World's War Events Volume III Part 51

[Sidenote: Austria to renounce treaties of Bucharest and Brest-Litovsk.]

She also agrees to deliver within one month the gold deposited as security for the Ottoman debt, renounce any benefits accruing from the treaties of Bucharest and Brest-Litovsk, and transfer to the allied and a.s.sociated Governments all claims against her former Allies.

Any financial adjustments, such as those relating to banking and insurance companies, savings banks, postal savings banks, land banks or mortgage companies in the former monarchy, necessitated by the dismemberment of the monarchy, and the resettlement of public debts and currency, shall be regulated by agreements between the various governments failing which the Reparation Commission shall appoint an arbitrator or arbitrators, whose decision shall be final.

Austria shall not be responsible for pensions of nationals of the former empire who have become nationals of other States.

[Sidenote: Committee of three jurists.]

As for special objects carried off by the House of Hapsburg and other dynasties from Italy, Belgium, Poland, and Czecho-Slovakia, a committee of three jurists appointed by the Reparation Commission is to examine within a year the conditions under which the objects were removed and to order restoration if the removal were illegal. The list of articles includes among others:

[Sidenote: List of special articles to be restored.]

For Tuscany, the Crown Jewels and part of the Medici heirlooms; for Modena, a Virgin by Andrea del Sarto and ma.n.u.scripts; for Palermo, twelfth century objects made for the Norman Kings; for Naples, ninety-eight ma.n.u.scripts carried off in 1718; for Belgium, various objects and doc.u.ments removed in 1794; for Poland, a gold cup of King Ladislas IV., removed in 1772; and for Czecho-Slovakia, various doc.u.ments and historical ma.n.u.scripts removed from the Royal Castle of Prague.