The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-01-11
is NO TROUBLE
TO GET DIVORCE
IN MEXICO NOW
Gen. Carranza Has Added
to His Program of Re-
forms the Granting of Alb
solute Separation, Which
Any Judge May Order.

Vera Cruz, Jan 1O.-GeneraI Car
rama has added to his program of re-
forms the granting Of absolute divorce.
Any judge in Mexico--if he cares to
take the chance of Carranza reseating
himself in Chapultepec-nay now an
null marriage contract. The law be-
came effective on New Years day
Mexico has heretofore never granted
more than q legal separation. The
new law not only provides for divorce
with the right to re-marry but makes
the dissolution of the union so simple
that the mere agreement Of man and
wife to break their marital contract
is sufficient.
II the factions headed by Villa and
Zapata and Gutierrez should not agree
to duplicate Carranza's decree, or If
CarranEa should fail to retalse the cap
itaI and restore himself to power, q
state OF marital relations not differing
greatly from bigamy may be expected
in the territory now controlled by
CarTanza. 1t is asserted, however,
that villa, zapata and their followers
are of like mind on the question and
will not hesitate to follow Carranza's
example.
be perhaps the most liberal country in
the world in specifications Of the
causes for divorce. In the case of
mutual consent it is merely necessary
for the man and wife to sign an agree
rnent stating they are tired Of living
together, providing for proper division
of property and the disposition Of the
children. present this to a Judge after
boc a%k
the judge has no option but to render
the Judgment that enables them to
search for new mates.
Unfaithfulness, cruelty and those Of
lenses usually listed in most divorce
laws as reasons for separations are
given but there are a few unusual fea-
lures as well. Abandonment on the
part Of the wife is defined as "Aban-
, donment without cause of the conjugal
home, even though it be for single
night" Towards the husband the law
is more lenient. His absence from
nome shall not be regarded as aban-
Comment unless he has remained away
for thirty consecutive nights"
The wife who refuses to support her
husband when he is out Of work and
when she has money, shall be adjudged
as having given grounds for divorce.
BUT ONE RESTRICTION.
One restriction has been placed in
that section relating to divorce by mu-
tual consent It is specified that in
that case the parties must have lived
together at least for three years
Carranza, commenting on his decree,
said that marriage among the lower
| classes was exceptional; that those
unions which do exist rarely are le-
galized, whether on account of poverty
or the instructive fear of entering into
an irrevocable contract" He explained
that In his opinion divorce offered the
best remedy for reducing the number
of illegitimate unions, which he admit
ted characterized a great part of the
unions in Mexico. He was chiefly con-
| cerned, however, in alternating the
condition OF woman, especially the wo-
man Of the middle and lower classes.
1T is a fact" he said, beyond all
doubt that in the middle classes the
woman, due to special conditions of
education and customs is incapacitated
for successful participation In the
economic struggle. On this account
the woman whose marriage has be-
come farce finds herself the victim
Of her husband, placed in condition
Of slavery from which she cannot es-
| cape except by means of a law that
, will break the bond joining her to her
husband and SO emancipating her This
law should give to the woman, espe-
cially the woman OF the lower class
the opportunity for her own uplift and
for her emancipation from the slavery
in which she finds herself"