Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-28
OPPOSITION HALTS
ACTION ON LIBERAL
D. c. DIVORCE BILL
PaImisano Says Delay Is
Effort to Get Respect
able Law.
CARPENTER CHARGES
DILATORY TACTICS
Decision Withheld by Subcommit-
tee Until Tuesday-Bar Off,
cial and Lawyer Clash.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

BY JAMES E. CHM.
A bill to liberalize the District
divorce laws, which sailed gracefully
through the Senate several months
ago. ran into sudden eddy of oppo-
sition today before the Judiciary Sub
committee of the House District Com
mittee just before a favorable report
was about to be ordered AS result
action was delayed until Tuesday.
The hearing on the measure was
marked by several heated verbal
clashes between the proponents and
opponents, as well as Chairman Palmi-
sano and Representative Carpenter,
Democrat, of Kansas, who is sponsor
ing the liberalized divorce legislation
in the House.
Carpenter charged that dilatory tao
tics had been adopted to prevent action
On the bill, and protested against the
treatment it had received. Palmisano
insisted he had not been "pussyfoot-
ing and explained he had withheld
action in order to assure Washington
a respectable divorce law-one that
would not make it a mecca for pros
pective divorces.
Lawyer in Clash.
Another argument occurred between
William Joseph Neale. Washington
attorney, who opposed the bill, and
George Gertman, secretary of the Dis
.rict Bar Association, which is sup
PORTING the new divorce legislation.
Both men explained. however, that
their differences were not personal, but
only over the issue involved.
I'm not sore at George" declared
Neale. This is not personal mat
ter Why, We ride downtown together"
Gertman agreed the issue was not
personal.
Joining with Neale in opposing the
bill was Rev. William S. Chase, super
intendent of the International Reform
Federation, who described the pro-
posed legislation as mot a step of
progress, but a return to paganism
and atheism"
Cites Shakespeare.
DR.. Chase declared 80 per cent of
marriages are based on lust not love,
and quoted an excerpt from Shakes
peare which he said every engaged
couple should be required to commit
TO memory before being issued mar
riage license. The quotation was:
Love comforteth like sunshine after
rain,
but lust's effect is tempest after
sun.
Loves gentle Spring doth always
fresh remain,
"Lust's Winter comes ere Summer
be done.
Love surfeits not, lust like glutton
dies,
Love is all truth, but lust full of
forged lies"
DR.. Chase pointed out that before
enactment of the present law, which
allows an absolute divorce on the
grounds of adultery only, Washington
was the divorce center of the Ma
ton; it had a reputation akin to
Reno at the present time.
1T is dangerous policy to loosen
the laws to make it possible for a
man to shirk responsibility, he de-
clared
A group of women, including an
attractive blond Portia, loudly ap-
plauded that statement.
Magazines Blamed.
But Carpenter interrupted: Rotten
books and magazines add more to
that lust condition than anything
else he said.
Neale, who identified himself as a
lawyer, Christian and citizen
vehemently opposed the bill.
I don't buy new suit until the
old one is worn out" he said. 1.-THE
present law has not outlived its USE
fitness.
Il believe that the married state is
sacred and that mankind should not
undertake to destroy it for the sake
OF propagating the human race. I
can find no theory for allowing an
absolute divorce even on the grounds
OF adultery. There also is one class
OF theologians who oppose an absolute
divorce on those grounds
Palmisano said that after carefully
reading the bill he had discovered
some snakes in the woods" mention
ing specifically provision for an abb
solute divorce on the grounds of in
sanity. II know there are some people
in the District who would apply for a
divorce as soon as the bill is passed
with that provision" he declared.
Again the group of women ap-
plauded.
Resents "Insinuations."
There's been a lot of little, mean
1nsinuations cast against the District
Bar Association remarked Carpenter,
land resent them. Why, that asso-
citation has worked for months to
perfect this bill and I think it should
be praised"
A few minutes later Neale and
Gertman began an argument over sew
eral features of the bill Finally
Neale turned to Gertman and said:
I'm thick-skinned and tough. You
can say what you want"
IF people living in the District of
Columbia have become so depraved
that they want to separate for some
trivial reason" Neale continued. "let
them go to Reno, let them 60 to
Maryland, let them 60 to Virginia, or
let them 60 to hell to get their
divorce"
Neale further declared that an "easy
divorce law is the beginning of the
destruction of home when you
destroy the home" he said, you de-
stroy the nation"
He was critical chiefly of the pro-
vision allowing an absolute divorce
for insanity-a time, he said, when
pathetic. But" he declared, under
this bill the law would say: Old man,
your wife is in ST. Elizabeth's. You
can go out and get another wife"