
home of ella ssic treasures. and fore
most in such recognition Is the Amer
ican school which now gains this un-
paralleled prestige of controlling the
great Gennadeion-the heart of all
ella ssic lore.
The new library building was dedi-
Gated Friday i'm Athens. The cere-
monies of dedication were participated
in bv the new President OF Greece.
Gen. Pangalos together with his cabi-
net and many other public men. Chief
among the honored participants were
DR.. and Mrs. Gennadius. the generous
donors There were also officials of
the American School OF Classical
Studies, which takes over the responsi-
bility OF conducting the library in
perpetuity.
In addition. there were representa-
tives OF many important educational
institutions OF the United States and
also the rector and staff of the Uni
versity of Athens.
The library which DIR. Gennadius
has gathered during long life of zeal
Gus and discriminating collecting con-
sists of nearly $4,000 items. all relat-
ing to Greece and the Greeks. He has
searched the book markets of the
world TO make 1t complete In its vari-
Gus departments.
For instance various sections cover,
respectively the Greek War of Inde-
| pendence. Greek American relations,
diplomatic history of the Near East.
the early Christian Church, and the
| Byzantine Empire.
MANY books have been acquired
which are not known To exist in any
other collection. and there is huge
mass of original unpublished material
letters. manuscripts. pictures. etc.
One feature of the collection consists
of the first editions of the ancient
Greek classics: and the rare artistic
| bindings alone would enrich the
worlds greatest libraries. Taken as
| a whole, the library is probably with
out an equal in the world.
During the last 40 or more years.
| in which DIR. Gennadius has resided
| in London az the Minister of Greece,
| this library has been housed in his
residence In GrOSvenor Gardens. But
| 1t has always been his hope that
Athens would be its ultimate destinu-
| ton, and that circumstances might
permit him to make "a gift Of it to the
| Greek people. But a gift of the books
alone without a large building to
house 1t. and without an endowment
| for it's administration and upkeep
, would impose a. heavy burden upon
the recipient. and SO DR.. Gennadius
turned his thoughts to another plan.
which has now been most happily
| realized.
! The American School Of Classical
| Studies, founded in Athens over 40
years ago. receives American students
who desire to pursue advanced studies
in Greece and guides their researches.
This institution has been very success
! full and has acquired considerable
| endowment as well as fine property
on the southern slope of Mount Lyca-
bettus. So. in the Spring of 1929. when
! DR.. Gennadius was in Washington as
the delegate of the Greek government
to President Hardink's Disarmament
Conference, he proposed to the au-
thorities Of the American school to
present to Il his complete library and
| collections, on condition, among other
things, that a suitable building should
be provided and that the scholars OF
all nations should have equal privi-
! leges in its use.
| The gift was promptly accepted.
and thus the Greek statesman. with
wisdom and foresight worthy or an
Odysseus, accomplished several objects
at once-Greece secures the library.
{but America assumes the burden Of
its maintenance: America thus has the
honor of being the trustee of one OF
the worlds greatest collections ana
becomes a leader In the study of llel'
lenic civilizat ton; and in this relation
ship Greece and America are brought
! still closer together In friendship ana
| co-opera ton.
When the terms of this splendid
gift were made known, the carnegie
Corporation at once offered to Dullo
the Gennadeion, voting for this pur-
pose a quarter of million dollars.
The plans were drawn by New YORK
firm of architects. Messrs. van Peit
and THOMPSON. The land on which
the building was to be erected was
donated by q special act of the Greek
Parliament. The site selected and do
mated by the Greek government is one
of the finest in Athens, a large plot
hieh up on the slope of Lycabettus,
+broe hIocks north of the XVauEol-