Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-15

--HE law now recognizes the plight
Of an American woman who finds
herself u1aTTTrU- TO 4 SaZI- OFT Com
munst II may be grounds for divorce
or annulmcnts but not if she knew what
he was when She married him. In that
case IT is her own fault The law says
she is stuck with HIM and must stick TO him.
As attorney Andrew s. Fraser Tor the de-
Tense pointed out Ia The case ~ Mrs Nome
Julia Thomas Laage there was no precedent
FOR diyorcing a man because he ls not an
American citizen. Under existing laws Mrs
Laage had not los, her American citizenship
IN fact the lawyer could not see that she had
lost anything Furthermore the wife in this
case had admitted that She would not be seek
ing her freedom If her husband were an Eng
hshman instead OF a German
These were powerful arguments which
probably would have Won the case for his
client in the days before the world realized
what totalitariaulsm means But supreme
Court Justice Ferdinand Pecora Of New YORK
city. granted tho anuulment m remarkable
decision which makes the new situation clear.
Mrs Laage happened to be- Of very old
American stock This gave her no more nights
10 personal liberty than any other American
woman but 10 made her conscious 81 the fact
that her ancestors had fought for H. also she
had five brothers who probably would have 10
fight for IL again and she would not WISH 70
have a husband who would bee fighting on the
other side Therefor when Harold G. Laage,
German-born "ait dealer asked her TO marry
HIM she refused unless be- could assure her
that ne was an American citizen.
Mr. Laage then produced his first citizen
shin papers. which had been taken out more
than eight years before told her that he had
received his final ones bat could not fmd them
at the moment She believed him and they
were married
Then came the war and her art-deaIer
husband wen, 20 Canada 90 buy ship II the
ship had been painted on canvas d would have
been all right bat this WAS a real one floating
beside dock She wopdered little but the
Canadian Government wondered more and IN
vestigatcd The next thing she knew Harold
was telephoning from Canadian concentra-
tion camp.
He was being held as AL enemy alien and
wanted her 20 use every influence TO get INN
out
They can't do that TO you" she told him
indignantly You are an American citizen"
"Wou no. Pm not she says he admitted
Il did not-tcll YOU the truth about my final
papers | never took them out
Julia went 20 Washington TO see If there
was any reason why An iuoffcnsve art dealer
should be held because ne forgot those last
papcrs She learned that there was probably
very good veason IL fact the FBt had been
watching him for several years According
10 their records his abilities as an art con-
noisseur were more or less secondary to his
n ther abilities in the eyes of the Nazi Govern
= inent
So this American woman had done just
what. above all things. she had meant never
TO do. She was the wife OF a Nazi, who
had lied TO her about it. Lying about trivial
matters is no justification for annulment.
The deception must he on a vital matter. Was
this fraud sufficiently important TO make mar
rage uncomfortable?
Justice Pecora said
plaintiffs avowcd objection to marriage
with one who bears willing allegiance to the