SENSATION CAUSED

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 388, 20 March 1937, Page 5

SENSATION CAUSED

King’s Proctor’s Department Press Association—Copyright. London, March 19. News that the King’s Proctor, Sir Thomas Barnes, was to make application in the Simpson case was officially published in the Law Courts lists today, and caused a sensation throughout the country; but the newspapers cannot publish before the hearing anything but the bare announcement. With regard to to-day’s application, the wording should be noted. It was an “application by the King’s Proctor for directions.” The nature of the directions sought could have been preliminary to intervention or not connected with it, or ruling it out. When the application was made today. the Attorney-General said the King's Proctor’s inquiries had not resulted in the discovery of evidence that would justify intervention. The Times yesterday said that after the decree nisi had been pronounced a private intervention occurred, which was referred to the King’s Proctor for inquiries. The Attorney-General, Sir Donald Somervell, would report to the Court the result of those inquiries and ask for directions. Among the most common causes for the King’s Proctor’s intervention are collusion, meaning that a divorce has been “arranged” or procured by bargain, though this does not prevent a fresh suit being brought free from

collusion. The machinery of the King's Proctor’s department is frequently set in motion by informers. There have, therefore, been many protests against the activities of this department on the ground that its methods, which necessarily are secret, aro subterranean. but the department lias always been defended in Parliament and elsewhere on the ground of public policy. It is understood that an important dispatch was handed to the Duke of Windsor, presumably relating to the application by the King’s Proctor, says the correspondent of the Daily Mail at Vienna. The correspondent of a news teelgraphing from Tours says that M.vs Simpson had no statement to

make, but the news came to her as a complete surprise. After a hearing iastln 25 minutes. Mrs Simpson van granted a decree nisi last October on the ground oi misconduct by her husband, Er”-’, Aldrlck Simpson, a form, r nava, officer, with an unnamed woman. Th” case vas not d< terded. A London cable dated March 18 stated that the Vienna correspondent of the “Morning Post” said that according to reliable information it wauow settled that the Duke of Windsor's wedding to Mrs Ernest Simpson would take place at the British Legation chapel in Vienna two weeks after the coronation. Th? exact da*- wki not yet determined. Mrs Simpson would take up her residence in Vienna, a tew days before the wedding.