Again, Smashed

Father of two children, citizen of Louvain, one Edmond Morren, a master stonemason, stealthily entered the new Library of Louvain just before dawn one morning last week.

Previously Mason Morren had removed all nearby ladders into the building, locked all doors, cut the telephone line. He now ascended and climbed out upon the balustrade, for which Belgium's Hero Primate, the late Desire Cardinal Mercier, approved the following inscription:

Destroyed by Teutonic Fury: Restored by American Gifts.

The inscription was finally omitted by order of Monsignor Ladeuze, Rector of Louvain University (TIME, July 9), who caused to be erected first a stone balustrade without inscription which was smashed by his own students, and second an equally inscriptionless plaster of Paris balustrade.

Stealthily, last week, and then boldly Citizen Morren of Louvain proceeded to wield a stonemason's pick on the balustrade for 45 minutes, destroying 160 small columns.

As the last splintered fragment fell, Citizen Morren waved his pick at the huge crowd and helplessly irate police below, crying: "Long live Belgium! and France! and America! We Belgians are not all Boches like Monsignor [expectorating] Ladeuze!!"

Climbing down, unlocking door, Citizen Morren surrendered to the police, quietly remarked: "The Germans did us too much harm. Without the inscription, the balcony looks as if we had forgotten."

Grim, resolute, Monsignor Ladeuze ordered a new balustrade of which about half was rushed into place last week. The expense was understood to have been borne by Rector Ladeuze personally, though his moral support is from U. S. groups headed by President Nicholas Murray Butler of Columbia University and having the blessing of Candidate Hoover.