RIVAL BEAUTIES' RIGHTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 102, 2 May 1931, Page 11

RIVAL BEAUTIES' RIGHTS

A SOLOMON TO JUDGMENT. FAIRNESS OF FRENCH JUSTICES. "EX" MADEMOISELLE PARIS. Paris is not without its Solomons. Those who have passed through the ordeal of the Reconciliation Court, which is a necessary process toward divorce, and, it must be added, is sometimes effective in justifying its name, know well the tact and patience these rather under-paid French judges can show trying to straighten out matrimonial quarrels (states a special correspondent of the "New York Times"). In criminal cases there are no fairer judges than those to be found in Paris, and" it was no fault of theirs if sometimes juries lean too far over to the side of sentiment. But it is when he is faced by some delicate complication of justice that the French judge stands forth as an example to all his kind in ingenuity in finding some formula of settlement. Recently on Mardi Gras just such a case came before Justice Wattinc. There appeared a young woman who asserted that the city of Paris had done her a grave injury. In January, through its select committee, it proclaimed her "Miss Paris," the most beautiful, girl of the year. On the strength of that fame sue obtained- a music hall contract, which meant fortune and renown. But in February the same committee discovered that their elected queen did not fulfil all the conditions of the competition. In the first place, she had not been born in Paris. In the second, she was not a jeune fille, being in reality the mother of a perfectly lovely little girl. So she was deposed and another appointed in her place. Against such treatment she protested strongly. At least the committee could not take the title from her. She had been elected Miss Paris, arid as such intended to remain on the theatre posters where she was announced as the dancing partner of Harry Pilcer. The committee could not accept such a defiance of its authority. It had elected a second Miss Paris, and she too had rights. So it summoned its first choice to appear in Court. It was just such an occasion for eloquent emotional jousting as Parisian barristers love. The Court was crammed. Partisans of each queen were ready to renew the war of the Fronde. There seemed as if there could be no solution, or at least no solution which would give satisfaction all round. Justice Wattine was in what looked like a grave predicament. Very quietly he listened to the eloquence of learned counsel. Very softly he gathered his papers up. Then he leaned forward. "My judgment is," he said, "that the defendant's name must not appear on the posters as Mademoiselle Paris." There was tense emotion as the supporters of the deposed queen began to think their case was lost and those of her successor that theirs was won. Quietly Justice Wattine continued:

"She may, however, appear on these posters as ex-Mademoiselle Paris."