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French Court’s New Ruling That
i Makes It Less Easy and
Pleasant for American
p ■ Society Women to
Get Divorces
' v-/•
• D_ „’
- in raris
;yX' m
V The divorce rin*
which Hie Parisian
jewelers Hud always in
i;nod demand with tWeii
American customer*.
Mrs. J»nw* T.
Tem . owe of tl,f
lucky American*
who E<rt divorce*
before new ruliny
Mr. and Mrs. James \ Converge, who wil:
hare to settle down for a few months
in Paris together if they decide
la get a tiisorce there.
Mrs. Philip I^dif. the lir>l
prominent woman ot fash
ion able wiety to go to
Paris for her divort-e
r h<- former Mr*
Prr*ion (ritxnn. who
found a brand new
hu-band whOr in
Pari* to grt hrr di
vnrir from Mr
(a ih*rt).
Jr is no lor g* ■ be i-isj' and pleas
ant matter it ha- long been for the
American fa-hkniable society woman
to secure a divorce in Paris.
Until a few days ago all that was
necessary for her to do was to slip
quietly across the ocean, establish
a residence in the French capital
and settle down there for the six
months which the law required be
fore, sic- could go into court and
present her reasons for being rid of
her husband.
The six months' residence was re
garded in the light of an advan
tage rather than a drawback to the
securing of a divorce in Paris. The
time could l.-e so enjoyably spent—in
tasting the delights of the boule
vards. in selecting a trousseau for
another marriage, and perhaps even
in choosing a brand new husband.
The woman who had the money
and leisure, to seek a divorce in this
w iy was shielded from the inquisi
tiveness of newspaper reporters and
photographers who might have fol
lowed her about if she had re
mained in America to get her di
vorce, and also from the importuni
ties of her gossiping friends.
So little publicity was involved
that very often a woman was able
to secure a divorce without so
ciety's having the least suspicion
that she contemplated leaving her
husband until she came sailing
back to New York with h.-r decree
in her trunk—and occasionally a
new love male at her side.
Still another—and one of the
greatest^—advantages lay in the fact
that the Parisian divorce seeker had
no reason to be annoyed by the
propinquity of the husbanlJ from
whom she was anxious to be parted.
There need be no interruption of his
business or pleasure just because
his wedded life w.iS to be brought to
a sudden end.
Since the French laws required
the presence of only the plaintiff
in a divorce suit, the husband could
stay at his desk in New York and
concentrate his attention on piling
up enough money to meet any pos
sihle alimony rhaiges.
But this state or affairs, so ac
lightful to the woman who wanted
a divorce with a minimum of ef
fort and unpleasant publicity has
come to an end.
The French laws have been
changed so that now both parties to
a divorce action must have resided
in the country for at least si*
months before the action is begun
Only such a period of residence by
both husband and wife will enable
either of them to demand a divorce
and obtain the court s consent to
what the French law rather ironic
ally terms formal "reconciliation'’
session*.
Thi* put* an end forever to the
easy divorce that ha* heretofore
been possible for women with the
money and leisure for a trip to Paris
and i stay of eight or nine months
there. And there Is corresponding
gloom among a large number of
fashionable women who have been
planning to get rid of their bus
bands via the Pari* route.
Within the last few years it has
become a frequent occurrence for a
wife to cross the Atlantic carrying
a statement beating her husliand's
signature before a notary to the
effect that he had to intention of
resuming marital relations. After
living in Fiance for si* months a
brief explanation of the reasons for
which she sought divorce and the
presen tot ion of this statement from
her husband were all that was
i ntv. - >\ to set-m i a decree in sheet
order.
Mill ail Iliis is now a thing of the
past. The American wife whd
wants a Parisian divorce must take
luitib) along in lix’ if not with her,
at least in the
same country with
her for a ft tv
mouths.
Business in New
York anil other
cities of the Unit
**d States can no longer
go on as usual while a
wife frolics on the boule
vard. selecting a new
trousseau and consider
ing the choice c»f another
husband while waiting
for the obliging French
courts to issue her a de
cree. A
France'f*o broad
minded and lenient
in many other re
spertfl, has Ion ^
been viewing
with alarm the
amazing influx
of American di
vorce seekers.
It lias resented
having Paris
made a haven
for easy divorce
—a convenient
substitute for
the notorious
city of Itena.
And now as a
result of this
feeling the
courts have de
cided that it de
feats the pur
pose of the law
to hate only one i>arty to the action
resident in the country when a de
cree Is asked for.
The French law I* \ ery insistent
that no divorce shall be granted
until every effort has been made to
reconcile the quarreling husband
and wife and make them live in
harmony. This explains the formal
“reconciliations" sessions which
look so like a joke to meet Ameri
can seekers for a divorce.
Mrs. Preston Gibson, Mrs James
T. Terry Mrs. Oren Tbx>t, Mrs. Eu
gene V R. Thayer. Mrs Langdon
Harris and numerous other well
known American women who have
lately obtained their divorces in
Paris are congratulating themselves
that they acted before the disagree
able new ruling went into effect.
Score* of other unhappy wive*
who have been planning an enjoy
able summer in Parts for the pur
pose of having their matrimonial
bonds severed are n* keenly disap
pointed. They will have to make
new plans unless they can devise
some way of inducing their hue
1 winds to shut up their desks and go
along, too.
