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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (June 13, 1920)
17 M u f:- f f T f :' ' :Tb ton1" Am "IiiisiliK:" ' Is Eeouadta to "Give a Amy Period of and' Secrecy . Is Asspred 1 J - i ' y - . fyf: . . : ' -ISA 7 V. " - - - - i Vv-S . X aMii A:sn 4v-;- I i' O I -sms , v I , Lira. Rita Lydig, Another Paris Divorcee. This Noted Painting of Her by Boldini Helped to Establish : . ' Her as a Parisian Resident, THE OREGON SUNDAY JOtJRNAIi, ' .PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, j- JUNE 13, 1920. "Residence Will Do .'. The Mam Street of Reno, Nevada, Whose Crudities Lead Ou Fashionables to Choose 'Paris as a Divorce Centre. ' I T 1b a significant tact that some of the most fashionable women in New York society have recently gone to Paris, France, for their divorces, rather, than, to Xieno, Nevada, or some other popular centre of the American divorce industry. During the past few 'months Mrs. Ogden L. Mills," daughter of Mrs. W. K. Vander bilt, and Mrs. Leonard Thomas, the noted heauty, hare obtained divorces with re markable secrecy in the French capital. A few months before that it was thd dis - tineuished Mrs. "Phil". Lydig who ob- talned her freedom in the same city. 5 In the early years of the war the equally distinguished Mrs. Clarence Mackay, now Mrs. Joseph A. Blake, divorced Mr. Mac; kay from i the "vantage ground of a Paris residence.! She appears to. have been a pioneer in the movement among the smart set to secure matrimonial relief from the French courts. ; -' ' ' " . Other names could be added to the list, but the four women mentioned represent In the highest degree the beauty, brains,' wealth, smartness, distinction, cleverness and originality of , New York society. Their example sufficiently proves the statement that there is a tendency In the fashionable set to so to Paris for divorce, rather than to Reno or any other Ameri can resort. -. .'-. . Shall we see ' Paris entirely supplant : Reno as the home- of easy and pleasant divorce? r Social authorities say that more women will still ga to Reno, but the smartest i will prefer Paris. A divorce- originating in the latter place will have the cachet of supreme elegance and dis- Miction. ' Investigation has proved that French laws offer; attractions to those seeking easy divorce fully as great as those of Nevada in some respects greater. The most Important point about the French divorce law is that the Judge may con eider any period as establishing a legal residence for the petitioner, whereas Ne vada requires a residence of six months. . The French judge may decide that a woman who has been In France for a week, or even for a day, has acquired a .legal residence enabling her to sue for divorce. ' It is not believed -that such a decision has been given, but it' is possible .in principle. The point Is left entirely to the wisdom of the judge. It is not necessary for the parties to be citizens of France, for the French code lays down as a general principle that for eigners resident in France shall enjoy the same benefit and protection from French laws as citizens of the country. . - Service of notice to appear and defend a suit tor divorce may be made by publi cation in the newspapers if the judge de cides that it is the only reasonable pro cedure. - , " ; . . After the first filing of a divorce com plaint the judge issues a "requete en con ciliation," which is a - demand that the parties shall appear before. him and en deavor to settle their differences with his assistance. If they tail to respond or fail to agree the suit proceeds. The testimony may . be taken by depo titlon if the judge so orders, thus insur ing perfect secrecy and the minimum of - distress and discomfort to a woman plain- tin, if the judge is satisfied that the plain- tiff Is entitled to a divorce, he grants an Interlocutory Judgmentas in England and In some American States. This Is for six months,' at the end of which time it maybe made absolute. The judgment is promul gated so quietly that in several cases of American applicants it has escaped public knowledge for many months after It was given. . The grounds for -divorce ia France are not dissimilar: to -those of Nevada,-where "cruelty is listed as a cause and has been construed by Judges to cover such offenses as speaking unsympathetically to a wile or not speaking to her often enough. The serious grounds of divorce in France , are Infidelity, and conviction of an infa maws crime. The lighter grounds are classed together under Article 231 of the CO 1920. InUrnatlop! - Decree French Civil Code as "ex cesses, cruelties and - grave injuries." The French ex pression "injures graves,'' which is roughly translated as ."grave injuries," covers moral and physical Injuries, abusive v language and. In fact, nearly every kind and degree of injury. It would cover that vague complaint. , "incompatibility," which has orten been accepted as ' a ground for divorce in Amer ican .courts. - French Judges have . Inter , preted the provisions s of their code as covering a wide variety of acts, j Gambling habits on the part of a hus band and recklessly accusing a wife of infidelity have been construed as ground tor di vorce. "Lea mots grossiers" "gross words" are Tield to be sufficient cause. A "mutual divorce" may be granted by the French courts Mrs. Joseph A. Blake, Formerly. Mrs. where . each ; party brings Clarence Mackay, - a similar charges against the Pioneer in the pther and offers proof. In a Movement to Paris case where the defendant of- v for Divbre. fers no defence, the divorce - ' -Is pronounced with Quietness . ' 1 and dispatch. .