The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-02-25
THE ROLE OF CUPID.
England Urges Her Recruits to Wed
as She Fears Birth Rate.

Aroused DF the positive steps ldk-
en- by Germany and Austria to pro-
tect themselves against a falling
birth rate and the telling death rate
incidental to the war, England is
now encouraging the marriage of re-
cruits soon to go on foreign service.
says London dispatch to the Wash
ington Post.
At the suggestion of the archbish-
op of Canterbury, the diocesan bish-
ops of the church of England have
made marked decreases in the fees
charged soldiers for marriage Ii
censes, and clergymen throughout
the island are waving their personal
fees.
In Germany and Austria fees for
marriages were waived entirely where
soldiers and sailors were unable to
pay, and in many cities clergymen
married the warriors and their sweet
hearts in large companies where the
hasty departure Of troops made it
impossible for separate ceremonies
to be held.
Wedding Rings of Iron.
Gold wedding rings were done
away with and iron rings substituted
for the ceremony. Then the married
women who already had gold we'd
ding rings offered them as contribu-
tions to the war fund and replaced
them with rings similar to those
worn by the war brides.
German officials frankly discussed
the necessity for the marriage of SOL
diers, and urged immediate ceremo-
MES upon young women as a patri-
otic duty. The war brides were
cheered with much enthusiasm, and
the churches were crowded when the
large wedding parties spoke the cere-
mony in concert. y
Although the number of women in
England far exceeds that of men, the
volunteer army is comparatively
small here, and most of the recruits
are not trained soldiers Immediately
available for foreign service.
Consequently there is not the
pressing demand for immediate mar
riages here that existed on the con-
tinent. Still, the government realiz-
es the terrible drain the war will
make on the virile manhood of Great
Britain, and is quietly encouraging
recruits to marry. I
The archbishop of Canterbury is
endeavoring to have the government
waive the stamp fee of $3.50 which
it imposes on each marriage certifi-
cate, and diocesan bishops have re-
duced the marriage license fee to
$3.50 in the case of soldiers and sail
ors of limited means. Formerly it
cost $40 to procure a marriage Ii
cense properly stamped by the gov
ernment. The cost is now IS, and
the archbishop of Canterbury hopes
to have it lowered to $3.50 through
the withdrawal Of the stamp tax of
the government.
German officials presented to the
young women of the empire the
slight chance they would have for
matrimony after the departure OF
their soldier sweethearts and called
attention to the pension paid to war
widows for the support of themselves
and their children.
Army Of 100000 Drilling.
Nearly 100000 recruits are quar-
tered in camps scattered throughout
England. This new army of 'Kitche-
ner's probably will not be sent to
the continent for at least six months,
unless some unexpected calamity
arises. All the men in the army who
have not had previous military ex-
perience are less than 35, and a ma
iority of them are unmarried.
Many weddings are occurring daily
at the various camps, and new re-
cruits and their sweethearts are often
much distressed to find that under
the English law one of the parties
to a marriage must have resided in
the parish in which they are married
for at least fifteen days. The arch
bishop of Canterbury has suggested
that this obstacle be removed by
statute.