The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-17
Singer Asks $25OOOO Damages
i'm Action Against Otto Kahn
Disappearing Statements by
Art Patron Result in
Huge Suit.
BY HORTENSE SAUNDERS
NEA Service Writer

| NEA Service Writer
NEW YORK, Dec. 17.--"The most
valuable Of all assets is reputation.
When you have it, as long as you
hold it, it works for you automat-
ically and 1t works twenty-four
hours a day"
Otto Kahn, international banker
and patron of art, said this some
five years ago, when he was adj
dressing a business club.
Today he is facing $250,000 libel
suit, because his reputation as a
music critic grew so fast and worked
such long hours, and became so val
liable it is worth that much in dam
ages, according to Rosalinda Mo-
RIM, to be panned by him.
Music critics Of newspapers may
crtticise unfavorably all they like,
and while the singer may be indig-
nant, she is apt to question their
critical ability rather than her own
high notes. At any rate, she does
not start libel suit.
Ruler of Music World
But Kahn is different. He is
acknowledged to be the car of
music, and to hold the keys to the
Metropolitan Opera, flguratively
speaking. His praise may easily un-
lock these portals to a compare
lively unknown singer, but his frown
makes them impregnable.
Miss Morini, who is suing Kahn
for libel, is a native of Freehold, N.
j. She has studied music in this
country and in Italy, and she has
sung with the San Carlo Opera
company, and made her debut in
"Traviata" at the Brooklyn Acad-
envy of Music two years ago.
In January of this year, she in
serted a paid advertisement in a
musical magazine, in which she
quoted Kahn as saying that she
possesses one Of the most beautiful
voices have ever heard"
Later the banker published q
statement in the same periodical
vigorously denying that he had ever
uttered the words, or authorized the
use Of his name in endorsing her
voice.
Suit Once Dismissed
The suit came up in court for the
first time In June, when it was dis
missed and Kahn was cleared of
libel charges. Recently the decision
was reversed by a higher court and
the matter will have to be decided
by a jury.
Jay Leo Rothschild, counsel for
Miss Moroni, says he will show that
Kahn did approve the advertising,
and that he did praise Miss Morini's
voice extravagantly when she sang
for him at a private addition at
Carnegie hall, with the possibility
of a Metropolitan engagement later
He said:
"The question that is up for set
Element, however, is not whether she
has a beautiful voice, or whether
Kahn thinks her voice is good or
bad, but whether she has lied and
misrepresented facts. We intend to
prove that she has not, and that
to be accused of it has definitely
damaged her singing career"
Rothschild said her career was
damaged, that her concert engage
mentS have been cancelled, and that
she has suffered to the extent Of
$250000 in the matter.
Most Famous Patron
He said that the musical destinies
of this country were completely
dominated by one autocratic car,
meaning Mr.. Kahn, which was
serious condition" "a singer" he
said, "has a thousand times as much
of a chance to succeed with his
sponsorship as she would have
without it."
Kahn is looked upon generally as
the foremost patron of the arts in
America. AS chairman of the board
and the controlling spirit of the
Metropolitan Opera company, he
has had a leading part in making
that institution the foremost of it's
kind in world musical circles.
He is interested greatly in the
theater as well, and has helped
many small productions which
seemed to him worth while. He is
musician of talent, lover of lit
erature, a collector Of paintings, and
other art works, and a student Of
history and politics.
Kahn lent his support and ap-
prevail to uncounted musical and
artistic enterprises, and the number
of individuals that he has brought
tn fame is large