The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-02
Proposal Made 10y q German Writer
for secondary Marriages Is
widely Circulated Through
out the Empire.
SENT FREE TO SOLDIERS
xrsss journal Denounces idea 20
which, It says, NO German f"i'
Objected.

! namphlet called THE Secondary
M.-rtnge the Only Means for the
~ MA Creation Of a New and POWER
mi ARMY and the Publication OF ho
rsiitys a copy of which has receh'is
reached London. THIS pamphiee ~
mt out by the, Cologne firfn OF os.aA
Muller, and was written oy 3,,.
mann Torges. who, I'm inc nv nv 49,
sif,r saya that he lie over seventy yeai
~ ! - has travelled all over the world
sr6 rms always kept hts eyes opeh'
Tharefore. he appeals for unpreJu
dfrad examination OF his proposaas'
- adoption of which may De expsc.-
"a 70 lead logically to the des'reo AN
provements."
Tne pamphlet is based upon sne
>s.s,,re reeds of the German army, DE-
rause ..tha military strength OF peo-
II. aenends In part upon the nutnpar
~ men able 20 bear arms yer
n,anv's heavy losses in the war mus
- made good, and at the sahs aiue
avery effort must be made TO meet ene
decline In the birth rate wnicn was
IAnaented before the war. Inc WIFE
clarcs that the baeheiorooih oi
day is-a cancer which must DC ga
II. sefed.
~ denies that the expense OF mar
7
rafnain unmarried, and ne neaIs M
! srunA length with the economic tram
ine Of women for marriage he then
lseas up TO his main proposals Win
1 chapter which declares that tns
conception of Eirnrn oraiity is relatlve,
ara that hgood morals are only VIVA.
fhr upper classes of society approve
me Facts" are said 10 give germany
s.the justification. In case OF necessity
to put the stamp of moranty UPON
what today seems immoral IN any
n case. il the falling off TN eiTths ~ -
IL counteracted, baehelordom must oe
,sswred 10 the minimum which the
circumstances require" The main
V r.ronosals are stated as follows:
women In all classes OF society who
nave reached a certain age are. in the
interests OF the fatherland, not only
authorized but called upon to enter
into a secondary marriage. when ~
supported by personal incinat on. anu
no must have the consent OF ms mar
r.ied wife. This condition Is necessary
II order TO prevent the mischief which
othsrYlse might surely be eApeeteo
The offspring of these iawfui seeoh'
Diary marriages bear the name Oh 'heAA
mother, and are handed over 10 ths
ears of the state. unless the mother
ars to be regarded In every respect ~
s,,1Iv equal members of society 1ht
& fnothers wear "a narrow wedding rms
IA 4 sign of their patriotism ms
secondarv marriage can be dissolved
as soon as its object has been at
fasned"
Elsewhere Herr Torges says that hs
thinks that the objects OF his new III
stitutson car he fulfilled IN twenty
wears and that secondary marriages
ratvhs then be abolished. lie eha'
iais pamphlet as follows:
s.The difficulties consist solely IL
ethical scruples, which noiwithstAno
q the issue Ok the proper regulation
Nv the state, will continue 10 operate
until conscience has disposed or them
Thus this question becomes relS
ious question. which can be SAWED
oYtw with the help of the clergy !
rests. therefore, with the women ant
fhe clergy. assist ed by the state, Il
determine whethng Germany SHAH b
ahle not only TO maintain herself OF
y,Ar present pinnacle OF morality. ou
nr her own strength TO stand up II
the future as In the present to Ia
pressure of enemies who are increas
ing numerically"
When copies of Herr Torges' pam
oh,At REACHED switzerland IL drew th
Ara of the 4Aarganer Volkshiatt,
catholic publication. which asserte'
81 that several millions Of the pamphlet
had been distributed gratis TO the Ger
man soldiers In the trenches and I
ali classes of German women at home
and that the. pamphlet had been Il
circulation for more than six month
without q single German newspa pc
making any protest. The pamphle
Il therefore described as piece 0
CfIlciaI propa gandA against which tn
whole civilized world must rise up i
Indignation
Incidentally, the >Aargauer yoiks
hiatt, which regards this scheme TO
ssbreeding soldiers" az peculiar in
suit to Catholicism, asserts that tn
Pruasian militartsts have done all the
en- during the war to economiZe Prot
estAnt troops and to expose Roma
Catholic troops to the greatest casu
alt1ee.
The Swiss paper critic.zes the Ger
man pamphlet from every point c
u view as Immoral, anti-Christsan. an
- - brutal insult to the dignity {
women Ii continues:
I'VE assert that IL the German ma
ton. and all German women In pal
ttcuiar. do not repudiate with furtou
Indignation this filfhy propaganda
the part of a state which is utterl
nateriAlized and has fallen away a
IL together from every kind of Christia
civilization. they are assuming di'
grace that can never be wiped GU
We note with satisfaction that the eli
rulatton OF the pamphlet was imm'
u diateiy forbidden In Austria, althoug
Austria lie hardly a garden of lille
WI aI1d has lost far more men In this wa
than Germany has lost.
ut IL deeply regrettable that ns
lion should think of having recours
10 such methods In order to force 4
domination upon Europe--dedicatin
children yet unborn to future ma
1arre of the peoples. This theoi
0ruves better than anything else thi
Il these peoples are right who say thi
# the German people must be free
4r6m Prussian hegemony by a decisi'
defeat. and must be cut OFF from II
@ pOGsibility OF bringing yet again sue
terrible blood bath upon mankin
Painful though 1t may be, such gva,
~ alterations OF an utter Goddess do
triyse OF power. parading under a mas
pf piety, compel one to draw hard ar
unNinching conclusions: for above Il
welfare OF a nation stands. after a