LOVE'S YOUNG DREAM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21314, 15 October 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

LOVE'S YOUNG DREAM

ROMANCE OF JOHN AMERY yAIN HUNT FOR MATRIMONY INTERVENTION OF RELATIVES INSURMOUNTABLE OBSTACLES That the law, with its cold formulas and tigid rules, cannot be moved by the romantic impulses and tendcrest emotions •of Cupid is . probably the conclusion arrived at by Mr. John Amery, the 20-year-old film producer son of Mr. L. S. Amery, M.P. former Dominions Secretary. John Amery planned to marry Miss Una Eveline IWing, a 22-vear-old actress, in a London registry office, but the project was baulked bv his relatives—who did not consent to the marriage—on the ground that he was not of age. Registry offices throughout the country -were warned that they must not marry Sir. John Amery without his parents' written sanction, but, undaunted by this rebuff, the lovers crossed to Paris in the desperate hope of achieving matrimony under another flag. Again they were frustrated—this time by the obstacle of domicile. They learned that they could ;nob become man aud wife quickly in any country - in Europe, except, possibly, Bussia. The'first news that the wedding would not take place, as arranged, at Chelsea Registry Office came when a telegram was received there from Lord Greenwood, Mr. Amery's uncle, as follows: — " Please note that my nephew, John Amery, is not of age and has not got consent of either of bis parents. \ou have a right to call for liis birth certificate, but no right to marry with this warning.—(Signed) Lord Greenwood." As a result all registry offices were similarly notified, and steps were also takeji* to prevent a ceremony ; at Gretna Green.Father's Consent Refused .Mr. Amery's father, who was attending the Imperial Conference in Ottawa, subsequently cabled refusing his consent to the marriage. He said that he knew nothing about the girl. "1 did not know what means John had to marry on, and there .was his age," added Mr. Amery. " Thero could be no great hurry for six months. The matter can stand over till I return to England." Realising that they could not be married in Englaud, John Amery aud Miss Wing decided to go to Paris. They had planned to spend their honeymoon in the Pyrenees and then go on to Biarritz, where Mr. Amery had business to transact. The couple missed an air liner, but left London by the night boat train. Before they embarked at Newhaven, Mr. Amery declared':—" Ido not intend to let my relatives stand in the way. Miss Wing and I are going to be married in spite of everything. It's no good their trying to stop me. I've made up my mind to get married, and if it can't be done in one country, it can be done in another. In the film business you learn to overcome obstacles." The two lovers arrived at Victoria Station in all the atmosphere of haste. The young lover was wearing an overcoat, ■which he had obviously pulled on hurriedly. Miss Wing had a leather motoring coat over a pale rose lea gown, and was wearing sports shoes and no hat. Their luggage consisted of two very light suitcases. < Couple Cross the Channel " We are going to Paris and we will try to be married there," said young Amery. He spoke with the confidence of a city director and has the assurance of a Continental diplomat. " And if we cannot get married in Paris," he went on, we shall go to Biarritz, and if we cannot get married there we shall go across the border to Portugal." A correspondent of the Daily Express said" I passed with young Amery and his fiancee to the passport barriers. Before we reached there I noticed an imposing array of stern-faced men. They were scrutinising each passport with microscopic'care. " Amery delivered up his and Miss Wing's passports. That was obviously the cue. Four detectives immediately concentrated, on them. They were carefully scrutinised. Then they were handed back —with reluctance, if such an emotion were possible to an official. 'No irregularity,' one detective muttered. " And so the two walked along the quay with the rest of the travellers and passed over the gangway and aboard the ship. There were still fifteen minutes to sailing time. And during that period urgent telephone calls passed between detective headquarters here and London. Apparently nothing could be done. At 10 o'clock sharp the whistle of the boat blew a warning blast. Within a few minutes the ropes were cast off, and young Amery and his fiancee ;were on the high seas." Hopes Dashed to Ground Alas! The fond hopes of the young ieouple were dashed to the ground. They could not get married on the Continent so easily as they had expected. The French civil authorities were adamant on the question of domicile. They said the parties must qualify by at least three months' residence, and then give ten days' fiotice. The, couple thought they could dispense with the civil marriage and go through a religious ceremony only, but they were told .that no religious marriage could take place the production of the certificate of a civil marriage. The same rule applied to all churches —Catholic, Russian, Rumanian and Bulgarian. A telephone call to the Belgian authorities also drew a blank, and finally an international lawyer was consulted. " You cannot be married in the time," he told the couple, " and in the circumstances, in any country in Europe, excopt, possibly, in Russia. After debating whether they would fly to Russia or tour round the Mediterranean in search of some accommodating country' that will allow them to become man and wife, Mr. Amery and Miss Wing temporarily gave up the problem and returned to England, where they continued to discuss their plans. An Evening News correspondent called on Mr. Amery. He could not be seen, but gave this message: "The wedding is postponed until my father returns from Ottawa. I understand that ho is in the Empress of Britain, which is due to arrive shortly. My father, who is in Canada, does not know about it, but I am sure he will not mind my not having told him. My father and I are great pals." ' Young Man's Father Returns At the house of John Amery's parents it was learned that Mrs. Amery had returned to London from Scotland. Mr. John Amery had sent her a telegram announcing his intention to marry Miss Wing. Mrs. Amery suggested to her son that he should defer the wedding until his father returned. ■ A few days later Mr. Amery, son., returned to England from the Ottawa Conference. Simultaneously his son announced that'' he and Miss W T ing were going to make a dash to America to get married. " I jdo.inot care to make any ftatoment about'my son's suggested wedding," said Mr. L. S. Amery when interviewed. Mr. John Amery said he had read of Jiis father's return in the newspapers, but /

had not seen him since he landed. " I suppose he knows where I am," ho added, " but I do not think thero is the. slightest chance of his coming to see me; and 1 have no intention of going to see him. " I do not suppose he has changed his mind about our marriage; it would not make much difference if be had. If I can manage it, Una and I will start for New York. There should be no difficulty about our getting married there. But we are both ready to go to Connecticut, or Texas, cr even Reno, if necessary." Mr. Amerv • said they could have got married in Russia, but' that would have meant a two-and-a-half-day journey. " It is only another two days to Now York, he said, " and as I must go there on business, we' might as well wait and get married there." Miss Wing in an interview said : " We are quite ready to leave for America at a moment's notice. John and I arc more deterni'ned than ever to got married. We shall both go to the United States Consulate and apply for a visa. " John will ask for a diplomatic visa —he obtained one for Italy in 1929—but if lliis is refused, he will apply for the ordinary visa to visit the United States on business. I shall apply for the ordinary tourist visa. " John's business will keep him in the United States about a month. When we return to London we will settle down. John will continue his film work." The couple's plans were again revised. It was announced on September 8 that Mr. Amery, sen., had consented to think over the difficulties experienced by his son, in his endeavours to marry Miss Wing. The three people mainly concerned had a lengthv talk after Mr. Amery's return from Ottawa. The son stated that his father had asked them to suspend thenplans for a while. He said that should his father's consent continue to be withheld, he and his fiancee would go to America and be married there, as they j had previously proposed. Mr. John Amery has been engaged on film work since he'left Harrow at the age of 16. 11c returned last May from a three months' film expedition to langanyika, where his adventures included a battle ] with a wounded snake.