POLITICAL NOTE: Unmarried, Undamaged

Unmarried, Undamaged

In Toledo Federal Court last week the pot’s objection to being called black by the kettle was denied. Nan Britton, unmarried mother of a 12-year-old girl who she says is the offspring of the late President Warren Gamaliel Harding, was suing Charles Augustus Klunk, hotel proprietor of Marion, Ohio and friend of the 29th President, for selling a book called The Answer to “The President’s Daughter” (TIME, Nov. 9). The Answer described Miss Britton as a “degenerate,” gave the lie to her account of extra-mari-tal adventures with President Harding set down in her book The President’s Daughter four years ago. Miss Britton wanted $50,000 damages from Hotelman Klunk. Judge John Milton Killits, 73, who is retired but is still privileged to hear cases, first expelled the public and newshawks from the trial, later re-admitted the newshawks. At this point either he or the reporters garbled a judicial announcement which said that Miss Britton was certainly damaged, that the only thing left to prove was extent of publication. After delib-erating one hour, last week a jury which included two women returned a verdict of “no cause for action.” Obviously the jury felt that The Answer was libelous per se but maligned Miss Britton’s character no more than her own writings.