Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-12-02
BY HELENE MIRoPoLsKY,

by I1EIIEINH MlIlOI OL4OI1
Paris, Dec. al know that
there are very serious people to
whom even the word divorce" is
shocking. They will pardon me
for speaking of it. But the di-
yorce is social fact; we cannot
deny it; consequently the best
thing is to make the best of 1t.
1t is right to deplore the fact
that the increase in the number
OF divorces has reached an alarm
ing stage. In France, for exam
ample, there were 10000 judg-
ments for divorce pronounced, in
the last year alone. That is an
impressive figure. If we remem-
ber that the average number of
marriages in France is 100000
per year we learn that at least
Z per cent of these marriages end
unhappily.
There is denying the fact that
an event of such far-reaching
consequences as the great war
has multiplied the number Of
domestic dramas A separation
of more than four years cannot
occur without grave results. In
the great majority of cases it has
only served to cement the bonds
of affection, but there were many
disappointments, many cruel sur
prises.
Sudden Changes Hurt
Independent OF all the moral
causes which had their influence
upon the conduct of men and wo-
men, the changes in the economic
life could not fail to have their
repercussion on family life. One
does not pass easily from luxury
to poverty, nor from poverty to
luxury. For the newly poor, as
well as for the newly rich, it
required a certain dose of wisdom
to adapt themselves to another
mode of existence.
Therefore, it would be arbitrary
to give too much Importance to
divorce figures of the years i'm
mediately following the war.
Their exceptional character re-
yeals itself, for instance, in the
fact that the number of requests
for divorce introduced by hus-
bands was double the number
made by women, while In ordiI-
ary years exactly the reverse was
true.
But even taking the effect of
the war into consideration it is
nevertheless true that the div
cree rate is rapidly increasing in
. disquieting fashion. Some
| people say: 1--WE must revise the
laws. We are drifting toward
that casy-going fashion prevalent
In certain parts Of the United
! States where lawyers assure their
clients divorces at ultra-rarid
speed. "
The Social Angle
Certainly 1t is the duty of the
legislators to strengthen the mar
| riage tie and not to weaken 1t.
But, contrary to what most
people seem to believe, it is not
the limitation of the causes for
divorce that is the remedy. The
French courts, at least, have
never granted a divorce when
they believed there was possible
chance for reconciliation. Fur
thermore, 1t would be arbitrary
to compel two people to continue
common existence when that
had become impossible.
For these who study the ques-
tion apart from all religious OPT
nins, without political passion
and without mental reservations,
divorce is necessary evil. 1t is
a remedy for certain tragic situa-
tios where the prolongation of
the married state would be in
tolerable. And most often the
interests of the two parties to the
marriage coincide with those of
their children-daily witnesses to
painful encounters.
1t is not in limiting the num-
ber of divorces but in improving
the marriage laws that our legis-
lators will respond to the wishes
of those who are alarmed at this
starting increase. In almost un-