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"The people of Belgium are 90% in favor of Cardinal Mercier's inscription. Students of the University, even the workers who built the library, solidly demand the inscription. I have had people come to me in the streets with their eyes streaming tears pleading with me not to abandon the fight but to remain firm. One of Herbert Hoover's own Wartime posters read: 'If 70 million Germans wept for 1,000 years they could not make disappear the human miseries they caused in Belgium and Northern France.' I shall fight to ensure the perpetuation of the inscription if it takes my last cent and my last breath!"
Ensued a squabble royal while the library stood inscriptionless. Wrathful Monsignor Ladeuze caused to be clandestinely prepared a second set of balustrade stones spelling: In Bella Reducta; In Pace Resti-tuta ("Destroyed In War; Restored In Peace"). The secret leaked out. Mr. Warren hired roustabouts and huskies to rush his stones into place. Rector Ladeuze stopped them with a court injunction and the entire police force of Louvain, then hired other huskies to put up his stones. No sooner were they in place than a band of his own students appeared shouting "Vive Warren! Vive Mercier!", climbed to the roof of the library, hurled down and shattered most of the balustrade, marched away chanting Belgium's national air La Brabançonne. Livid with rage, Monsignor Ladeuze had a third set of "stones" hastily moulded from plaster of Paris. With these in place the new Library of Louvain was formally dedicated on July 4, 1928. But soon afterward one Edmond Morren, father of two, citizen of Louvain, climbed upon the roof of the Library just before dawn clutching a stone-mason's pick. When police appeared Citizen Morren pointed proudly to 160 smashed plaster pillars, waved his pick exultantly, shouted: "Long live Belgium! and France! and America! We are not all Boches like Monsignor [expectorating] Ladeuze!!"
Meanwhile Architect Warren had brought suit against the University of Louvain to force erection of his inscription and collect 2,000,000 francs damages ($55,600) for "violation of contract and artistic rights." The suit dragged on until last week. Then in Louvain a robed and bearded judge read out the verdict:
1) The University was enjoined to permit Architect Warren to erect his inscriptional balustrade Furore Teutonico Diruta; Dono Americano Restituta, on the ground that it was part of the original architectural plan approved by University authorities years ago.
2) Monetary damages were denied Mr. Warren, but the University had to pay all court costs.
Soon triumphant Whitney Warren was booming to reporters in his snug Manhattan office: "Most gratifying! Most! All over the world this decision will have an important effect upon the rights of artists, particularly architects. Heretofore clients have felt free to make such changes as they felt desirable in plans furnished them by architects. This decision seems to me to support the architect's claim to the right to impose his own interpretation of an architectural problem!
Asked what he would do if the University of Louvain appealed, Architect Warren drew down his beetling brows and roared: "Carry the suit to the highest court! Fight to a finish!"