The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-25

 TREND IN EUROPE BY 0PT|0NALL LAW
Experts Estimate 2 Unmar ried Woman to One Man
 at Conclusion of War.

Vienna, Oct. 25.-Whether or not Europe will be obliged to change it's marriage laws as the result of the war, is a question which has recently occu- pied sociologists in the Central States. Most of them are of the opinion that material qualifications must ensue; a few think that legalized polygamy must be established in order to pro- vide for the surplus of women which two years of warfare has made one of the problems of all Europe.
 The total population of the states at war, the non-Arian elements of Rus sia excepted, is roughly 373,000,000 of which, according to best sources, 1884, 0O0,000 are, women and 1855, 100000 men. For the countries of Europe where exact statistics are available, the proportion is 105 males to 107 fe- males. For Europe this leaves in nor mal times an excess of three million femalesI of which number a third would be narriageable.
 To this million of women who at present can find no husband for the reason that nature, while ensuring an excess in the birth of males permits more of them to die in infancy, will be added at least eight millions whom death on the battlefield and incapaci- tating wounds has also deprived of mates. Europe, therefore, is face to face with the question of how these nine million women are to be cared for.
 Economically the problem has been hU fhaYpSa1Uoc Inv showing that in many departments of industry they are able to fill place. But sociologists point out that, ex- cept the state makes provisions tend ing to avert this, a certain natural law would increase greatly the rate of illegitimacy of children, which even now is a ser. ous matter.
 At the conclusion of the Thirty Years War, similar conditions pre- vailed. It was met in many of the Central European states by making po- lygamy legal. When the proportion of males and females had been read justed by the coming of later genera tions these laws were repealed.
 For the time being the European parliaments are too occupied with matters affecting the continuation of the war, but expressions on the sub ject agree that some sort of legisla- tion will be necessary.
 Several writers point out that it will take two generations before the old social equilibrium is re-established. The tendency of men to marry women younger than they themselves are is held responsible for this. Usually the man marries a woman from three to five years his junior, and some au- thorities fear that greater choice, which the excess of women will give will decidedly foster this inclination, so that only the girl who to-day is from twelve to thirteen years old can hope to be the subject of competition among men which her mother was.
 This would be matter of only sev- en to eight years for most of Europe; provided the end of the war comes soon. Should the war continue an- other year or two and so cause the loss of many young men who are now from fifteen to sixteen years old the problem would be much harder to meet. In that case the excess of wo- men over men would be no less than eleven millions, so that for every male of marriage age, during the next ten years, there would be almost two single women.
 It is impossible to say just how Flu ropean legislatures will meet the sit uation. Legal polgyamy is so un- welcome to Europe's social system, and religion that opposition to it will be great. The belief is held, for this that legally at least illegitimacy will be abolished and that laws will be passed giving the child born out of wedlock every right upon the care and property of its father. It is argued that this measure of expediency would meet the situation easily, and that it would violate no social arrangement now in force, giving in it's most ex- treme application nothing but an ex- pression to tendency which has man ifested itself in Europe for several years past.