Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-28
ALL PARIS AROUSED
Langevin-Curie Alienation Suit
Sensation of the Hour.
WOULD SUPPRESS SCANDAL
Daily Press Joins With Government
to Keep Allegations From
Reaching Public.
WOULD SUPPRESS SCANDAL

PARIS, November 2S-The publication
by the nationalist Gustave Terry in his
anti-Semitic weekly, LOeuvre, Of what is
purported to be an exact copy Of the as
signation of the suit brought against
Mime. Cure by Mime. Langevin, wife Of
the well known professor, for alienation
Of her husbands affections is causing a
good deal of sensation here, despite the
fact that the whole of the Paris press is
observing the strictest silence on the
matter.
Frenchmen who know Mime. Curie only
through her scientific experiments have
learned to regard her as almost q super
human being, embodying all that Is noble
and great. They have been impressed
by the sudden revelation that beneath
the severely frigid atmosphere created by
their imaginations around the personality
of this illustrious scientific researchers
lives normal woman.
Some extracts from the Letters which
the petitioner, Mime. Langevin, cites in
support of her claim for alienation of
her husbands affections are human docu-
ments OF an interesting character, show
ing that Nine. Curie found in Langevin
a kindred soul companion in her scientific
labors, and g. confidant and friend upon
whom she could lavish g. wealth Of af-
| VI.
Met Almost Daily.
Facts cited BY the petitioner show that
Nine. Curis and M. Langevin have been
close friends since July 16 1910, when the
latter rented and furnished a small apart
ment near the Sorbonne. where the couple
are alleged to have been in the habit OF
meeting almost daily.
v-of
great personal interest in Nine. Curie's
work. and to have occasionally suggested
In his letters some ideas for Nine. Curie
in her lectures. All the letters published
with clear illusions to a. better time to
come when Langevin would have obtained
separation from his wife, coupled with
advice on the part Of Mime. Curie as to
how the professor should act to provoke
this separation. and with bits Of scien-
| tifc work all mingled together.
Nine. Curie appears undoubtedly to
have been the stronger minded OF the
two. The personality Of Langevin re-
peatedly shows itself as being decidedly
weak and constantly swaying between
| the influence Of both his wife and Mime.
Curie. To the latter he appears to have
gone for consolation after scenes OF teal-
ousy at home, and to her advice he ap-
make to obtain the custody Of his four
children.
Has Public Sympathy.
| A large section Of the thinking public
is siding with Nine. Curie it's argument
being that woman Of her high intellect,
who has rendered and continues to render
incalculabie services to science for the
benefit OF the whole Of humanity, has at
least acquired the right Of immunity from
public interference in her private life.
| Sharing this opinion are the government
officials, who are anxious to shield from
scandal the name Of such q great ex-
ponent of science. The whole Of the Sor-
bonnie is jealous Of its reputation as a
scientific body, and Of the powerful Senit
ic element which does not forget that
both Nine. Curie and her late husband
| took a decided Dreyfusard stand during
that notorious affair.
| On the other side there are royalists.
headed by LAction Franchise and few
other free lance newspaper writer's, who
gladly seize the opportunity for stirring
| up agitation against the government and
against republican institutions.
| The would-be duel of Prof. LangeviM
and Gustave Terry on Saturday Is espe-
cially interesting, inasmuch as 1t Is sig
nificant of the party feeling connected
with the affair, Bos A. Halter and Paul
Painleve Of the Institute of France, who
| were Langevin's seconds, being well
known Dreyfusard leaders
Criticise Letter to Press.
There is some criticism of Nine. Curie
apropos Of her letter to the press in reply
to the article disclosing, for the first
| time. her relations with Langevin. and
which LIE Journale published two weeks
| ago. Nine. Curies letter gave 1t to be
| understood that the whole thing was
nothing more than an attack Of some
enemy, which she considered unworthy of
her attention. The writer Of the article
thereupon published in all the papers q
most humble apology, which read very
much like a retraction. Now q section
of the French public thinks that Nine.
Curie lacked the courage Of her opinions
With the same strong mind with which
she deals with scientific questions, they
argue, she ought to have asserted OPEN
ly her right to shape her life as she
thought fit
The case is announced for December
at the ninth police court, but there seems
A. % %hnk - ~