Foreign Minister Speaks Conflicting Views of the Over Radio Authorities; No Ruling on What is Disrespectful Chungking, June 29. "The Powers are now faced with "The question of whether a woman must wear a hat in a court of law has again been raised. The courts themselves differ in their rulings, as shown in three instances within tKe Past few days: At Feltham a hatless Woman was ordered to get herself Properly clothed and told that her hatless appearance was "in act of disrespect."
At Hendon recently a hatless woman was told that she was entitled to dress as she liked, "so long as she is not disrespectful to the court."
At Watford two hatless women were informed that their case would be put back "until you find something 1o cover your heads with.
In 1931, when a hatless girl entered the witness box at East Ham police court, the magistrate sai are two places where ladies must put on their hats—a court of justice and a church," the vital issue of whether to maintain or abandon their treaty rights in this part of the world," declared Mr. Wang Chung-hui, the Foreign Minister, in a special broadcast to Europe this morning.
He added: "In my opinion, to come to a compromise offers no lasting solution as it is the fixed policy of the aggressor to monopolize and preserve Asia exclusively for herself.
its of the past two years have shown that an acceptance of one of Japan's demands will give rise to new and more comprehensive ones.
The Foreign Minister stated that the "undeclared war" had now assumed a new aspect, which consisted of a "Japanese instigated campaign to seize all foreign concessions and settlements and to drive out western interests from this continent."—Reuter.
A leading legal journal, comment-ading on this dictum, said:
"We should be interested to learn where the magistrate gets authority for the imperative must, for we know of no law requiring headgear on ladies in courts of justice, and, if there be a custom or rule of etiquette, how is it to be enforced?"
The legal position was stated correctly by the Clerk at Hendon who told the woman witness that she was entitled to dress as she liked "so long as she is not disrespectful to the court." it all depends upon what the magistrates consider to be "disrespect-dul." One magistrate might consider woman witness "disrespectful" if she appeared before him as a nigger minstrel, with a small straw hat and banjo, while another might think Bae verniahed finger nails "disrespect-"Mr. Cecil Leeson, secretary of the trates' Association, say'
"The origin of the differences of opinion is really ecclesiastical. Some Magistrates link church and court in their minds. Actually the view depends. upon the caprice of the magistrate or.court official.
"There is no legal basis for insisting that a woman must wear a hat in court."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.