Liberty Liberties?

Magazine editors who edit for millions know the value of a theme, which, how ever falsely, shows that the many are more fortunate than the few. But so stale and discredited is the theme that alert editors nowadays freshen up the piece by having it told and signed by the "society girl" herself. Last fortnight nickel-weekly Liberty published a story titled

TOUGH LUCK BEING THE SAD STORY OF A SOCIETY GIRL

with the simple explanatory phrase beneath: "A Moan by Marjorie Oelrichs." But no sooner had the story appeared than Miss Oelrichs denied she was its author. Said she: "I have no idea who wrote it. ... But I intend to bring suit against Liberty." More surprised than Liberty readers were Liberty editors, who hastened to deny the truth of her denial. Said Executive Editor Sheppard Butler: "Perhaps Miss Oelrichs has forgotten she wrote the story. We purchased it some months ago." Said General Manager Max Annenberg: "We will sue her . . . only ask minimum damages. We must clear the name of Liberty."--for Liberty had been accused before of taking liberties with signatures.

In some detail, the editor explained how "Tough Luck" was acquired. It had been sold to Liberty, he said, through one T. Everett Harre, literary agent and "ghost writer," for $750.* For proof he displayed the original manuscript which bore the signature of Miss Oelrichs on its first and last pages. "Harre paid Miss Oelrichs for the article, giving her his personal check for $200," Mr. Annenberg said. "It assigns for that amount all rights in the article." Sighed Mr. Harre: "It's a tough business, this ghost-writing."

There was not much out of the ordinary in the story Liberty printed. No sad tale of Miss Oelrichs' life did it tell. Instead, it purported to be her opinion of the state of "desperation" in which the modern society girl finds herself. "I have become convinced," the story went, "that if you took equal numbers of rich girls and of others in moderate circumstances, you would find among the latter infinitely more contentment, greater freedom, and truer happiness. . . . 'Are you happy?' I have asked so many well born and rich girls I know. Their answer has been invariably 'No.' "

Unquestioned was that social Manhattan position into which Marjorie de Loosey ("Bubbles") Oelrichs was born. Her father, Charles de Loosey Oelrichs, though not well off, came from a wealthy family, was a brother of potent Manhattan Financier Hermann Oelrichs.

Dimly Miss Oelrichs remembers the house at Newport where she spent her childhood, petticoated among socialites who were her family's friends. But while Miss Oelrichs was still young her mother divorced Mr. Oelrichs on grounds of cruelty. With alimony small, with income from other sources slight, young "Bubbles" Oelrichs found herself growing up to the problem of maintaining a position with little money.

Once through the Spence School (Manhattan) on a not too large allowance, once a debutante, Miss Oelrichs attacked the problem. Happily, advertisers had revived the testimonial idea and soon she became the most famed of testimonial-signers, signing for such products as Lucky Strikes, Ponds Cold Cream. The advertising advertised her as well as the products so that in 1927 she was able to sell Liberty a story called "What's the Matter with American Men?" which lauded foreign bachelors. Her career also includes going to night clubs, attending Broadway openings, working for Saks Fifth Avenue, Manhattan smartmart and such odd jobs as chaperoning Aviatrix Ruth Elder, to whom she introduced her curious and well-bred friends. Sad though her story might be to a gum-chewing public, Miss Oelrichs has declared that she enjoys her life, including the moneymaking.

* Part of this $750 was paid to Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis's Ladies Home Journal on an unfulfilled contract it had for Miss Oelrichs' story.