Into October the problems persisted, and pilfering treasures from Hungary’s museums was being reported. It was the opinion of the Romanians that since they were to be given part of Hungary’s territorial lands, they were entitled to a percentage of the items in their museums. They were ordered by the Mission to discontinue the removal of any articles.
However, on Saturday, the 5th of October, Romanian authorities reported that the first phase of withdrawing their forces had been accomplished without incident. Both British and American observers verified this. Feeling a sense of relief, Harry went to his quarters for an evening of relaxation. However, it was on that very same evening when a report was received about Romanian Army Troops, being at the door of the Hungarian National Museum, in downtown Budapest. This building holds the nation’s most important treasures and the soldiers were making demands of the director to allow them access to the interior.
The General heard this news, from Colonel Horowitz as he was finishing his evening meal, around 9:30 PM. He called for Colonel Loree, along with an enlisted driver, and followed Horowitz to the museum. Not in the mood for putting up with more looting, he instructed the driver to speedily get to the museum. Going down the winding cobble-stone road, from Buda Castle, they crossed over the Széchenyi lánchíd, or Chain Bridge, and on to Jozsef Attila Street, right on Karoly, and right again onto Muzeum Krt. Pulling into the circular drive of the museum, they were confronted by a group of Romanian soldiers, numbering around 40, with a dozen or so trucks. The Romanian soldiers tried to stop him, but he brushed them aside, ignoring their protests. He stormed into the museum, where he found the museum’s director, embroiled in a discussion with the Romanian Commander. The Romanian was demanding the keys, stating that if he were not allowed to enter the exhibits, he would storm the museum the following morning.
General Bandholtz asked, “What in Hell do you think you are doing?” Brandishing his riding crop, he told the Romanian officer that the property within the museum was under the jurisdiction of the Inter-Allied Commission, he was President of the Day, and ordered the man to remove himself and his troops. The Romanian Commander tried to explain that he was under orders from Commissioner Diamandi and General Mardarescu to retrieve all articles within the museum, which had come from Transylvania. Bandholtz repeated his order that the Romanians leave the museum property, taking their trucks with them. He then received the keys, to the museum, from the Director, and left him a handwritten order, which read, ““To whom it may concern – As the Inter-Allied Commission is in charge of all the objects within the Hungarian National Museum, at Budapest, the key has been taken charge of by the President of the Day, General Bandholtz, the American Representative.” He then locked all the doors. Signs were posted on each of the doors, which read: “This door sealed by Order the Inter-Allied Military Commission. H. H. Bandholtz, President of the Day, October 5th, 1919.” He added in his diary the following day, “As the Romanians and all Europeans are fond of rubber-stamp display, and as we had nothing else, we used an American mail-censor stamp, with which we marked each of the seals.”
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