Evening star., 1927-08-23

Tomorrow in a Massachusetts court
will be tried case Of unusual char
acter, for the plaintiff is the gov
ernment of Greece, seeking to recover
from a Greek now in America. a
certain lot of ancient relics alleged
to have been smuggled out Of that
classic land, contrary to the law
strictly forbidding such acts.
1t Is unusual to find a foreign gov
ernment appealing to an American
court for protection, but it is not with
out precedent. 1t is not the first time,
either, that the Greeks have sought to
keep their works of art within their
own possession. Daedalus, the first
sculptor to make statues so lifelike
that their arms were carved as in
action" clear Of the body, and the
feet as in motion, made his figures so
likelike that his cotemporaries feared
they would come to life and walk
away, so they were all chained fast.
In recent ages the chains" with
which not only Greece but prac-
tically all other European countries
undertake to hold their classic art
consist of strict laws against deporting
any ancient art or relics without
government license.
The relics involved in this litigation
include many golden ornaments and
medals, probably bestowed upon an
ancient athlete and buried with him
when he died. The present pOssessor
or claimant, Aristides Koukouras, has
not explained how he got possession,
but 1t has been suggested that he
probably dug them uc while cul-
tivating land, and, instead of turning
them over to the government as the
law requires (the finder to receive a
moderate regard), he has brought them
to America and offered them for sale
for 100000. Now the Greek gov
ernment has gotten an INDUCTION in
Boston court forbidding any such
sale, and the relics are held in court
pending settlement of the case.
1t is suggested at the Greek lega-
ton that there appears no evidence
that the American import duty has
been paid on the relics, and as the
rate Is 100 per cent of the market
value (unless the art is for public
exhibition, it appears that Koukouras
has not very large claim on the
property, however the injunction turns
out, for either the government of
Greece or the Government OF the
United States holds a prior claim OF
100 per cent.
The case is before the Massa-
chusetts Chancery Court. under law
in the code of the Commonwealth
which provides (act of 1929 that the
courts shall take judicial notice OF
the law of the United States, or any
State, territory or dependency thereof,
or Of a foreign country. whenever
the same shall be material"
So that Massachusetts, law makes
one of the very first laws adopted by
the Greek National Assembly, at its
session in the ancient open-air theater
at Argos, while the Greeks, century
ago, were struggling for their in
dependence from Turkey--makes that
law a part of the code OF the state
Of Daniel Webster, Calvin Coolidge
and the Sacred Cod.
Greece had been subjugated by the
Turks in 1460, and remained under
Turkish rule until the revolt, which
began in 1921, and was saved from
defeat by the Intervention OF the
powers in 1S27-1830.
During this Turkish rule permis-
sion was given to Lord Elgin of Great
Britain to take "a few blocks of stone
with inscriptions and figures" and
carry them off to England. He put
his own construction on this license
and was able to depart with several
priceless sculptures Of Phidias. which
are today in the British Museum.
X y X y
While Greece held possession or
Asia Minor. under the terms of the
Versailles treaty at the close Of the
World War, they gave to an American
expedition a right to excavate for
relics near Sardis. The Americans.
acting under the permission of the de
facto Greek government, found many
valuable coins and other relics. and
sent them all to the Metropolitan
Museum In New York. Later the
Turks drove the Greeks out Of the
country. and then demanded the re-
turn Of all the relics, and the Metro.
politan Museum sent all back to
Turkey, In spite Of the fact that none