The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-20
King Lcopoid's Will.

King Leopold'a Will bids fair to In.
volve Belgium In difficulties with Ger
many 1t may be recalled that he be-
queathed one-third of his fortune for
the creation and endowment OF nu-
scum at Coburg. His object in making
this bequest was in order to reduce
the inheritance of his daughters to the
very smallest figure possible. Now tlIa
Kings daughters, but also by the
Belgian crown and government. The
latter points out that considerable
portion of tho fortune left by the late
King was money OF which he had ac-
CURED possession at the time of the
transfer of the Congo Free state to
Belgium, and that according to u let
ter which he wrote at the time 10
the Belgian government concerning the
matter, he received the money on the
understanding that 1t vas to be de-
voted TO public institutions. public
works and ptiilanthropic enterprises
in Belgium The Belgian government
therefore, holds that he had no right
to ALLEVIATE this money. amounting to
at least some s7.0Du,0O0 or sS.000.000, to
the erection and endowment OF Il mu-
scum at Coburg. Nor is tho govern
ment or Belgian crown willing that
this sum should go 10 the King 8
daughters, two OF whom at any rate.
and Princess Louise. would spend II
abroad. King Albert shares the views
of his ministers and people In tho
matter. and is strongly averse to the
Coburg project.
On the other hand the Kaiser and
the authorities at Berlin are said TO
have taken up the rights of Coburg
TO Its share in tha fortunes OF the
King with. good denl Of vieor.
Guardian for Princess LOuiEc.
Another question which has cropped
up in connection With the Belgian
TDval family. and which tho
courts of Berlin. Vienna and Great
Britain are concerned, is the proposal
to place Princess Louise under "cura-
tel" that is to say, to legally deprive
her OF all possession. control and adj
ADMINISTRATION Of whatever property she
may have, and to render her incohl-
petent to undertake of her own accord
any business transaction or oblisa-
ton. This is frequently done on
the Continent OF Europe. in the case
tics. or who have shown themselves
TO be almost insanely eXtravagant. The
tribunals treat them much in tho
same way as lunatics, with this excep-
spendthrift to an asylum, but they
deprive him or her of every civic
right, and anooint guardians or trustees.
without the consent OF whom no act
of theirs has any validity. In fact.
they are judicialiy declared as ire
sponsible.
The matter Is, rather complicated in
tho case of Princess Louise. for she
forfeited her Belgian nationality when
she became he wife of Prince Philip
of Coburg, and claims German citizen
ship. But this was lost by the d.
vorce which was pronounced against
her at Coburg, and by the terms O..
which she of her own accord severed
all her connection with the sovereign
house of Coburg. This does away witt,
any German nationality which she may
have possessed through the fact that
Coburg and Its reigning house form
part and parcel of the German En-
pire. She is resident in Paris. but she
and this, according to French law. IS
not legal domicie. 1ndeed, at the
present moment the princess Is without
any nationality whatsoever, and the
only means by which she could be
placed Under curatel would be by some
understanding between the judicial au-
thorities Of Germany, Hungary. France
and Belgium. 1t Is proposed that her
only son. Prince Leopold of Coburs.
who spent several months in tile
and was extensively entertained here,
should be appointed as her guardian
and trustee. She may be relied upon
to fight this project by every means
tercourse with her son since her
elopement from Vienna with en- Can
tain Matachich to Paris and Nice, some
fifteen years ago Moreover. when she
visited brussels last December at the
time OF King Leopold's death, her son
who was there. pointedly avoided
meeting her. On tho other hand. nc
one can blame hor relatives for tdk
ing some sucllSsteps as this. II ought
to have been done long ago, for, while
she may not be unbalanced in othe,
matters. she is certainly insanely eN-
trayagant, and since the death OF her
father and her entering into posses
sion Of some ready money. she has
become more RECKLESS In her oXpendi-
lures than ever, SO much 50 that no,
even the most colossal fortune would
mold out for any length OF time UNI
der such continuous and heavy drai,
upon It by herself and by the CROWD
of adventurers. adventuresses and
shysters BY whom shn is surrounded
tCopyrlght. 1910, by the brentwood
Company.l