The Washington Peace Carillon

by James Marion Shull

The Washington Peace Carillon

A Brochure Issued by Lovers of the Bells and Dedicated to Others of Their Kind. Done in the Interest of a Greater Washington.

Ghent

Whose carillon of 52 bells has given joy to many thousands. In December, 1814, these bells rang out at the signing of the treaty of peace between the United States and Great Britain, and but for the outbreak of the great war, would in 1914 have celebrated the completion of a hundred years of unbroken peace between the two nations.

A PEACE CARILLON[*]

By

J. Marion Shull

Silent are the church towers of Flanders and Artois, the belfries of Douai and Bruges. They have been robbed of their treasures, those bells that for hundreds of years have pealed forth the hopes and aspirations of the surrounding countryside. These bells have suffered desecrations, their noble metal recast for purposes of war and their erstwhile melodious tongues constrained to speak the raucous tones of battle in behalf of barbarian hosts. But now that it is within our power let us give them back to civilization. From the metal of captured enemy cannon let there be cast the most wonderful carillon of bells of which the world's best makers are capable, and let these be duplicated in sufficient numbers that the capital city of each of the great allied nations may be provided with a set of these "peace bells."

The architects of all the world would vie with one another to see that in each of these cities should arise a magnificent bell tower to house this carillon, a splendid example of fitting architecture, worthy of the theme commemorated. No doubt, some modern Giotto would emerge to give the world a masterpiece in stone, which would gather to itself tradition from the past and build tradition for the years to come. Incorporate within its walls, perhaps, some block from shattered Rheims, from Amiens and Arras; another from the ruined treasures of Louvain, and so perpetuate the glory of those sacred heaps of stone now tumbled in confusion by the ruthless hand of hate. Then, too, some village on the Marne, where first the invading hosts were halted and turned back, might honor thus and in its turn be honored by one memorial stone in this great monument to peace.