The New York herald., 1921-12-17
MRS. MARION Smith
sues FOR 100000
Bishop Is One of Several
Named in Action Charg-
ing Slander.
ECHO OF WAR WORK
Trouble Result of Split Oh
Observance of Poppy
Day Last Year.
FRENCH REPORTINyOLvED
Plaintiff Aiding Orphans AL
legcs Loss Of Social Prestige
Sensation Promised.

Mrs. Marion McAllister Smith. for
merly Miss Mercedes Leigh, an ac-
tress has brought suit in the Supreme
Court for 100000 damages. alleging
slander and naming as defendants
several prominent men and a woman
representative of the wife of the
President of France, Nine Ammo
Guerin.
Besides Nine. Guerin the defendants
are the Right Rev. Herbert Shipman,
Suffragan Bishop Of the Episcopal
diocese of New York: Maurice Leon.
lawyer and representative of the
French Government here during the
war; George w. Burleigh, a member
of the law firm Of Delafield, Thorne &
Burleigh: Barry N Smith. formerly
head of the National Information
Bureau; Bronson Batcheler, Inc, a
publicity agency. and Roger B. Jen-
kins, an officer of the agency.
The trouble out Of which the suit grew
began when different factions of French
war workers in this country disagreed
last year about the observance of Poppy
Day, which was designed to raise about
$1,O00.o00 for French war orphans. The
complaint filed by Mrs. Smith declares
that the defendants conspired to ISLANDER
and blacken her reputation" by circulat-
ing story that she was a French cour-
tesan and that under the name Of the
Duchesse de Villanda she had served a
term in a French prison.
Mrs. Smith alleges that as a result OF
these stories and conspiracies her work
as State chairman of the American and
French League was interfered with and
that President Harding withdrew MS
support to her plan for raising funds
for the French orphans She declares
also that her social position has suf-
fered through the circulation of the
alleged slanderous stories and that her
mental and physical anguish has been
great. Friends and relatives Of Mrs
Smith said that when the suit comes
to trial they will produce evidence that
will startle the whole United States.
She will prove her friends say. that
reported by the French Government to
the National Information Bureau as the
notorious adventuress Duchesse de VII
landa, who was said to have used the
names of Mercedes Leigh and Mrs. Nc
Allister Smith as aliases. Mrs. Smith
declares that while it Is true that a
Duchesse de Villanda was convicted Of
crime in 1906. there Is nothing anywhere
to show that she had ever used the
names of Smith and Leigh, and that the
circulation OF the alleged report of the
French Government In this country was
O slander.
The American and French League, of
which Mrs. Smith was State chairman.
vas formed in November. 1920 with
Nine. Guerin and Mrs. George Crosby
Perine Of Baltimore as patronesses.
After the break over Poppy Day a new
organization was formed, known as the
Franco-American League. This Was
Joined by the persons named in Mrs.
Smiths suit.
Mrs. Smith formerly was Miss Mer-
cedes Hearne. member of a prominent
7 exas family. Her first marriage was
to Thomas c. Miles OF Philadelphia.
whom she sued for divorce within two
ronths He died before the suit was
tried In 1907 she was married TO Marion
McAllister Smith. a son of the late Gov.
Smith OF Rhode Island. on the stage
lha 7 fCh