The New York herald., 1921-03-06

SYNDICATE AFTER
LATECZAR'SGE1NS
Hopes to Sell Them in e. S.
and Dodge French and
English Claims.
SOME JEWELS IN REyAN
Soyiets Willing to Dispose Of
Valuables; Slight None
tary Hitch in Way.

Special Cable to THE HEw ToaE HExiLD.
| Copyright, 1891, b. TRE NEW YORK HExALA
New York Herald Bureau,
! London, March 3.
The United States customs agents
who are chasing down the "tip' that
the Russian crown jewels are going
to America may not be SO far off the
trail as was Indicated BY the seizure
OF the cut glass diamonds" aboard
the steamship Sac Vincente in New
York few days ago. THE New YORK
HERALD correspondent here has learned
that a Brltish-American syndicate IS
successfully negotiating for the pur-
chase of portion of the Russian i'm
perial crown jewels and other historic
gems now IN the possession OF the
1 Soviet Government and that this syn
I dicate intends TO send them to Amer
lea for sale in order 70 avoid French
and English claims against Russia In
! connection with old debts.
| Ludwig c. A X. Martens Russian
Soviet Ambassador" who was expelled
from the United States, was said to HAYS
told officials in Moscow that Americans
We're not against buying such property.
While the law here was liable to placA
the Jewels in the category OF stolen
goods and subject 10 attachment. es
An agent OF the syndicate interested
in purchasing the Jewels admitted that
the negotiations for them were already
far advanced and were held UP by
financial arrangement which is not con-
sidered a serious obstacle. Secret ser
vice agents here are cogniZant OF this
deal, they say. but they add they are
not interested In II because II IS not
intended TO bring the Russian jewels herN
Royal Gems Are Scattered.
After many persons have speculated
for three years regarding the where
, sbouts OF this valuable collection OF
jewels and famous collection OF art
works from the Hermitage III Petrograd
THE NEW York HERALD correspondent
! has learned from men who said they
| intended buying the gems that these
jewels have been divided into three coll
lections. one OF which now Is In Bern.
| the second In Spain and the third IN
Reval. They asserted that the paint
| ings had been removed from their
frames and rolled UP and were now in
I Stockholm
! Representatives OF the syndicate tia,
wants to buy the Jewels are now in
! Reval. The syndicate IS headed By SoIiy
JOEL a well known South African fna--
cier. diamond merchant and partner OF
WaOS5 AkeHL EulO
| f10. 100000 was guaranteed TO him to
swing the deal. New York and Paris
are represented by Cartier and his
| agents. The syndicate was formed after
the jewellers learned Inst November that
I the Sovie;s were willing to dispose or
certain valuable Jewels.
Duveen Brothers, the art dealers OF
New York and London, were anxious 70
secure some of the valuable pictures un-
I =
Russia with the Jewels. providing tiicv
! were from private collections and could
be legttlmately purchased. repre-
sentative OF the Duveeas went 10 RevaI.
but learning that the paintings we're no
longer there he returned to London. II
is now known that the pictures are in
! Stockholm.
Among the agents sent TO Reval waS
4 Mr.. Abrahams who Is recognized as an
authority on valuing precious stones
and who represented Mr.. Joel. Mr.
Abrahams IS now In Reval. L!sison was
established with q man named Solo
! mon. q Soviet commissar-, who proposed
that Mr.. Abrnhams and the agents with
! him visit Moscow. but they were un-
willing TO go there.
! According to the story current. the
Jewels therefore were sent 10 Reval and
placed in the Schiller bank there. They
/ HAu Dten nNkltENeI lot n IONS AlEIlc hBN
/ had 20 be repolished or cleaned. They
were contained in a small olive wood
box. and Included in the collection was
the famous Orlot diamond. which Is as
big os a hens egg. The diamonds alone
weighed more than 1000 carats.
B~autifuI PenrI Necklace.
There was also IN the collection
I brilliant necklace composed OF three
/ rows Of pearls, the largest string cor
! tanning It2 pearls. all fastened with a
/ clasp OF diamonds set around sapphire
as large as a pigeons egg and mounted
IN platinum.
II was estimated that in this one boz
/ were Jewels valued NJ fa.4o00Oo. Fo- .
/ portion Of these Jewels Mr.. Abraharrs
/ has offered 100000. while the Soviets
ask 1850. 900. The syndicate has ofrers6
I TO split The difference. Mr. Abrahar1s In |
now conducting the negotiations.
The Jewels IN Spain arc said 20 be m
the hands OF an agent named Sverdotc \
who was In New York last December. !
lie is thought TO be trying 70 ship them !
to America. and Il Is mighty posriaf~ !
that the United Stnter customs agents
are on the right track bat got tho wrong
ship.
Secret services heads here whose agents
have been trying 70 follow Sverdoff sssd
they had not received reply from thss
agents IN Spain. The third collection. IN
Bern Is for sale.
Agents here are very optimistic thar
tEcy VIII soon have the Russian crown
Jewels IN the deal indirectly are aaid
70 be some Of tho biggest jewellers 10
New York, London and Paris.
Sir Joseph Duveen head Of the Ngw
York firm os Duveen Brothers. said yea
terdny that 4 was quite true his horss
has sent an agent 70 Reval. but With ir
structions not 70 open negotiations for
the purchase OF any paintings which
were the property OF national museuns
or had been taken from the palaces OF
the Russian Gears Only works OF ART
that had belonged to private collections
and could be purchased without infriny.
ing tho regulations governing the dispo-
sition OF property taken from Russia
wero 70 be considered. He sdded that
for the present any such purchase wss
in abeynnce.
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