The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-11-13
Art Relics for italy
Secret Agreement Made Between
Austria and Italian Gov
ernment

mus 1ar has refused to make public
the secret agreement by which DR..
Karl Renner, then chancellor, agreed
TO give to Italy many valuable works
OF art manuscripts and historical
relics, despite demands by art asso-
Citations in influential persons for that
information.
The history of the matter is inter-
esting and The Associated Press has
bcen able to learn from authoritative
sources some of its details. While the
guarded admissions of the govern
mcnt generally are phrasCd in the fu-
lure tense as to the delivery Of these
arucles. as a. matter Of fact that are
all understood to be now in Italian
possession.
Their seizure began when the Ital-
ian armistice commission, under Cen
eral Segre, first arrived in Vienna in
February Of last year, the contention
OF the commissioners being that un-
der the treaty Of the war of 1866
these treasures Should long since have
oeen delivered. Among the articles
taken by General Segre were the IA
nous TAPESTRIES of Montua and as re-.
CARDS them the Austrians conceded IT,
| w Nho oIooAoNCu III lIlelT QellVPrY.
Then began the removal of pic
lures from the Hofmuseum and Acad-
emy or Fine Arts which had been
| brought to Vienna in 1915 and 1888.
| Ihese had been stored in a church in
venice, having been collected from
many churches in the Venetian terri
tory. 1t was done by order of Fran
! els /, then sovereign of Venice which
was at that time a part of the Aus
TRAN empire. The Austrians bring
forward supplementary treaty to
that Of 1866 regarding these OBJ
Jects, intended to clear title. They
render this clause as follows: Aus
tria will keep (gardcra) the pictures
| exported in 1888 which his majesty,
the emperor sometime ago gave to the
Academy OF Fine Arts in Vienna and
to other galleries in the empire"
1t is around the word "gardera" the
Italians center their argument for
possession, contending it means take
in custody" or "for safe keeping" not
possession or gift The Austrians say
| they have documents in the state
archives to show that in return the
emperor gave to Italy presents Of art
works far in excess of value to those
in controversy, among them being the
priceless collections Manfrin and Bos-
| Si.
The Italians also took from the Ma
| tonal Library or other places ad-
ditional treasures such as autographs,
musical books, and three manuscripts
worth several millions Of dollars, one
! of which, The Genesis Of Vienna"
is said to be the most valuable late
Roman manuscript ir existence.
With all these objects safe in Italy
when the peace conference began in
Paris the Italians advanced further
claims for works Of art from Austria,
demanding the pick Of pictures from
the National gallery in Vienna and
virtually all the brolZes and statues
made in Italy or that ever We're in
Italy The objects thus covered were
estimated to be worth about 4,00O,-
100000 gold francs.
Their claims were rejected, how
ever, by the conference and then be-
gan the Italian effort to effect a spe-
cial treaty with Austria to obtain her
end. The negotiations proceeded until
this spring wheE DR.. Renner finally
visit. Under it's term General Segre's
seizures are legalized and a large
number of valuable objects are ceded
in addition.
The most important are the Re-
| liquary of Cardinal Bessariore and the
Cross Of st. Theodore. The first named
is remarkable specimen Of the We
netian gothic goldsmiths art of the
18th century and the other a unique
piece of Bystantine goldsmithy. In
| terms of dollars they are said to be
| beyond price. The agreement also
gives to Italy quantity of bronzes,
| historical relics, manuscripts and 9TH
cr objects, and bronZes Of the Renais-
sance, including Donatellos Angel
| Playing the Tambourine" and two
bronzes by Antico. The whole Of the
famous Duke de Este collection is in
| cluded.
In return Italy renounces her
claims to certain objects Of more or
| less value, among them the corona
| ton garments Of the Old German en-
perOrs. Finally Italy promises her
help to save the Austrian collections
from the claims of other powers un-
der article 19G of the treaty OF St.
| Gcrmain.
According to report there was a
verbal promise on the part of italy
to assist Austria wherever possible in
the boundary delim itations now in
progress and certain other political as
| SuranCeS.
1t is understood the Austrian sec
tion OF the Reparation commission is
making inquiries into the whole
transaction as it may affect the as
sets Of the COuntrJ to which the
treaty OF st. Germain gives title.