Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-10
DIVORCE INCREASES BLAMED
ONLAXITY OF PUBLIC MIND
Judge Shoemaker and Doctor Toins Hold Modern Writers
Cro,Uing Independence Of Women and Var Ro.
Among Contributing Causes

| visions and general procedure of get
ting divorces here.
There is one peculiar phase of the
whole situation that greatly aggravates
the evil and results in many anomalous
situations That is the variation in the
divorce laws of the different states.
From Pennsylvania and Nevada, with
their free laws, to South Carolina,
which has none, there is every variety
Of law. The result is that a couple
divorced here. for instance, in the event
bigamists in another state. That situa-
tion has come up several times in our
own courts,
N''What is really needed more than
anything else is an amendment to the
United States constitution. creating a
uniform divorce lew. The great diff
ficulty is to preserve the balance be-
tween too lax laws, which make di-
vorce easy and too iron clad law,
which might lead to something worse.
Many divorce cases, of course,
spring from hasty marriages. Most of
the cases which come before the courts
involve couples who have been mar
ried but short time. The war in par
ticular showed this. A wave of emo
tionalism and hysteria swept over many
of our young women at that time. The
sight of the uniform, gold braid, and the
like, the excitement of the times, the
roll Of drums, martial music, the gen.
eral tidal wave Of sentimentalism that
prevailed upset the equilibrium of many.
The result was that many girls mar
ried almost perfect strangers.
Reaction Came With Armistice
''Then came the reaction with the ar
mistice. The soldier husband re-
turned. doffed his uniform for civilian
clothes and with it doffed many of the
ways which won his wife's heart. Then
many couples discovered that they were
mismated. Result, rush to the di-
vorce courts, to remedy the evil.
''There is also general relaxation
little of the old time respect OF one sex
for the other and a more free and easy
spirit. Almost everything is all right in
the minds of the public, so long as you
don't get caught at it. The remedy is
hard to find/ It's difficult problem.
1.-THE divorce evil is one of the most
serious conditions now existing in this
country" said the Rev. Floyd Tom
kins.
Doctor Tomkins, as rector of Holy
Trinity Church, is not only an IN
fuential member of the Episcopal
clergy. but he is member of the execu-
tive committee of the Society to Pre-
serve the Sanctity of Marriage, a ma
tional organization recently formed
within the Episcopal church to combat
divorce.
"It is the purpose of the society ana,
in fact, of the church in every way
to carry on the light with the ultimate
purpose of securing suitable legislation
by an amendment to the United States
constitution covering the question of
divorce and gemarriage," said Doctor
Tomkins.
"Divorce. strikes directly at the home
and the home is after all the heart and
the life of the nation. Then again,
marriage is not a civil union, but a
spiritual one. Does not the ceremony
say What God has Joined together,
let no man put asupder'?
"a striking commentary on what
this means is revealed in the conversus
ton of two little boys of the exclusive
set at Newport. t- ..'
SDid you see my new papa?" said
one.
"Huh," said the other, chats
nothing. He was my papa not long
ago."
u. s. Next TO Japan In Divorces
Statistics which took the. trouble
to investigate several years ago showed
that this country stood next only 70
Japan In the number of divorces sought
and granted. And this country Is
counted the shining example of a
Christian and enlightened country and
Japan was, until a few years ago, a
heather nation.
Zone of the most alarming phases
of the situation lies in the fact that
the great number of people seeking and
advocating divorce are from the more
enlightened class.
'The people who contribute to our
literature, who should know better, TO
some extent our playwrights, but most
Of all our moving picture producers
sxs rcspcnsihle fes tho general laxiE