Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-28

Destroyed by German fury; restored
by American generosity" That inscrip-
ton, In Latin, carved and entwined with
such elaborate ornamentation as to be
almost illegible, has become the cause
of great unpleasantness in completing
the rebuilding of the Library Of Lou
vain, Belgium. The American archi-
tect, Whitney Warren in charge of the
construction, has been enjoined against
putting the stones bearing the often
sive words into the facade. His OPP
ponent in the case is the rector of the
university, Mgr. Ladeuze. Belgian,
who sued for the restraint, and who
had masons prepare other stones bear
ing no inscription 70 take the place
OF the American facade.
Strangely enough, the rector's action
meets strong opposition from the STU
dents of the Louvain University, which
controls the library, and yesterday
these students defied the guarding
police and destroyed the rector's mar
bles. Also a leading Belgian daily,
L Independence Beige, strong national
istic journal, denounces the rector and
demands his removal, while upholding
the American architect.
On the other hand His Majesty the
King of Belgium-brave soldier who
fought in the trenches alongside his
heroic defenders throughout the war
manifests his displeasure over the fric-
ton by announcing that neither he
nor any member of the royal family
will be present at the dedication of the
new library, which, In honor of the
American donors. is to take place July
4. And so the American generosity"
which, 1T wass confidently expected
would draw the hearts of all Belgians
closer to Americans, becomes a diYid-
ing wall.
The Grass boast that the library Is
restored by American generosity" is
compared with the bad taste OF pla-
carding wedding present with the
cost price and an advertisement OF the
givers trade. It's effect upon European
prejudice against the boosting Yam
KEGS" will not soon be fully measured,
regardless Of the attitude concerning
the war.
There could not have been more
inopportune time for such break
than this, in the midst of the Ameri-
can proposal to outlaw war and unite
with Germany and France and Great
Britain and Belgium and all other ma
| tons Of the world in putting aside all
war and the bitterness OF war expert
ences. The Vatican and the American
international Friendship and Church
Peace Union sustain Mgr. LadeuZe.
Architect Warren claims that the in
scription was approved by the late
Cardinal MERCER, the war hero, but
that is not substantiated by any docu-
| mentary proof, Even II 1t were true.
we are today years farther removed
from the anguishing memories of the
war
The journal Independence Beige
demonstrates It's own readiness 10 dis
tort the situation by declaring that II
the Warren inscription be now stopped
by orders from the American organiZa~
ton which raised the funds for the
building, 1t will show that DR. Nicholas
Murray Butler, the president OF the
American Society To Restore the Library
of Louvain, and Herbert Hoover, who
fed the Belgians during the war, are
ready to confess that II was not the
Germans who we're responsible for the
war Such an absurd deduction
measures the unbalanced prejudice ex~
cited by the radical inscription itself.
Or Butler suggests for the inscription
Destroyed in war. restored In peace. ="
Besides, the Warren inscription does
not state the whole truth II suggests
q claim that II was wholly due to the
generosity of Americans" that the LOU
vain Library is restored As that ficti-
cious character of Peter Dunno, MT.
Dooley." said about the Carnegie libra
ries dotting the United States, which
consisted only OF buildings. not books.
1T isn't literatoor Hinnessy, It's archi~
| tectoor"
Americans gave literally to the new
accumulation Of books for the Louvain
| Library but so did the French, British,
| Dutch, Portuguese and every other ma.
| tionalty Of Europe, except the Central
| p0wers-~the enemy II is misleading,
! therefore, that the facade should bear
those words. restored by American