Notification to the Louvre of the seizure of the Schloss collection

Lefranc notified Germain Bazin of the Louvre that the Schloss collection had been seized. He indicated the following as well: Twenty-three crates of works of art belonging to the SCHLOSS, BONN, HAUSER and BIHN collections, all of them Israelites, were found hidden at the Château de Chambon in Corrèze, the headquarters of Bank Jordan. From what Mr. Bazin understood, the Schloss Collection had been researched at the request of very high German authorities, who wished to acquire certain pieces. Mr. Lefranc is said to have already started negotiations on this subject with the German representatives; MM. Von Behr, von Boemelnurg [sic] [Bömelburg], Laude [Lohse] and with Mr. Hofer. It would appear that the payment for the paintings was made by means of impressionist paintings. Mr. Lefranc told Mr. Bazin that the paintings desired by the Louvre could perhaps be the object of a donation, he said that it was impossible for him to specify under which conditions. The twenty-three crates were transferred to the Banque de France in Limoges, where Mr. Bazin had a new meeting with Mr. Lefranc and Mr. Darquier de Pellepoix. He expressed the desire of the Louvre Museum to exercise a right of pre-emption over the Schloss Collection. Mr. Darquier de Pellepoix replied that he had reported to President Laval and would ask him for instructions on how to proceed to respect the rights of the Louvre. In addition, Mr. Lefranc asked that with a safe conduct granted by the German authorities, the 23 crates can be transported to Paris and deposited at the Banque de France so that an inventory can be made. It has been understood that a representative of the Department of Paintings will attend this inventory prior to any German authority.