Evening star., 1952-01-19
Count TO Defy Effort
OF Heiress 10 Return
Child From BeIqiurnl

Child From Belgium
The baby son OF Belgium,s
military attache here and his
American heiress-wife, the former
Lorraine Dresselhuys. is in Bel
gium and the diplomat win defy
any anttempt to bring him back,
his lawyer said today.
Count Yvan Du Monceau de
Bergendal arrived with his child
in Brussels early today. His wife,
a member Of the millionaire Man.
vile clan. was in a New York hos
pital distraught after vainly seek
ing to halt their departure.
The 38-year-old count will re-
turn within a few days" to his
post In Washington, his New York
attorney, j. Arthur Leve. told The
Star.
Son to Stay in Belgium.
But his son. 14-month-old Tom
my Manville DuMonceau, will stay
in Belgium. Mr.. Leve declared.
mo one can take him out. He
will be brought up the same as
was his father" the attorney said.
He added the Counts intention
is to have the boy follow his foot
steps in the service of his coun-
try.
The Count and his wife are
headed for legal separation, added
the attorney. He would not state
whether there would be a divorce.
The Count is a Catholic.
The diplomat and child, accom-
panied by the Belgian's mother,
left by air yesterday from Mon
treal as the young heiress, after
a frantic dash from Washington,
was trying to intercept them at
New York's Idlewild Airport.
Brands Husband "Trickster."
The countess then few on to
Montreal, hoping her husbands
departure for Europe had been de-
layed. But she was too late and
was forced to return to New York,
tearfully branding her estranged
mate "a trickster."
The Count had actually booked
passage on Sabena Belgian Air
Lines plane leaving Idlewild at /
pm. but apparently only as a
ruse. Part of the ruse. it ap-
peared, was an automobile with
Washington license plates which
detectives found at the airport.
It was occupied by a man in Bel
gian military uniform, who re-
fused to answer questions except
to say he had driven from Wash
ington and would drive back.
The custody battle began early
this week when the Count, ac-'
cording to his wife. took the baby
from a New York hotel suite and
drought MIN mere.
Following, the young mother
managed to see the child in a
brief visit at the Counts apart
ment. But subsequently she asked
District ! Court to prevent the
child's removal from the city and
also sought State Department ac-
ton to keep him in this country.
ri The Belgian Ambassador. Baron
Silvercruys, refused to comment
today on the case. He would not
say whether the Count, Military
Attache here since 1916, will re-
turn or whether he left with per-
mission.
, The young countess, it was
learned, made a face-to-face ap-
peal to the Ambassador to help
her in the case Thursday. But
he told her he considered 1t "a
personal matter" and he didn't
care to intervene, according to the
Countess attorney here. Robert j.
Hawkins.
Further Action Uncertain.
Mr.. Hawkins said plans for fur
ther action still are undecided.
He indicated there might be an
effort to obtain State Department
Intervention, however. Further
court action here appears to be
useless, because Of the Counts
diplomatic immunity.
District Court Judge Burnita
Matthews yesterday issued a writ
of habeaS corpus directing the
Counts mother. Countess Emile
DuMonceau de Bergendal, to pro-
duce the child in court. The elder
countess had been visiting here.
and it was to see her that the
count had asked the counts wife
to send the child to the st. Regis
Hotel in New York last Monday.
Living Apart Recently.
The younger countess, 23-year-
old niece of much-married Tommy
Manville. married the Belgian in
1948. Recently they had been
living apart. and at the time of
the abduction she was in a New
York hospital recovering from an
As,arafio,,