The Washington herald., 1907-06-02

Wellington and shipped off 90 London.
along with other belongings of the British
commander They remained in England
in their packing cases until after the
downfall OF Napoleon and tie return Of
the Duke OF Wellington 10 England. King
Ferdinand. learning that the paintings iu
question were in the possession Cf Wei
lingtOu. at once requested him to keep
them as a token of the gratitude Of his
people and of himself for the services rem
dered by the Iron Duke in expelling the
French invader and i'm placing him Fer
dinandi once more on the thr7ne Of Spain
IL Is only fair 20 add that Napoleon and
his French generals We're by ro means
the only offenders in this Sp0'iati0n of
the public institutions Of the enemy. The
practice was one which was generally
recognized and tolerated hy international
law. and I'm lSl5. when the Papaey re-
covered its painting Of 'The Tr3nsdeuIa-
ton by Raphael, as above described. It
was forced % surrender TO Germany the
treasures of the Palatine Library of
Heidelberg, which had been looted iu the
thirty-ycars war. and which for the two
subs qucnJ centuries had been preserved
in the Vatican
Nowadays looting i'm wars between civil
ized nations. has been virtually abau-
d0ued II is however, still. tolerated in
conflicts with barbsr9us or seml-barbar-
Ous foes. In fact. laws stiu exist unrg-
pealed in England. as well as iu most
other monsrchical countries of Europ.
vesting in the crown. that is 90 say In
the sovereign. the right tD an loot taken
I'm DO f- %
the Lord 0r his representative has had
his pick that the remainder is either dis
ubuted among the troops 0r sold at
auction, and the amount realized divided
among them iu a ratio pToD0rtipned tD
their repective rank. Perhaps the most
stirling Illustration Of the ethics which
now prevail about such matters is 20 be
found In the fact that although every
Western ruler, whose troops took part in
the march on Pekiu Ey the allied forces
six years ago. obtained a portion of the
piuuder If the Forbidden city Emperor
William receiving "a quantity Df extremely
interesting astronomical Instruments sew
er9l hundred years Old which are now
among tine attractions Of his PaIaa. Ds
Sans Souci 8t P0tsdam. while the London
Illustration papers published photographs
of large cases of pluuder in the Imperial
Palace 10 Pekin addressed tD Windsor
CASTE. Yet there was not a single looted
French clock or any other Dit of pluudlr
iu The FrIUgJ-Ga-Uau war OF IN-u. rG ba
found IN the palace Of the Kaiser ur of
any other of his fellow German rulers. ll
spite of the widespread impression among
the French people % the contrary
But Then t.a French were civilized
nation. protesting Christianity and aI
taa white race. instead of being yellow
Asiaties. or dusky Africans. AS most .f
Eug.aud's wars during the last hundred
years have been with As.au. and African
poteutatas II is not astonishing tha-
many masterpiece of Oriental art obtain
20 iU this fashion should Doe found at
Castle. Amoue them Is tGa ,el.-
Hrated Una. "a iewelad bird about twelve
inches ious. shaped like pigeon
exaggerated tail Buh.sS. di8
amaralds. and pearls. are sewn ab
Iuiyeriug feathers of golden hl gre
IL holds priceless ruby iu It's Doe.
an emerald Of immense size an.
hangs from IT'S breast There sr
legends woven about this bird
Orient The H.ud1os have given
name 1f Una. and are cguyll.
whoever owns the Una must Did.
India Indeed. the fact that b
Una and the great Eoh-i-Nour
are owned 10y King Edward.
almost matter uf course for o.
princes of Hiudu~tan to aaknoVLs
as their Hase lord. u may ba
and baWidavDg thing this TUI.
alien from the west. but On the
1f these dusky poteutatas the
above have WI.-gl 10 Sr. and u.r
must bow i'm solemn obedience 20 tl- ...
# fate The Una figured be- 0ldentl times on
the canopy above the throne off the great
Indian Emperor Tipp0U SaHir. ana after
being taken from him. was presented ly
the East India Company tu Kiu- George
ILL., Sometimes il figures on the rrin-
.Ipal sideh0ard at the dinners at Windsor
Castle. but more often still it appears 10
the royal dinner table The Ima repre-
5euts the loot 0f victory. hut the k1h-
Moor diamond. formerly the token ~
majesty Of the rulers Of the Puuiaun.
was yielded in time Of peace to the Brit
ISM crown hy way Of a tribute uf SUBJ
mission. Other treasures 0f the same
kind at Windsor Castle are the splendid
-egalia Of the King Thcbsw. If Burmah.
the gold armlets. collar. diadem of the
two Kings Of Ashanti. a quantity If
beautifully carved elephant tuszs which
belonged 20 the African King of Benin.
while the state umbrella Of the Kines
]f Ashanti is preserved az the South
lensingtOu Museum
or course. il is NOT agreeable fer rs-
ions TO feel that their most cherished
possessions are in the hands Of an alien
power. There is always sort of instnc-
i've resentment against the stranger in
he affair, no matter whether he has OBJ
aimed the treasure by snoliation. gift or
egitimate purchase Thus. the Spauiards
.till harhor resentment against the Duke
f Wellington on account of the old mas
ers now adCrniDg the walls of Apslay
House. and which formerly belonged 90
he National Museum 20 Madrid. and the
creeks are never tired Of revilinE Eng
and for her possession AZ the British
museum Cf the famous Partheaou mar
lies Yet the latter were obtained hv the
eyenth Earl of Elgin through purchase.
With the fun approval OF an the cultured
ireeks NJ the day. who not only ref0icad
n the sale Of the marbles % the Earl as
be only available means of preserving
ONE Of the Erandcst masterpieces of the
Elastic art of ancient Athens bur posi-
lively groaneG at the fate of those sculp-
ures that Lord Elgin left behind. real
zng that they We're suffering well nigh
aiiy injury from the effects Of the
weather.. from vaudal tourists. and at the
lands Of the natives who looked upon the
uins of the Parthen0n in the light of
mere stone quarrieS.
A full Justification Of the disposal Of the
Ilgin marbles TO the seventh Lord Elgin
8 supplied 10y tie deterioration which the
culptures which We're left az the Parthe-
ION have suffered since his time Indeed.
ven quite recently the d.lapid3,ion has
een going on. For a careful comparison
made by the late A. : Murray. Of the
British Museum. of photographs taken I'm
So. with plaster casts executed in 1872.
hoWs the most lameutable and extensive
INJURIES; whereas, the Elgin marbles in
le British Museum have suffered no
arm whatsoever. since they were placed
d that w'rld-famed institution more than
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