tangents

news & views

by sal mcintire

MAUGHAM HAS HAD ENOUGH:

Novelist Somerset Maugham, 89, sold 9 of his famous paintings, and when he tried to transfer $642,826.00 to NY, Lady Elizabeth Hope, who all her life has passed as his daughter, slapped a suit on him. trying to block the transfer, saying she'd been part owner of the paintings. Then Maugham, from his fabulous Moorish-style villa, "La Mauresque," near Monte Carlo (where he has hundreds of exotic caged birds and tends his prize roses), turned around and sued Lady Liz for return of gifts of over $1,000,000.00 under French law which permits. gifts to be taken back if the beneficiary is ungrateful. Furthermore, he said, she wasn't even his daughter, having been conceived by Syrie and Henry Wellcome before they divorced so Syrie could marry Maugh-

am.

Then, to top things off, Maugham legally adopted Alan Searle, his 58year-old male secretary (of 34 years standing) as his son and heir. In an interview the two men gave, they

explained they had met at a dinner party in 1929, and "Soon after that evening we started out on a journey together and we have been on that journey ever since."

8 WOMEN "OF NO FURTHER VALUE TO HER MAJESTY'

In the published debates of the House of Commons, the Secretary of State for War was asked about the circumstances in which a certain WRAC (Women's Royal Army Corps) private was transferred from Hounslow Barracks. Mr. Profuno answered that "Following certain allegations of unnatural friendships," an inquiry was held and thereafter a WRAC who gave evidence had to be transferred "in her own interests." That inquiry resulted in discharge of 8 women "of no further value to Her Majesty."

HOLLYWOOD THROAWAY RAG HEADLINES HATE CAMPAIGN:

Smalltime CITIZEN NEWS' ridiculous frothy-mouthed articles against homosexuals has brought forth a sensible move by the gay people-