If the hubbies refuse—and it is
quite likely that most of them w ill—
the wive* will l»e for. c.i to foil U> k
on tteno that old
standby of the mis
mated And thi* is
not at all a pleasant
retrospect.
In the first place a
divorce can hardly he
urcd in Kano without a
great deal of publicity. Other
objections to the Nevada city
lie in the remoteness from the
centers oi wealth urn] fashion amt
the fact that its hotels restaurants
and apartment houses have much
to ho desired l.j- women accustomed
to the luxuries of life in New York.
London. Paris and Newport.
There are three grounds for
divorce in Franc*—adultery, convic
tion of a felony and cruelty. Both
physical violence and mental an
guish are accepted under the head
ing of cruelty. Neither party to a
divorce is allowed to remarry in
France within 19 months, because
of the question of custody and
sustenance for the children.
"The whole divorce situation in
France, from the American view
point, la an abuse and a t imW
says an American lawyer practic
ing In Paris. "There is no sug
gestion of Reno in the altitude of
the French courts, but French
Judges are not aware of the ad
vantage that is being taken of them
by Americans who a to procuring
divorces.
"These divorces are generally of
no value in the United States, but
Americans obtain them and they
may hold until their validity is
contested. Any kind of repo of
•and will hold until ii's pulled."
At the ministry of justice the
suggestion that
Parts is becoming
a second Reno to'
American divor
o-es is not well
received.
M. Lemertieux.
first assistant to
Minister of Jus
tice Barthou. has
pointed out tha*
France is a liber
&1 country regard
tag divorces, hav
ing been the first
continental* coun
try to grant them
to foreigners under
the law of 1SS4. He
thinks that possitty
Paris was being vis
ited Tor this purp-w*
just as Flume was such
a resort for Italians be
cause of the lack of a
divorce law in Italy.
M. Wells, director of
civil affairs at the mil.
iavry of justice, does cot
think it logical that France should
be looked upon in the United
State* as a country where divorces
can be easily obtained, since there
are fewer legal grounds for divorce
in France than In America.
Generally speaking, France grants
divorce* to foreigners if their own
couutry permits divorces. Judge*
during the last few years have beer,
taking a more lenient view t-w ard
applications for divorce by for
eigner*. Previously the applicants
usually were notified that they
should apply for divorce* in their
own countries
H. K. Barrault, a French advo
cate, who lias made inquiries into
the number c>f divorce* granted to
Americans In French courts." do*'*
not think it as large as i* get'
erally believed He argue* that the
divorcee* mostly are prominent r:c:
person*, which accounts for the
great publicity given in the Amei
can press.
This gives the appearance of a
much larger number of divorces, he
says, than are really obtained, be
cause of the fact that practically
all of them are str-.k.rg personali
ties, who merely find Pari* a more
pleasant place to live than some
American cl tie* where divorces
would be as easily obtained.
The French advocate may 1"
right in thinking that the number
of American wemer, seeking divorce
in Fori* is not as large as is gen
erally believed. But, as an exan in
atlon of the newspaper files will re
veal. it is certainly a large or* ai d
in recent years has beer growing
sieaddy larger art larger
Mr*. rh.'.:;> M Ll ;:g was one A
the tirst prominent American
women to go to Paras for her d.
vorce. The decree she received
there from Major Lydig is the . re
that now prevents her marrying ir~
Fier Percy Suckn*y Grant wrth the
sanction of the Protests.’: Episcojal
church.
A large apartment house ir. - re
of the m at excioMve sect. - of
Paris has been known for sev ,-ai
years as the •Divorce Neet. be
cause it is filled from one year < end
to the other with a succession of
wealthy American women, there to
seek freedom from their husbands
Although rentals in this apart
ment building are rather above the
ordinary, the rich Americans who
tenant It do not object, few it is
luxuriously appointed and the a* rv
* ie ->f the test.
Another advantage possessed by
the D voroe Nest is the tact that
lease* may be cancelled on ore
day s notice. Thus has proved a
great convenience or. several occa
sions when one of the divorce seek
ers suddenly changed her mmd at .1
d“c-ded to re?um to her husband
Among the American women who
have recently had this for the.r
home wh:le seeking their divon.es
are the Countess de Maupas. s sts
ter of the new Mr* Keggy Varder
blit. Mrs. James T Terry and Mm.
I-argdcn Harris
The De Maupaa divorce. I y the
may. was one of the giidwt the
Paris courts have seen in a lore
time. In a letter introduced at the
trial the count said to his wife:
■ I have the profouedest center ;-;
for you I Aspire to the time when
we shall have nothing ;n common ”
To this the countess rev si
Life with you is no longer possible.
You disgust me."
Although the recent ruling of the
Wench courts may result is fewer
American divorces being secured 1
Pai s. there a str-All prospect f
there being any immediate Jecrc-I -r
tn the divorce rate here. The rap 1
ity with which it is tacnasiet is a
cause of grave concern to states
men and religious leaders
sw-- ething must be dor. e i -
this easy divorce.* says Rev. Pr,
Joseph P McCVssi■ I a New Y
cirrcytran "Chi* thing that w 1
fc. would be to mak* - a
mere ’ fiVult—ditb ilt
cense and -UIHcult to have he
ntony performed
"There is mu- h merit in the i . 5
RrgPsh custom of publish.; g t“ -
banns and having them read h
Ye pulpits oe Sunday c*