Princely Gift

Prof. Takayanagi of Tokyo University,* in the U. S. to solicit funds for his alma mater, knocked not in vain at the door of John D. Rockefeller Jr. He had asked for financial aid on behalf of his university library, which was partially destroyed by the great Earthquake of 1923 (TIME, Sept. 10, 1923, et seq.), and in which 800,000 books were destroyed.

In a cablegram to Yoshinao Kozai, President of the University, Mr. Rockefeller announced his decision to donate $1,600,000 (4,000,000 yen)/- to aid in rebuilding and restocking the library. His letter continued: "This gift is made without condition. I shall appreciate it if you together with the chief librarian, Prof. M. Anasaki, and Dr. Takuma Dan will act as a committee of three with full power to disburse the fund. The distribution of the gift as between building and books I leave to the committee.

"I quite realize that in time the Japanese people will themselves accomplish restoration of their cities and institutions which have been destroyed. However, I shall regard it as a great privilege to be permitted to hasten the day when your university, which stands among the foremost institutions of learning in the world, will again be provided with adequate library facilities."

President Kozai replied: "Your favor in radio has reached me and I regard it a great honor to accept your generous offer and to express the deep gratitude of our university. The committee of three has been organized and further details shall duly be communicated. Let me tender our thanks and promise to make the best use of your fund."

* The Tokyo University (Tokyo Teikoky Daigaku)--the main centre of culture in Japan --occupies 310 acres of ground in and near the City of Tokyo. The buildings alone, before the earthquake, occupied nearly 35 acres of land. There are seven faculties: Letters, Law, Science, Medicine, Engineering, Economics, Agriculture. In a recent report, there were nearly 25,000 alumni and over 6,000 students.

/- During the year 1924, among the moneys donated by the Rockefellers were the following:

Metropolitan Museum of Art. . .$1,000,000

Union Theological Seminary...1,083,334

Harvard University (Fine Arts Division). . .500.000

For restoration of Rheims Cathedral, palaces of Versailles and Fontainebleau. . . 1,000,000

Hartford Seminary Foundation 250,000

Harding Memorial Association 10,000

University of Pennsylvania...10,000