- '. A singular advantage appears to - ba Iffered to complaining wives in Article 234 , f the French, Civil Code. There It is . . stated that the judge will go to the home f the complainant if she is. unable to ap pear. This appeals .very strongly to re fined American women, who dislike having to appear in a dusty old court thronged Kith impertinent lawyers and rather vul var litigants. -s In seeking a divorce in Paris most fash ionable women would undoubtedly con sider that city more attractive than Reno &r, perhaps, any town a America, The boulevards of Paris, with their endless theatres and restaurants, appeal more fas cinating to these fair expatriates than the simple delights of Main street, Reno, with Its one cabaret, its shooting galleries, boot black parlors, its motion picture shows and Its forlorn bars. The historic Rue da la Paix, with its splendid shops,' once considered the most expensive in the world, but now consid erably 'surpassed in this respect 1 by Fifth ; avenue, offers consolations to these refu gees awaiting relief from the. "cruelties" of their husbands. ' Drives in-the beautiful Champs Elysees and the Bols de Boulogne bring joy to the heart In the Springtime and chase away ' sorrow from- these delicate victims ; of masculine brutality. A trip to the races at -Longchamps Is more distinguished than a ' ride to the roadhouse where "Jim" Jeffries trained for his historic conflict with "Jack Johnson." . v;''j::, A-"i One' of the most Interesting of these recent Paris divorces is that obtained by Mrs. Ogden Livingston: Mills, Junior, for merly Margaret Rutherfurd who is a daughter of Mrs W. K. Vanderbilt by a -previous marriage. Mrs. Mills is a great beauty, of very distinguished type, with . features and a sUtnasoa flpm, Saa was only married in 1911 to Mr. Mills, a granoson ol ino muiu-muuonaire, u. u. illlls, and a son of Mrs. Ogden Mills, who is , noted for, her exdusiveness in New . :York society.' " ': ' Young Mrs.! Mills went to Pari only in : March, and in May she admitted that she -had obtained a divorce, t She declined to give details, . because her mother, Mrs. VanderbUt, might not like it," and would ; not give the name of her lawyer. For a V time -it was impossible -to - ascertain ;ln ' what court she had sought her divorce, on I, what ground "she had asked it, or any of the facts that are aecessarily made public in America. Young Mrs. Mills was brought .up in France, lived there for many years, has ratuN Serrlce. Inc. Great Brltal KUhta -t T" I I " hs : . J I I 4 V - J y-T "rzr. V A V v J i i i Youne Mrs. Ogden L. Mills, Daughter of Mrs y. K. Vanderbilt, Who Has Obtained - a! Paris Divorce Nobody Knows . ' - ! How, When or Why. , spent' a largo Prt of every year there and was tnarrleu from the Chateau de Quesnay, her stepfather's residence, near Paris, h There1 is, therefore, ground for -calling her- a ., . resident , of: ' France. On the other hand,1 her husband, Ogden I Mills, appears to be a. resident of America, for he was .until recently a- State Senator In the New York Legislature; and has since then been acting- as treasurer ' of the Republican County Committee in New York. Even more surprising, was the divorce of Mrs. ' Leonard " Thomas, who was the beautiful Blanche -Oelrichs, : from her husband, who 'inherited - his wealth from the great ' Drexel banking firm of Philadelphia. In April Mrs. Thomas -admitted she had obtained a divorce In Paris and made this statement: - " v "Yes. it Is true we are divorced. '-But the divorce was ' granted many, many months ago." - American society had - known that the Thomases were ' living apart, but' did not learn for months that a divorce -had been granted.- : '- - - . 1 - - ' -.' Mrs.: Leonard Thomas, the Loly -- " ; Society Woman, Poc? and Suffragist, Who Obtained a Divorce in Paris "Many Months" Before New York Heard of It. The divorce obtained ia Paris by Mrs. Joseph A. Blake, formerly Mrs. Clar-, once Mackay, appears to have served as a fruit- t ful hint to other American women desiring freedom. When Mrs. Mackay first became estranged from Iter multi-millionaire hus band In America shs was threatened with all kinds -of unpleasant com plications. Mrs. Catherine v Kelchum Blake instituted a $1,000,000 damage suit against Mrs. Mackay for alienating the affections of Mrs. Blake's husband. Dr. Joseph A. Blake, the V famous surgeon. Although the suft was withdrawn the proceedings caused: Mrs. Mackay much annoyance and distress-. . Mrs. 3 Mackay- then established a resi dence in . Maine and society understood that. she was" going to sue for a divorca there, but this course evidently presented some Inconveniences. Quite unexpectedly she moved to Paris, and within a few; months obtained her divorce there. It Is not to be expected that all French divorces will pass without question by children,' heirs and other persons con cerned. Mrs. Frank J. Gould (who was the actress, Edith Kelly) - has already raised the question. She has brought suit, for divorce in America against her husband despite the fact that he had obtained a divorce In France. Mrs. Gould asks her divorce in this coun try on the ground .that she and her hus band Were not. domiciled in France when the divorce was obtained, and that it was, stated in the decree that her husband's domicile wss Tarry town, N. Y, Conse quently, she alleges, .the French courts could not have had jurisdiction. - When inquiry, was made of a prominent New York, lawyer who has had much ex perience with French law, as to the valid ity of divorces obtained by American citi zens in France, he said: "It is impossible to make a general and dependable stateirient on that point. I un derstand that If a French divorce bss ful filled the essential conditions required by the New York coiirts it will be held as valid in New York as one obtained in sa other American Elate,"-.
