The New York herald., 1921-08-21
BELGIUM SUES FOR
KNIGHTHOOD RELICS
Would Compel Austria to Re-
store Treasure of Order Of
Golden Fleece.

speeiGl Correspondence 70 The NEW Ynax
HERALD.
LONDON, Aug. i0.-The Reparations
Commission. which is usually occupied
with such prosaic and purely utilitarian
things as coal and money. writes the
Paris correspondent OF the Times, has
had before 1t the claim brought by Bel
1 gium against Austria FOR the restitution
OF the mediaval treasure Of the Order Of
! the Golden Fleece.
The legal basis on which the demand
is made is to be found in Article 195 OF
the Treaty of Saint German. which en-
titles Belgium. together with Poland ana
Czecho-Slovakia. 10 submit claims for
| the restitution OF certain objects and
documents held by Austria. In the case
of the former country. these consist OF
The treasure OF the Golden Fleece, arms
and armor taken from Brussels. coins
medals and q curious old map OF tho
! Low Countries. together with the famous
Rubens triptych OF st. Ildephonse
For the moment. however. 1t is only q
question OF the treasure OF the Golden
Fleece and of the triptych. 1t Is with
the latter that the proceedings are first
| in order.
The other claims will probably not be
neard betOre the autumn.
/ AS 70 what the treasure actually con-
sists of to-day there is a difference OF
\ opinion between Austria and Belgium.
the latter asserting that IL comprises
many objects Of great value. while the
/ former declares that the ma jority or
these have been dispersed In the course
OF centuries leaving only compara-
lively unimportant collection OF robes
and such things in the former royal
treasury in Vienna.
But the first thing to decide Is the
legal right TO ownership. the proof OF
| which will take the contendtng lawyers
and experts back into the fifteenth CEN
tury. 1t was then that the Golden
Fleece. which became and remained un-
til the break up of Austria one of the
greatest Orders of Knightilood. was
founded by Philip the Good of Bur-
gundy. who. among his other lands.
counted himself sovereign of the Low
Countries. This fact appears TO form
the starting point on which rests the
claim to the treasure which. lodged
originally at Dijon. was subsequently,
| transferred to Brussels.
On the other hand. the Low Countries.
and with them the sovereignty of the
Order of the Golden Fleece. passed to
Austria by the marriage of Mary OF
| Burgundy with the Emperor Maximilian
which took place toward the end or
the fifteenth century. In 1894. on the
French invasion, it was removed. and.
after a good many adventures on the
way. reached Vienna. AS sovereign or
the order 1t was by the Emperor OF
| Austria that 1t has been conferred ever
since the days of Maximilian.
/ The Order OF the Golden Fleece con-
ferred by The Kings of Spain, beginning
with the Peace Of Utrecht. Is apart. and
not directly affected by the present liti-
cation. 1t will be a nice point between
| the respective rights of sovereignty Of
the Low Countries and sovereignty of
the order. upon which the committee Of
| jurists win have to report TO the Com
mission on Reparations, with whom
rests the final decision.
The triptych of st, Ildephonse. which
represents the Madonna together with
the Archduke Albert and his wife, Isa-
/ bella, and is OF great artistic value. is
1 quite another matter This came TO VI
emma as the result OF its purchase by
Maria Theresa when the chapel IN
which 1t was in Brussels was pulled
| down in order TO make improvements in
what Is now the Place Royale.