A LIBEL SUIT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2648, 20 December 1915, Page 6

A LIBEL SUIT

■' —'K— AGAINST THE " GLOBULE' NEWSPAPER. AQ-rtOMiBHOUQHKBYiMRSi ASQUITH. By TolegrojJi—Piojs AEBOcla,tion—OdujTJglit London, December 17. A sensational' libel suit was .opened" . before Mi 1 .. Justico Poterson 'in the ■ Chancery Division. llrs. Asouith ■ sought to'- restrain the "Globe" newspaper from publishing libels accusing 1 her of lack of loyalty in . associating ' with, German prisoners at Donning;ton ' • Hall, and describing her as a traitor . 'and a disgrace to her sex. . Much public ; interest is. taken,.'in..the...case.. Mrs. ; 'Asquith. and . her daughter, were pre- : sent. i " ' . Mr.-H. E. Duke, K. 0., the plaintiff's ; . counsel, stated that systeniatio' and ; malevolent libels were only suspended ■ after the issuo of a writ. The persecu- : tion began in the spring, in certain newspapers which had publicly apologis- { ed, and on plaintiff's, insistence had : agreed to pay £100 to the Red Cross . Fund. Those who were disseminating ■ the libels through the "Globs" sent the plaintiff sheaves of anonymous letters, .j Moreover, imputations were made .upon . her in society. ■' The matter had' now como to a head in a .form in which the "Globe" could be brouglTt to account. ■ Hie libels were as gross as were ever made against an Englishwoman, and ' 'were' calculated to shake public oonfi- . - tienca in the Administration. Mr. Nelson (counsel for the "Globe") contended that the jury must decide whether the imputations referred to the plaintiff. . " . _ ; . 1 Mr.' Diilce said the libels mentioned 3ie wife 1 of a member of the Cabinet. He lia"cT overwhelming evidence that the plaintiff was designated. Moreover, ■j. there was a confession by one of 'the parties making .that clear. The case was adjourned till Tuesday, the deV fendants undertaking not to publish any further articles.