The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-03
Princess Louise. Duke of Ursel
and Others in Exploitation
Scheme.
BY LA MARauIsE DE FoNrpNoY.

BY LA MARaUIsE DE FONTENoY.
~ RTNCBSS LOUISE of Belgium
and her sister. ex-Crown Prin-
cess Stephanie, have lately
formed a joint stock company for the
exploitation Of vast tract OF land. of
which they have obtained conces-
sion. In tho Majumbu district. on the
Lower Congo. The company has been
hoated at Antwerp, and among the
principal associates Of the princesses.
and largest stockholders, are the Duke
of Ursel, the great Belgian ironmas-
ter Solvay, and man OF the name or
stephen Thibaut, who has already
achieved note by his success In the
exploitation OF concessions In what WAS
formerly the Congo Free State but
which is now the Belgian African en-
pire. The capital OF the new company
is registered as couple OF million
francs.
The Duke OF Ursel includes among
his numerous other titles that of
Baron of Hoboken, which has belonged
to his family for the past 400 years,
and which Is taken from the castle OF
Hoboken. In the province of Brabant
He is burgomaster OF the town or
Hingene, in the neighborhood of which
his principal country seat Is situated,
and his father Will be remem Bored as
having occupied for many years the
presidency OF the Belgian Senate. He
is about forty years of age, is mar
ried to n daughter OF the Comte de
Franqueville, OF the celebrated Cha
teau de la Muette, In Paris, and is
one Of the principal figures of the
Belgian court, as we'll as personal
friend and crony OF King Albert.
This. taken in conjunction with the
fact that the Belgian crown has been
company formed by the two princesses.
would seem to indicate that King AL
bert is disposed to favor the West
African enterprise of his two cousins.
Perhaps he hopes to thereby grad
ually induce them to abandon their de-
termination TO institute legal proceed
ings In the courts of Germany, France,
England, Austria and Hungary, for the
recovery of whatever property their
father. the late King Leopold may
have had in these countries, on the
ground that he had no right to alien
ate 1t from them. True they have
been turned down by the last court OF
appeal In Belgium. But according to
Princess Louise and to her sister, ex
Crown Princess Stephanie, this in only
the beginning of whole series or
law suits
That in the French courts may quite
possibly prove successful. For it must
not be forgotten that Raymond Poin-
care, now President Of the French re-
public, Viviani, former Minister OF
Justice, and other equally eminent
members of the French bar, have been
counsel for the two princesses, and
have advised them In all the legal
steps which they have taken, convinc-
ed of the justice OF their claims.
The consensus of opinion, indeed, is
that the princesses have been unfair
ly treated but they would have re-
ceived a good deal more sympathy on
the part of the public If they had
consented to accept the very handsome
compromise offered them as recently
AS few weeks ago, by the Belgian
government as well as the previous
offers of the same kind, which had
been made by the state, for the sake
Of averting the revelation to the pub
lie in the courts OF law, OF all the
scandalous phases of the life of their
father. the late King Leopold. In
England they have already recovered
a very considerable sum through the
courts.