Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-11-15
'EGALIzED POlYGAMY
IN AUSTRIA LIKELY
Vienna Believes Some Such
Measure Necessary In Gen.
trail Empires.

Vienne,, (by mail)-Whether or not
Europe will be obliged TO change its
marriage laws as the result OF the war.
ia q question which has recently occu-
pied sociologists In the central states.
Most of them are OF the opinion that
material notifications must ensue; q
few hin that legaliZed polygamy must
be established in order to provide for
the surplus of women which two years
Of warfare has made one Of the prob
(ems Of all Europe.
The total population OF the states
at war, the non-Arian elements Of Rus
STA excepted, is roughly $685. Oo, 900 Of
600, 900 are women and lS5. 900. 900 men.
For the countries Of Europe where ex-
act statistics are available. the proper
ton is los males to 107 females. For
Europe this leaves in normal times an
excess Of 3.OOO,0 900 females of which
To his 1000, 900 OF women who at
present can find no husband for the
reason that nature. while insuring an
excess in the birth Of males permits
more of them to die in infancy, will be
added at least 10000 600 whom death or
wounds has also deprived of mates. Eu-
rope therefore, is face to face with the
question OF how these $1,000 600 women
are to be cared for.
Economically the problem has been
solved by the ome themselves, by
showing that in many departments OF
industry they are able to fill a place.
Blu, sociologists point out that. except
the state make provisions tending 10
avert this, q certain natural law would
increase greatly the rate of illegitimacy
of children, which even now is a serious
matter.
At the conclusion of the so years
war, similar conditions prevailed. 1t
was met in many of the central Eu-
ropean states by making polygamy
legal. When the proportion of males
and female had been readjusted by the
coming OF later generations these laws
We're repealed.
For the time being the European par
liaments are too occupied with matters
| affecting the continuation of the war,
but expressions On the subject agree
that some sort of legislation will be
necessary.
Severa writer's point out that it will
take two generations before the old
social equilibrium is reestabl!shed. The
tendency OF men to !a.rry women
younger than they themselves are is
held responsible for this. Usually the
man marries a woman from three t"
five years his junior, and some author
ities fear that greater choice, which the
excess of women will give, will decid-
IDLY foster this inclination. so that only
the girl who today is from IL to
l3 years ole can hope to be the
subject of competition among men
which her mother was.
This would be Il matter of only seven
to eight Years for most Of Europe;
provided the end of the War comes soon
Should the wal continue another yeal
or two and so cause the loss of many
young men who are now from II
to is year old the problem would
be much harder to meet. In that case
the excess of wonen over men would
he no less than 1000, 600, SO that fol
every male of marriage age. during tho
next 10 years, there would be almos'
two single women.
1t is impossible to say just how Ecu
ropean legislatures will meet the situa
ton. Legal polygamy is SO unwelcom'
to Europe's social system, and religion
that opposition to 1t will be great. TIL,
belief is held, for this reason. tina
legally at least LEGITIMACY will b.
abolished and that laws will be passee
giving the child born out of wedlocl
every right upon the are and propert.
of it's father. 1t is argued that Thu!
measure Of expediency would meet TIL
situation easily, and that 1t would VIC
late no social arrangement now il
force, giving in its most extreme appli
cation nothing but an expression t
a tendency which has manifested itsel
in Europe for several years past.