226 SUPREME COURT OF THE CANAL ZONE.

Der st was assisted by a Mrs. Jackson, the latter's daughter, and a notorious negro servant; and that the defendants were forced to take action in defense of their homes and t heir 'Children.
What can be understood from such statements? What inference must necessarily be made as to the character of a woman, who, during the absense of her husband sends her children out On the streets- so that unhindered she may entertain men who stay at her house night after night? To the man on the street such a statement would be a charge impugning the virtue of a woman concerning whom it was Made. And the statements certainly fall within the rule of law that it is sufficient to make a publication libelous if it is of such a character that persons unacquainted with the plaintiff and hearing of her for the first time through the said letter would and do understand therefrom that she is a person of low character and guilty of improper and immoral conduct. A charge so understood is a false and malicious charge. It was not error, therefore, for the trial court to find that the statements and words referred to were libelous.
(2) A privileged communication is one which on its face would be libelous but is prevented from being so by reason of circumstances rebutting the existence. of malice, and occurs where any person having an interest to protect, or having a legal or moral duty to perform, makes a communication to another in protection of his interest or in performance of his duty; here, although the communication may contain matter that would ordinarily be actionable, yet here it is not actionable if the communication is fairly and honestly made in bona fide belief of its truth and without any gross exaggeration. (Starkie on Libel and Slander, p. 460.)
A communication made in good faith upon any subject matter in which the party communicating has an interest or in reference to which he has a duty, either legal, moral-or social, -if made to a pet-son having a corresponding interest or duty, is privileged, and the burden of proving the existence of malice is cast upon the person claiming to have been defamed. (Newell on Slander, sec. 39 1.)
it hardly need be said that conditions of living are such in the several settlements of the Canal Zone that there are many matters in which District Quartermasters and occupants of Isthmian
Canal Comm~~ission quarters might have aCmo neet
Among such interests would be the preservation of good order in the quarters and the protection of quarters buildings from danger of serious injury or destruction. And in respect to such matters of common interest letters passing from occupants of quarters to the quartermaster might come within the class of communications commonly1 known as privileged, provided, however, the

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