Baltic Reno

Before the War, the city of Riga was the second most important port on the Baltic. With the re-establishment of Poland and the creation of Latvia, Riga shriveled. Poles built a port of their own at Gdynia. Foreign steamers that used to call at Riga passed it by. Latvian authorities made one attempt to resurrect their capital by advertising the city as a summer resort. Knowing people recognize the Gulf of Riga as an ideal spot for small boat racing in summer. Its waters are quite warm enough for comfortable swimming, but the average tourist, looking at Riga on their atlases, finding it north of Edinburgh's latitude, refused to believe it.

Next move was to make Riga a Baltic Reno. Gambling casinos opened. Latvian divorce laws are enticing: with residence established, divorce may be obtained upon proof of three years' separation. Last week the Baltic Reno appeared in U. S. headlines. In Riga, striving once more to divorce Mrs. Evelyn Walsh McLean, was Publisher Edward Beale McLean of the Washington Post. Mrs. McLean, having stopped one Mexican divorce by a court order, was working desperately to halt this by another. She obtained a temporary injunction from Justice Wheat of the District of Columbia Supreme Court. With Publisher McLean was a Miss Rose Douras Van Cleve, widely identified by the U. S. Press as a sister of Marion Davies. Other Riga divorce-getters, di-vorce-seekers: Impresario Max Reinhardt, German Novelist Jakob Wassermann, Composer Eugen d'Albert. Princess Alice Muriel (daughter of the late John Jacob Astor) Obolensky.

Announced Publisher McLean: "I will go any limit to get my freedom. I have married Miss Douras Van Cleve and will do anything to have that marriage legally recognized in the U. S. courts. ... I swear I will go anywhere to get legal freedom."

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