New-York tribune., 1921-09-12
Syndicate IncludingSabin,
Replogle, ,Munsey, Takes
Over Property of Arch
duke Frederick and Som
Holdings Valued
At $500, 900, 900
Castles, Lands, Industries
of Hapsburgs Included
in Deal; Untermyer Is
Counsel for Americans


PARIS, Sept. IL (By The Assoc
ciated Press).-Negotiations were
completed in Paris yesterday where
by the vast estates of Archduka
Frederick of Austria and his SON.
Archduke Albrecht-estimate to be
worth more than $2O0,O0o,o ,oo0-were
taken over by an American syndi-
cate which includes Charles H. Sa-
bin, J. Leonard Replogle, Frank A..
Munsey, Thomas J. Fielder and other
prominent American business men,
Samuel Untermyer, New York
lawyer, represented the syndicate in
the negotiations, which have been in
progress for some time, and Arch
duke Albrecht took part in behalf OF
himself, his father, his wife, Isabel.
and his six sisters. DR.. Wilhelm
Rosenberg, of Vienna, and DR.. Aurell
Egry, of Budapest, were counsel for
the Hapsburgs.
Vast Resources Involved
The meeting here yesterday was Che
last Of q series Of meetings during this
| last few months at Carlsbad, Kissin-
! gen, Vienna and Paris. The transac~
tion concerns the vast land and indus.
trial holdings Of the Hapsburgs dis
tributed throughout Austria, Czecho-
Slovakis, Jugo-Slavia, Poland. Ru-
mania and Italy. They include the
great steel works and mines In Teschen,
which are partly in Czecho-Slovakia
and partly in Poland. The estate com-
prises numerous other industries, ins
! cluding the dairies which formerly fur.
nished most of the Vienna supply Of
milk and butter; sugar plantations.
factories, apartment houses, palaces
and other private properties in Vienna;
castles in various parts OF the Cont.
nent, about one million acres of agri-
cultural and forest lands scattered over
several countries, and the remarkable
Albertina Museum in Vienna, which Is
said to contain nearly one million
works of art.
World War Commander
Archduke Frederick was field mar
shall and was commander in chief OF
the Austro- Hungarian armies in the
World War. His great grandfather
was a nephew of Emperor Francis ]
and was adopted by Duke Albrecht OF
SAKE Teschen, who married Arch
duchess Maria Christina, daughter OF
Maria Theresa. Archduke Frederick Il.
the uncle of King Alfonso of Spair.
His sister was the Queen Of Bavaria
Thus a considerable part of his prop
erty came from the Saxon house.
This is regarded as important By the
members of the American syndicate,
because the properties they are taking
over were not part of the possessions
of the Austrian crown, but came to
than the Hapsburgs.
A large part of the properties were
purchased, and developments from pri-
yate means were increased during the
$50 years by investments and returns
from new enterprises. 1t is regarded
as fortune built essentially upon saw
ings by business management and not
upon royal gifts and concessions. Arch
duke Frederick was excluded from all
his properties located in countries for
merly composing the Austro- Hungarian
monarchy. Some have been sequestered
and others were claimed as confiscated,
mn RI of NV az fJrfa oil
governments and others by the new
states in whose jurisdiction the prop
critics were brought by terms Of vaSi-
pus peace treaties.
Negotiations Opened in 1919
American interest in the properties
had its origin in Switzerland in the
summer of 1919, when Archduke Fred
erick made the acquaintance Of Thomas
j. Fielder, an American living in Paris
Operation OF the various industries had
been paralyzed by disorganization con-
sequent to the war, and the archduks
desired TO bring American capital and
methods into their restoration. Ar
rangements were made in October, 1919,
whereby the archduke was to transfer
his various properties, except those In
new Hungary, to corporation organ
lied in Switzerland TO take over the ad-
ministration Of the estates.
/ Mr.. Fielder was TO form a syndicate
in America to acquire substantial in
terests in the new company, which he
did. Differences arose between the
archducal family and the syndicate,
owing to subsequent action by various
governments in efforts to confscate the
properties, which resulted in litigation
in the Swiss courts. These differences
have now been adjusted through the
agreements reached here yesterday.
The American syndicate and the arch
duke will proceed to enforce what they
believe to be their rights against sew
eral governments now withholding pos
session.
A complaint is about to be lodged be-
fore the mixed tribunals of the League
of Nations, before which new states
will be summoned as having acted In
defiance of treaties with the Allies. In
teresting questions regarding treaty
rights and obligations are expected 70
be developed. Archduke Albrecht, who
participated in the negotiations, de-
clines to comment upon the transaction.
but Mr. Fielder, confirming the substan-
tial accuracy Of tho foregoing. added