The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-26
GERMAN WOMEN
 SEEK CHANGES
 IN DIVORCE LAW
Demand Equal Rights For Mothers In Control
 Of Children
tBy Associated Press)

tby ASSOctdbeu FF0SSI
 BERLIN, Oct. 25.-German women are tired of having mere man absolute lord of the household and through Dr. Marie NIunk they have demanded from the reichstag wholesale changes in the marriage and divorce laws of the re- public.
 The women lay special stress upon the importance of mothers having equal rights with fathers in the control of children born in wedlock; they denounce the statues which even permit fathers who have been divorced upon statutory grounds to exercise authority over chil- dren whom the courts have given to the charge of innocent mothers. Ali mony also receives much attention in the petition of Dr. Munk. The women stoutly maintain that all allowance granted; to q divorced wife shall have precedence over the financial claims of second wife taken by former h.ls- band. They also urge that all attempts at reconciliation of estranged couples shall be handled by the chancery courts, which they declare are less hurried in their procedure and therefore better qualified than the common courts to handle such delicate matters. It is also maintained thht in attempts at recon ciliation the judges should negotiate separately with man and wife.
 Socrates Found Guilty
 If Socrates were to come to Berlin today to be tried for the Offense for which he was sentenced to drink the cup of hemlock, he would suffer the same fate that he met in Athens 2,323 years ago. At least he would be found guilty of revolutionary agitation if he stood trial before the Berlin Lawyers club, which recently tried Socrates, with Dr.. Alsberg defending him and Prof. Johannes Meyer, a well known his- ,tOrian, acting as prosecutor. Dr. As berg stoutly maintained that Socrates had an absolute right to proclaim a belief running counter to the accepted religion in Athens and endeavor to win young men of the. best families to his cause. On the other hand, Professor Meyer insisted that the agitation of Socrates was revolutionary under a reasonable interpretation of the Athen- ian laws, and he won over a majority of the members of the Lawyers club to his position.
 Returns To Ring
 Thcrese Renz, who is the Bernhardt of the Berlin circus world, has resumed riding in the Berlin circus at an age when most women refuse to do any thing more exciting than to knit by their firesides. Many former admirers of the famous equestrian had lost track of Frau Renz and thought her dead. and her reappearance has brought forth IQnoinia0apnae oG se- old-tinle circus performers
 During the war Frau Renz had not one put two elephants on her hands, ana she had hard struggle to feed her pets, which she exhibited throughout Germany and countries which opened the door to German performers during the period of hOstilities, By force of circumstances she had deserted riding Tor animal training. Her husbands death ieit Frau Renz responsible for the affairs of her son, who was an enlmal trainer She bought the son two elephants in America just before the war broke out. The son died suddenly and Frau Renz was forced to under take the work of training the animals. and they had such intense appetites that often she was compelled to 20 hungry Tn order to feed them. But the Gle plants developed well under her care and she worked them sufficiently throughout tine European circuses until recently. Frau Renz appeared at the opening of the New York Hippodrome Tn !0O4, riding her favOrite horses, Amazon and Weisse Dame. Later she toured the Orpheum circuit in the 1nIted States. Her husband, Robert Renz. was a show man.
 1he veteran woman rider in her ne, : formances. nowadays wears a nowdersJ wig and across the front of her black velvet coat are pinned the medals and ,Lle Stner decorations given her by numerous dethroned monarchs,