A LIBEL SUIT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2718, 13 March 1916, Page 6

A LIBEL SUIT

LORD FRENCH A WITNESS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright I (Rec. March 12, 5.5 p.m.) London, March 10. In the Chief Justice's Court, when the libel case George Gordon Moore versus E. Hultoii and Company was mentioned, Mr. H. E, Duke, K.C., for the plaintiff, said that he was an American, who was in the habit of periodically visiting London. ' The de-. fen dan ts owned a number of provincial newspapors. The libel, which had not originated with them, accused plaintiff of obtaining military secrets at the British front, and when he returned 1 to America used his position to work mischief with the Allies. Mr. Duke added that plaintiff had made the acquaintance of Lord French some years ago, the acquaintance had ripened into friendship, and Mr. ' Duke' was later invited to the front. The libels referred to the fact that Lord French and Mr. Moore were joint tenants of a house at Lancaster Gate. It also contained the insolent suggestion that Mr. Moore went to Long Island to confer with Count Bemstorff, the German Ambassador to America, when, as a matter of fact, he was the guest cf Mr. Roosevelt.

The defence was au absolute withdrawal of the charges, with the fullest apologies for every imputation. Lind French testified that he Lad kn mi Mr. Moore for many years, and when either was in London he resided at f.lu* joint, house at Lancaster Gate. M*. Moere visited him at the front in .1011. He had beeii to England reparding the construction of large American imdsi takings. Mr. Moore had rendered him gratuitous valuable ■ scientific. services with satisfactory and invaluablo results. • He emphatically denied _ that there was any shadow of foundation for the suggestion that he (Moore) was acquainted with military secrets. The defence pleaded that through a regrettable mistake the libel had heen inadvertently published in the Manchester "Evening Chronicle," because of insufficient news, the sub-editor hastily lifting it from another paper. _ Hie case was settled, and ,it was agreed not to disclose the tei nis. 9 .

MR. CHURCHILL'S SPEECH

A VITRIOLIC CRITICISM By Telegraph—Prosp Association Copyright (Rec. March 11, C.15 p.m.) London, March 10. The "Spectator" says: _ "The most case-hardenod party politician of the inost demoralised epoch of the eighteenth century would have recoiled from Mr. Churchill's manoeuvres in the. recent debate."

EAST HERTS ELECTION

AN AVIATOR RETURNED. Hj- Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, ]\larch 10. Tlio East Ilcrte election, rendered necessary by tlio resignation of. Sir J. Rolleston owing to ili-health, resulted as under; — I'embortou-Billing (the aviator) 4590 Henderson (Coalitionist) 355!)