The Washington herald., 1908-08-30
MARRIAGEIN FRANCE
New Law Has Increased Nen-
lures Into MatrimOny.
REPUBLIC MEETS PROBLEM
Consent of Parents 10 Match Not
Now Required If Man and Woman
Are Over Thirty Years of Age.
Change Marks Strange Results.
Marriage Increases Under Law.

Every one who writes on France shows
deep concern at the falling birth rate and
At the fact that the population IS actually
decreasing.
IN twenty-five years. they tell US, Ger
many viii have double the population OF
France. and In fifty years the nation viii
have disappeared-unIess. in the mean
time. 1t he gobbled up by its powerful
and rapidly increasing neighbor-
Above all things. the French people are
logical Having become aware Of the
danger. they have set 10 work 10 ind a
cause. One Of those causes IS the com
pIe2,ity Of marriage avs in France
Complex Marriage Laws
Persons are dete-sd from entering wed
lock. especially persons Of the poorer
class. because Of its difficulty Until a
year ago. the law demanded a formidable
array OF papers before the young man
and woman could be Joined together I'm
matrimony The consent Of the parents
had 10 be obtained IN writing. there were
birth certificates and certificates Of resi-
dence. and. in the case of the man. evi-
dence that he had completed his military
service
II the parents were dead. the affair
was even more complex Papers had %
prove their death and the death Of the
grandparents The total number Of docu-
ments required was nineteen
In country parishes in France such doc
umeuts are fairly easy TO procure. as
the French peasautr- has a way OF re-
naming rooted 20 the soil from genera
r-- 2 <
difficult The papers had 10 be sent for
from distant parts there was delay and
there was expense IN the case OF for
eiEuers there was the added formality Of
translation. sometimes representing an
expenditure Of 155 francs or more
This was a grave impediment IN the
way OF poor persons. an almost iupCS-
s.ble obstacle Hence many neglected
the formal ceremony Of marriage alto
Eether- Some mayors of communes rec
oElized how impossible Il was % comply
with all the requirements OF the law and
connived al irregular atJestarions-
The marriage law has been amended
Able L.euire. one Of the few priests whc
are members OF the Chamber Of Deputies
brought IN a bin 10 simply the formali
ties Now. after the age Of thirty. tht
consent Of the parents IS no longer re
[ quired-
Marriage Increases Under New Law
This seems a uleager concession 70 III,
modern spirit but. according 70 reports
I the change has worked usrvels in a few
months The marriage rate is on the up
turn 70 the tune Of 5000 more marriages
I IL the half year than for the correspond
/ ing period Of the year beore-
/ The good abbe attempted a still create
/ reform. but be was unsuccessful H,
wished. in imitation Of the reform II Bel
giun. 70 place marriage within the limit
/ OF the common 1sw-that is 20 say. 70 en-
able the person who had obtained hi
majority 20 contract IL without the inter
{ vention Of his parents This. however
/ was too daring a proposition for tn
{ Chamber. and II stopped short a. ab
/ solving the contracting parties from thei
! parents consent after the age Of thirty.
/ Dr. Jacques BeTtillon. writing IN tn
{ Paris Figaro, traces the immediate ad
! vance in figures 10 the new legislation
] He pleads for the Belgian method on tn
/ ground that it encourages early mar
/ riages. reduces the number OF iIlegiti
mates. and aids IN the natality returns
! This would seem 20 be an instance, de
I spite the old Latin saw TO the contrary
that morals are really affected by laws
/ As a consequence Of the concession her
noted. the marriages for the year ende
I June 80 last are more numerous tha
since the two years following the war q
case Of retarded marTiages). which hith
] ertO constituted A record. and more nu
l ferrous, proPortiOnate TO population, tha,
in ISI3 when the younger men Of Franc
rushed to matrimony to escape conscrip
/ ton