The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-26
RENO RING HIT
YDR. BARRETT
AS VICIOUS EVIL
CONTINUED from First Pase.)

, TcDlttc Will
1.-THE conditions as they now exist
In Alexandria are q disgrace to our
city. and should bow the heads of
any of the best people with shame
as they have the awful facts flung
in their faces day by day by one
of our great dailies, The Washing
ton Times.
"The shame of It all is that they
have not arisen en- masse and voiced
their disapproval of the thing which
they cannot deny and are too weak
to admit. ~ 49,
never been deR:sd. nor can they be
denied. for the records are written
with irdelible ink, and the hundreds
of cases on file In our Corporation
Court attest the truth of the accuse.
lions hurled at us from without and
within the confines of our city.
1.-THE best people Of Alexandria
are not satisfied by the conditions
here nor the way that the divorce
ring Is running the town. and It is
patent that 1t shall remain for the
best people to act en- masse and
remove the evil which has become
deeply rooted in our city"
DIR. Barrett has long record OF
notable achievements in fighting
evils such as the Little Reno divorce
ring. She is an officer in more than
score OF national organizations,
whose ultimate aim Ii for the bet
terment of the world. working
through political and social agencies.
"In my first address to the Daugh-
tiers of the American Revolution, as
State regent of Virginia. In 1919.
called attention to the ease with
which the laws relating to the estab-
4. H.. In
the purpose of obtaining q divorce,
were evaded, and urged that We take
steps to protest" DIR. Barrett said.
Evil Statewide.
AT that time I called Virginia, not
Alexandria, The Reno OF the South
The evil is more pronounced in Alex
andria because Of It's propinquity to
persons living outside Of the State.
but other localities are used in the
same manner as Alexandria. The rec
ords of the divorce courts in Virginia
are startling in The conditions re-
vealed.
Would that we could rear men and
women who would not take advantage
Of the bubbles or the legal evasion
Of the law. Apparently. however. we
have not produced a superman who
can rid the name Of our State Of this
infamy.
There IL no State in the Union
that should resent more deeply the
unhallOwed use made Of It's territory.
Virginia. since Its settlement, has a.
ways arisen to fight an invading foe.
Shall she remain inactive now, be-
cause the foe n moral and not phys
icalf" DIR. Barrett demanded, address,
ing the question to tho citizenry Of
Alexandra.
1.-The men in political fights have
quoted our Patron Saint, Thomas JEFF
ferson, and his unterrified Democracy.
sometimes for measures and for men
that I think Thomas jefferson would
have turned over In his grave in
horror Of, II he had remained the same
Thomas Jefferson who gave us most
Of the advanced and fearless legisla-
ton that has been the foundation OF
progress"
The legislature at Richmond should
I Immediately pass laws making II i'm
possible for the Alexandria divorce
ring or the lawyers of any other part
of the State to repeat the disgraceful
conditions in Alexandria, DIR. Barrett
declares.
such laws as would remove this
stigma from the Old Dominion should
be passed at once" she states. "Win
they do so? Not unless influence is
' brought to bear"
Efforts will be made to have the
Virginia Assembly take definite and
decisive action against the divorce
evils OF Virginia, DIR. Barrett an
nounced last night just before she left
for Richmond to work personally for
such measures as are necessary to
remedy the situation.
Congressional Action Urged.
Citing the divorce evil in Alexandria
| as one Of the reasons for the necessity
Of uniform divorce laws throughout
the United States, Congressman
George p. Codd, of Detroit. today
urged the House Judiciary Committee
to approve his proposed amendment
! to the Constitution.
Codd, who is former Judge In the
circuit court Of Michigan, told the
committee the divorce evil in Alex
andria would be impossible II the Con-
stitution was amended to give Con-
gress the power to regulate divorces.
'The things which are detailed to
have occurred in Alexandria would
be ended with a Uniform law" said
C0dd. with Federal legislation every
suit for divorce would he thoroughly
investigated by Federal authorities
and q report made to the court.
SHt VI VI the cucidi
Investigator would be to determine
whether there was any collision and
to notify the other party concerned
that a suit had been filed.
when this investigation Is COM
pleted Federal authorities would re-
port to the court and the court would
act upon the information presented"
Contract Of marriage Is more sacred
than any business contract, and Con-
gress should see that this contract is
carried out, Codd told the committee.
He said 1t would not be necessary
to turn all divorce cases over to the
Federal courts, but that State courts,
having in hand information gathered
by Federal investigator, could take
care Of all such cases.
Codd declared the divorce evil was
spreading rapidly and that, while
legislation could not stop 1t entirely.
1t would go a long way toward re-
lieving the situation.
The Constitutional amendment pro-
posed by Codd follows:
'aThat Conpresa shall have mower to