The Washington herald., 1914-08-10
DIVORCE in U. S.
IS ON INCREASE
Actors and Showmen Lead
the List Of Those Who
Seek Separation.
OUTLOOK IS DEPL0RABLE
Census Bureau Facts Show Women
Obtain More Than Two.thirds
of the Divorces. :

About eighty years ago there appeared
q census report which startled the en-
tire country. q report which. contained
material for sermons as strong and
preachments as intense as any portion
of the Bible; a report which brought
home to Americans one salient act which
threatened to imperil the entire future
Of the country-that the United States
led the world In divorces and that the
evil was on the increase.
Divorce is increasing with the veloc-
fly Of falling body" was the exact wor-
ing Of the report.
The force OF gravity must have In
creased since 1905 because the divorce
evil, according to the latest statistics
available at the Census Bureau has been
practically doubled in the last eight
years.
Where. ten years ago. only one mar
riage In twenty landed in the divorce
mill, now one IN twelve does.
One cannot but hope that this de-
plorable condition will not be kept up
to Its logical conclusion-that in less than
thirty years one marriage out OF every
two will end in divorce. But II must be
ADMITTED that that Is the outlook at the
present time.
Just as an indication Of how the divorce
evil Is growing In Importance, the Census
ing fact that in New York County the
divorce rate has doubled within the past
six months. or course. this cannot be
taken TO apply 10 the entire country. bus
the fact remains that It Is one of the
straws which show which way the wind
Is blowing.
Another interesting fact developed by
the statistics gathered by Uncle Sans
experts is that the NTH year OF married
49,
gerous period" Is the eighth year and one
OF them has gone so far as TO write
book about 1t in which his point is proved
very neatly-in print But, in America
We do things more rapidly. Marriage as
an ideal state does not last as long as
II does with our somewhat more easy
going British cousins and the divorce
habit has been found TO be most pre-
valent during the fifth year OF conjugal
life particularly IL there have been no
Children OF course make the
tie the more binding and the
thought of the consequences Of the d.
vorce more compelling.
After the fifth year Of married life the
divorce line" gradually drops but IL
does not fall to the level Of the number
granted in the first year until the six
teenth year.
Death Rate Grows.
While the death rate increases as the
grow older the divorce rate |
decreases and the gradual decrease in the |
number Of divorces after the NTH year !
Of married life Is little affected by the |
decrease in the number OF surviving |
marriages from which divorce might |
arise.
Actors and professional showmen Of all |
kinds head the list for divorces report |
Ing more separations In proportion TO |
heir number than any other class OF !
oeopie. The actor divorce joke is there
tore proven 10 be not fiction but fact
,oId and hard fact. Musicians and
eachers of music rank next commercial \
ravelers third telegraph and telephone /
operators fourth and physicians and sur
Ceons fifth.
The United States has more divorces by |
ar than any other nation with the ex-
,eption of Japan, and DR.. Joseph A. Hill.
" the Division OF Revision and Results
" interesting coments to make upon this
act and its causes i
In speaking to me recently concerning
his condition. DR.. Hill said:
This country is not going TO the dogs.
Divorce may be rallied at and maligned,
'ut II Is not a sign. OF degeneracy. II IL
,nly a movement Of the times and O
ymbol OF the new freedom after which
We are all striving In one way or an
,ther. 1t Is a mark Of Advancement We
ire working out a problem. the adjust
nent of the present social laws to q
civilization which calls for an entirely i
different mode Of life. Women feel
themselves to be 'self-supporting. They
ire stirred by the great movement Of in
Iividualism which as finally wakened
'hina to a sense of its power and which
5 keeping the world at the simmering
'oint today. She will not put up with
he things which she allowed to be
rammed dow nher throat not more than
en- years ago. {
This Is proven by the fact that
women obtain more than two-thlrds of
he divorces granted. You may say that
his is only the outcome Of the double
tandard of morals or the fact that men
re naturally more futlsh and immoral
r immoral than women. i don't claim
0 know the undertaking reason-I merely !
i've you the facts. What lies in the fu-
ure remains to be seen. but ! cannot
ee that divorce is an unminod evil.