New-York tribune., 1909-03-29
LONDON SCANDALS
SPmi-Smart DiU0rces-4 pictlm Of
Defamation

rendering decision in the Stirling divorce cases
he has occupied pulpit fitted with an e1ectlVe
sounding board, and his sermon on social etElcS
has been heard by great audience Ihese were
cross actions for divorce brought by husoahu
and wife. with a correspondent named by each
and eighteen days OF the Scottish court were
wasted in the consideration OF the trivial incl
dents Of a semi-smart domestic drama winch
was essentially squafd and vulgar. LORD
Guthrie declares that these cases had no legal
and ought to have had no public interest anu
the newspa pers, taking their cue from him. no"
inveigh against the waste OF time and money
involved in a minute investigation Of four
months in the lives of four foolish persons WHO
were idle selfish and irresponsible and bent upon
amusing themselves without regard for goou
taste or common decency. The most acrid
Trades on the triviality of their lives come from
journals which printed four five columns OF
evidence dav after dav while the Stirling cases
were IN progress. There is no explanation u
the waste Of printers ink and newspaper space
involved In the publication of detailed reports Oh
scandalous proceedings. which. according to the
highminded and learned Judge, ought TO nav"
had no public interest. There was nothing m
deed in the mental caltbre. the social position OF
the character of these fashionable triieTs 70
Justify the attention paid by thousands OF read
ers to their firtations irtrigues and adventures
in Chesham street Amberly Cottage SandoWn
and Paris
The judges homl1y is not directed against the
newspapers for miscalculated enterprise In pro
viding readers with the nauseating details OF
these various domestic scandals. He does not
attempt to reinforce recent admonitons from
English justices in favor of shutting out re-
porters from the divorce courts. In deciding for
the Scottish husband and against the American
wife he administers most scathing rebuke 10
smart people who lead vacuous lives and are not
under the restraints Of common morality ana
right feeling After listening to the sordid
story for eighteen days he has hurled against
them the crushing sarcasm that their only use
full occupation seemed TO be manicuring one an
others nails. "AlI four" he has added with IN
creased asperty, Scottish laird. American eN-
actress. peers son and divorcee appeared to
have looked upon life merely as an opportunity
for having good time regardless Of their duty
to themselves TO each other. their children
and 10 their relations and Indifferent 70 the
good opinion OF self-respecting people. IheE
treated life as a comedy but they have made
pitifuI tragedy Of it and A costly one AFTER
wasting their time in silly talk and pairing of
on the river and in Paris for mock romantic
serio-couic Irritation they fippanuy dragged
their scandals into court for settlement at ruin
Gus expense The ironical Judge could not con-
coal his own preference for the old-fashioned
he hide his own prejudice against chorus girls
That was perhaps the single flaw In a decision
conspicuous for fine phrasng and Importantly
The chorus girl had not been lady by olrth'
like the handsome divorce. Mrs Atherton-
Neither birth nor breeding seems 70 have exer-
cised a restraining influence over any member
of this vulgar circle Or fast people.
When A rich young Suardsman, undeterred oE
menace of raging. marries chorus girl in
Ha- VfGl .
perirent He may lack the intelligence and
,-,,,aritv reouisIte for her permanent entertain
,rent and she the deCorum and steadincss for
overcoming prejudice in the circle OF his rela-
tiyes and fashionable acquaintance In thlS
instance the husbands fortune was expended IN
gratifying the vife's whims and her life was so
duu that she welcomed Bohemian CONDITIONS
erd something more stimulattve than d"mesu'
economy. The gay young lord came hrst' an"
then the vinsorne divorce. and the quadr1Ia'eraI
yae oornnle+e The four pleasure lovers could
change mariners whenever they wearied one an
other. and they could fool away the time IN IN
.r,g,,as emotional correspondence. negotiations,
e,-+,+tons and outbreaks Of jealousy. In the end
tbo,, <ound themselves IN the Scottish divorce
court with countercharges and cross petuo's'
and with a swarm OF ladies' maids. honse"eepe'S
and buffers buzzng around them Under 'h7
Scottish law the husband, while winning MS
suit is forced to pay his wltes lawyers a''IloHi
sbo has failed to make out her case against MIN
The fashionable guardsman Is hed heaV''y i"l
bis irdiecretion In frequentlng the theatre and
IN becoming infatuated Win chorus e'II A'-
c,,stor,ed TO whirl of excitement and untitled
eor domestic life Incidentally there Is shak-
inc, IN Of the frayrd and doubtful fringe OF
semi smart society. with its inene dissiPauoh
i,c.esant bridge play ignobe motives and noN-
ious scandals
7, the Stirling divorce suits support the LORD
rb,ar Jrstice.s plea for less publicity in practice
~ this sort. the proceedings yesterday before
Mr. J1stfce Iawrance in Mr. Loyd-feorE'S
I,heI action against The People could not nave
had too large measure of H. For many
months the Chancellor OF the EXchequer mas
feen the victim of defamation OF the most
malignant nature. Gossips in clubs ana dra"-
ing rooms have whispered that he was 10 APP
near speedily as correspondent In divorce case
and that his downfall was likely to follow the
exposure Everybody in the public service
aaerned 10 have heard the story, but nobody
l,oevy how or when It had originated, nor what
authority, there was for it, As time went on
,artous embellishments were added for decora-
tive effect the names Of suspected HdEahls
were dragged into the scandal ana the most
offensive suggestions were made respecting
financial and titular compensationS for wrongs
su1arad 4 retraction from journal which
had hinted at the scandal did not suffice Tor It's
suppression. Another newspaper repeated the
story without mentioning the name Of the Chan
ceIlor OF the Exchequer, and the defamation IN
creased in volume and virulence. Decisive ac-
t,op was necessary, and 1t has been taken, with
tremendous effect The second newspaper has
,uitbdraWn the libel as utterly without founda-
ton and has paid Il 600 damages, which viii be
devoted TO charities. Mr.. Lloyd George has tes-