Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-18
FOREIGN MARRIAGES.
Their Dangers Described to English
 Girls.

Only too often do English girls in their igonrance, contract marriages with foreigners with whom they have fallen in love- and live to find that in the eyes of their husbands country men they have, after all, not been wives at all. It would be difficult and lengthy task to arm the public and particularly the ignorant parent and the unsuspecting girl against the dangers of these mixed marriages, but in the space l have at my dis posal I should like to point out the salient facts to be aScertained before such mixed marriages can be at all reasonably safe. At first I may say that generally all foreigners who marry English girls in England can only do so legally by the laws of their country when they have first con- piled with all the requirements of their own country in the matter of in tending marriage. And the chief of these requirements are CD that they should publish in their country the notices of such intending marriages as required by law, and @ that they should obtain the consent of their par ents to the marriage if they are under a certain age-which varies from | tWenty-one to thirty.
 In Austria, after the intending bridegroom or bride is 24 years of age no parental consent is necessary. But if the man is in any way still con- nected with the military service he must have the consent of the military authorities.
 In Belgium the law allows a Bel gian to marry foreigner abroad ac cOrding to the laws of that foreign country, but the marriage will not be valid in Belgium if he is under 21 and has not obtained the consent of his parents. If between the ages. of 21 and 9 he must make a respectful and formal request for his parents advice, and if the parents object they may apply to a court Of justice and state their grounds for refusal, and such refusal may be upheld. If the son or daughter is p years of age no consent is required.
 In Denmark any person contract ing a marriage, whether there or abroad, requires the parental consent when under the age of 25. and a widOwer must not contract a second marriage within three months of the death of his wife. The usual publi- cation must be made.
 By the law of France no man may contract d marriage under the age of | ,f I,; From that age until he is 30 he will be required. as in Belgium. to per form the ''acte respectueuX." and this act differs from the Belgian in that he has to perform it three times over at monthly intervals, and it is not until a month has elapsed from the third formal request that he will be allowed to contract a valid marriage Orphans must not marry without the consent of that continental monstrosity, the family council In all cases of q Frenchman marrying foreigner abroad the usual notifications must be posted at the marie of the commune in which he last had his abode.
 In Germany consent Of the father is required until the son is 9 and the daughter 24 years of age, and if either is an orphan. the consent of the legal guardian is needed. The publication of an intended marriage of a person abroad must be made in the place where he last dwelt in Germany two weeks before the mar riage and it must also be made by ad- vertisement in the domicile of a for eigner. though in this case a declara- ton from local authorities that no impeachment exists is accepted as an alternative. Any person wishing to marry second time must show that ,, n legal settlement has been made OH the children, if any, of the first mar riage.
 By Italian law an Italian who mar rles q foreigner abroad in compliance with the laws of the foreign country is legally married, but here again il is conditional on his also complying with the requirements of the Italian law. To marry without parental con sent a man must exceed 25 and q woman 21 years of age. and they must publish the usual notices of the mar riage in the commune in Italy where the Italian party was last domiciled. In the Netherlands persons under 21 must not marry without the cor sent of the parents and between 21 and 25 they must perform the actC , rCspectueux to which have referred Over 25 years of age neither consent nor acte respectucuX is required ir Spain for civil marriage consent is required until the IDan is 23 and thc woman is 25: in Sweden and Norway consent is not necessary after 21. but widowPrs must not remarrv until six months after the death of their wives and if man seducPs 8 woman under promise of marriage she is held to 6t his legal wife.
 Tn Russian law the marriage. fl between male Russian and q female