Evening star., 1954-04-20
Roosevelt Offers
Property Settlement
And Seeks Divorce
BY the Assoeiated Press

PASADENA, Calf, April 20.
james Roosevelt, whose mari
tai affairs have become involved
in his candidacy for Congress,
has offered his wife a property
settlement and plans to sue for
divorce.
The eldest son of the late Pres
ident Franklin D. Roosevelt filed
notice in Superior Court here
yesterday that he will petition
on April 30 for leave to amend
his separate maintenance suit to
ask for divorce instead.
The document quoted a letter
between attorneys for the Roose-
velts indicating that Mrs. Ro-
melle Roosevelt also will ask
for divorce on grounds of
cruelty, the same as in her huS-
bahd'S projected suit.
Another letter, from Mrs.
Roosevelt's lawyer to her hus-
bands attorney. was quoted as
saying: Your client has no i'm
mediate plans for remarriage. as
we understand, and neither does
ours F"
Charges May Be Dropped.
The letter from Mr.. Roose-
velt's attorney to Mrs. Roose-
velt'S counsel said it was under
stood Mrs. Roosevelt would seek
the divorce on grounds of un-
specified cruelty, indicating she
would drop allegations of adul-
terry which Mr.. Roosevelt has
denied.
There was no comment from
Mrs. Roosevelt. Presumably the
papers. filed just before court
closing yesterday, have not yet
been served on her.
Mr.. RooSeVelt'S settlement
offer in essence is to make half
of his holdings and income avail
able to Mrs. Roosevelt and their
three children. In her separate
maintenance suit she said he
agreed in a 1945 letter to
similar $3.50 arrangement if
they did not reconcile, but in
the current litigation Mr.. RooSe-
velt has claimed that letter was
not binding contract.
Mr.. Roosevelt's wife, whom he
married IN 1941 after she had
been his nurse during his stay in
hospital. charged in her suit
for separate maintenance that
he had confessed in a 1945 letter
lnfidelitieS with nine women. Mr..
Roosevelt denied any such in
fldelitieS and said he had ad-
mitted them in a letter to her
only to spare his father, then
President. the worry of her
threatened divorce suit.
Mr.. Roosevelt's notice to
amend his suit into divorce
action said he took the course
lin view of the irreconcilable diff
ferences which have arisen be-
tween the defendant and the
plaintiff.
To Protect Children.
He said his offer of a COM
promise property settlement was
made in the interest of the
couples children and their gen.
eral welfare and to prevent pub
licity unfavorable to both parties
and public airing of their past
domestic difficulties.
The children are James, ir., 8;
Michael, Z, and Anna Eleanor, 6.
In the proposed property set
tlement Mr.. Roosevelt agrees to
give his wife half his stock hold
1ngs in his various corporations,
>the family home in Pasadena
with household furniture and
furnishings, thes family automo-
bile. and to drop any contest
over the ownership of stocks,
bonds, real estate, bank accounts
ana insurance pOllcleS TO the
total value of more than 100000
now in her possession.
He also promises to pay Mrs.
Roosevelt half his annual net
income for her support and that
of the children and to transfer
to her all money now on deposit
in his name. He agrees to place
in trust fund for the children
half of any property he might
acquire in the future and any,
thing above $4,000 he may in
herit from the estate of his
father should he survive his
mother, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt,
after payment of any sum now
pledged against his inheritance.