The Washington times., 1919-09-28

IS American society facing n
an avalanche Of divorce
euch as IS appalling Eng
land today, ten months after
the last gun was fired in FIan.
dersi Havs American hus-
bands and wives Of wealth
and social Importance been
driven apart BY the war rather
than drawn closer together?
From the evidence presented
Nit would seem 50. IA
Slice the signing Of the arm
istice New York has Witnessed
the smash-up Of several domes
&c establishment Including III
the J. Gordon Douglasses, the
Reginald Vanderbnts and the C
Sidney Breeses. Tksn Chi
osgo vas startled BY the sep Ii
aEation Of the young Leander Il
MeCormiclzs. married less
than a year, and SO the tale Of
discord runs. In each Of these
unhappy cases the war and its
outgrOwths plays a prominent
part. War has not mace for
tranquil domestic happiness:
on the contrary, it has reused
passions and dissensions IN
the hearts and minds Of hus-
bands and wives that time re-
fuses TO heal. With almost
one accord relief is sought
through divorce rather than
through any mental or spirit
ual readtustment Is It any
wonder that society asks what
the end may be?
The latest divorce on New Yorl's
docket is Occasioning extraordinary fore
bodings and headshakings, for it concerns
the Charles E. Greeuoughs, and It was
brought by Mrs. Greenough in the State Of
New York, which necessarily explains
itself
When these young people we're married
ten years ago this was considered the hap
piest match that New York society had
witnessed for a very long time. Mrs.
Greenough was the older Of Frederick
Whitridge's two daughters, an heiress.
and already a leader in the intellectual
phHanthropic element in society.
Gresnough was a typical butterfly and
social lion, almost too handsome for a
man, with black hair, gray-blue eyes and
q smile that had made him famous in
Newport and wherever else society fore
gathered.
With fits usual shallow perceptions So
ciety decided that this union was bound
TO be perfect because the bride and groom
we're both well-bred, good looking and
popular. No one went behind the returns,
no one stopped to realize that the very
qualities that made Charles q. GFeenough
q favOTite pTotege Of Mrs. Ogden, Goelet
and other fashionable New York matrons
might not make him a satisfactory hus-
band; that is, under the complications
brought about by modern social conditions
md later by the war.
The wife who suffers from sudden acute
attacks Of domestic Unhappiness IS less to
be feared than the wife who becomes
shrOnically dissatisfied with her husband
md her marital condition. The former
usually RECEIVERS from her acute attacks;
he husband, although be may have been
"a the right, has a chance to plead for
mercy: the wife gTaciously forgives him
md they have q perfectly lovely time
making up"
The dissatisfied wife Is quite different
tory. Her condition Is usually due to
lck Of understanding between the two.
Ter husbands inclinatiOns and tastes may
Iher radically from hers and they cannot
Ieet on any common ground. Incompati-
llty Is considered, BY the th0ughtless, to
e slight grounds for divorce, whereas Il
one Of the most Weighty and serious Of
augeg. Incompatibility between husband
I'D wife invariably leads either one on
be- other 70 seek eompanionship or solaes
, some sort Ga the wrong places, and so
eds direct 20 the divorce court