Evening star., 1924-02-15
LUXOR BREAK CLIMAX
OF LENGTHY FRICTION
Correspondent Says Law and Con.
tracts Are All on Side Of
Howard Carter.
PROTEST TO ALLENBY MADE
Antiquities Director Seen as Cause
OF. Sudden Crisis.
BY GEORGE WALTER MECHAM.

BY Gable to The Star and Chicago Daily News
Copyright, 1924.
LUNOR, February 14.-Sensationa
Developments have occurred in con.
i nection with King Tut's tomb.
! Guests at the Winter Palace Hotel
clad in trim sports costumes and rid
ing habits, preparatory to making
the five-mile jaunt to the valley OF
kings tombs for view OF Tut-ankh-
Amens tomb, were astounded Wed
neSday morning to read a notice pub
,licly posted and signed by Howard
Carter to the effect that no further
work on the tomb could be carried
out, owing to impossible restrictions
and discourtesies on the part Of the
public works department and its an
tiquity service"
Wives Visit Forbidden.
AS the elimination of a Ions series
of friclional incidents between gov
ornment departments and those
working at the tomb there arrived
Tuesday peremptory order from
the ministry of public works forbid
wives of the collaborating scholars
and scientists gathered here from all
parts of the world, Howard Carter
had planned to allow them to view
the sarcophagus early Wednesday,
before the press, but this order,
which was regarded as a direct in
suit to all concerned, added ftnal un-
warranted interference, making con-
tinuancc OF the work impossible, and
every man assisting Carter mani
fe.,lcd his righteous resentment by
icIusinS TO go on with the task.
Ar,heolOsists Strike.
This amounts virtually to the first
record StrlKe of arcncolosisls. Di.
rector General of Antiquities NJ
edged high standing, but as an ad-
mInistrator OF hign office, carrying
with il great powers, he has reveal.
ed himself AS extraordinarily in
capable and has gone far toward
wreckins foreign organizations doinR
investigative work in Egypt. lie Il
unfortunately sympathetic toward
the policy OF Interference Of the presen,
ministry. and thus involves himsel,
and indirectly France, the country
suit rendered American and British
scientists, who will be slow to over
look it.
The correspondent has had acces.
to all contracts existing between
Carter and the government and those
once in force between Lord Carnavor
and the government and has read
all the correspondence between Car
ter and the director general of an
tiquities. The law and contracts arc
all on Carter's side, and were the
matter brought before q mixed court
the government would surely lose.
Did Not Expect Halt.
The government did not expect Car.
ter to stop work and the result can
not be forecast, nor that of the sui,
inevitably coming when partition OF
the Carnarvon estate, of which the
tomb forms a part, arises. ALI this
has caused Carter to lose an average
of one-third of his working time.
1t is unlikely that work will be re.
sumed this season. for, by the time 9
settlement is reached, the season will
be over. Today there will be released
and made public a letter OF protest
signed by James Henry Breasted, AL
bert NJ. Lythgoe, Percy E. Newberry
and Alan II. Gardiner, which WIS sent
to the director general of antiquities
on January 80, with copies to High
Commissioner Allenby and the min.
lister of public works.
Allenby. who is due in Luxor Feb
rlary 20. has wired from the Sudan
asking for permission to view the
, tomb. and Carter has replied explain
ing the whole situation. Publication
Of the letter and general publicity are
likely TO precipitate an unparalleled
/ situation.
Meanwhile scientific expedition.
which have lent aid to Carter are ly-
ing idle and the tomb remains locked