The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-08-24
MARRIAGE LAWS BLAMED BY
JUDGE IN DIVORCE STUDY
Real Hope of World In Sensible Presentation
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Winona Lake, Ind.-Divorces are
granted in America at the rate Of
one every four minutes throughout
the year, and are more numerous here
annually in proportion to total pop
ulation than in any other country
which records marriage statistics.
The annual total Of DEGREES for the
forty-eight states is in the neighbor-
hood of 100000 and is increasing
three times as fast as the population.
Such are the conclusions Of Judge w.
II. Thomas of Santa Anna, Calf, for
mer associate justice of the Califor-
mia district court of appeals, drawn
from a world survey of marriage and
divorce figures in preparation for an
American campaign for national
code governing marital relations.
Judge Thomas survey included fif-
ty-four countries, and the summary
of his study, made public here,
reaches back into the domestic rela-
tions Of ancient Rome, Greece and
Babylon. In his conclusions is the
suggestion that our national life is
seriously threatened by the present
status of our family relationships.
Much of our trouble, he believes, is
chargeable to the chaotic state of
our marriage laws, and his recon-
mendation is a uniform law, applica-
bic to all American territory, based
on wisdom and experience.
"In contrast with our records, one
divorce for every nine marriages"
Judge Thomas said, "those of France
and Germany, our closest competitors,
dwindle into insignificance. We have
only one rival, Japan. Until recently
that nation has been grinding out d.
orces faster than our own. Now,
however, the United States census
bureau discloses a rapidly mounting
table Of divorce which far outstrips
the ratio Of increase in population.
Our rate Of increase in divorces be-
tween 1870 and 1917 was for the en-
tire country exactly 400 per cent"
In 1870, he said, we had twenty-eight
divorces for every 100000 of popula-
ton; in 1916 the figure was 112 for
each 100000.
In Canada in the whole year of
1918 there were fifty-nine divorces.
Seventeen states in the Union fix
no manageable age, he pointed out
in commenting on our present varied
law. In nine Of these states-Florida-
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,, Mis-
souri,, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Tennessee, and Vermont, the common
law ages Of IL for girls, and IA for
boys have been formally recognized
by the courts. In 10 states there is
no law restraining feeble-minded per-
sons from marrying, and only three
states forbid miseugenic unions, or
marriages between people Of different
races.
There are now in the United States
more than 10000 married girls under
Is years Of age. Approximately 100,-
900 girls II years or young are mar
ried.
mo logical and sound-thinking per-
son any longer denies that, in certain
circumstances, men and women who
can not live harmoniously together
should be allowed to reconstruct their
happiness" Judge Thomas declared.
mo one now argues against the ne
cessity for marriage laws which will
make it impossible for the immature
and unfit to marry and reproduce.
"Every one is satisfied that these
laws must be uniform. Hence the
time for action has come. And be-
cause men have dilly-dallied about it,
and because, too, the integrity of the
family Is woman's quest, upon the