The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-25
NEW
DIVORCE
laws
Women Favor Senator Cap
per's Proposal Soon to Be
Submitted TO Congress.
BY GEORGE FRANKLIN.
National divorce and marriap,

National divorce and marriage
laws, as proposed by Senator
Capper and endorsed by the
General Federation Of Women'f
Clubs, meets the approval OF
women in Washington generally
Senator Capper's amendment
to the Constitution, which will be
introduced in the Senate and
House within the next few days,
proposes that Congress be en-
powered to formulate national
divorce and marriage laws to
supplant some forty-eight va
rieties of laws now in force.
The amendment will require q
three-fourths affirmative vote of
the States to become effective.
Mrs. Minar's Views. ,s4~
Among Washington's business
women who have expressed an
opinion on the Capper divorce and
marriage amendment providing Tor
uniform laws covering marriage
and divorce ~ Mrs. RUBY Lee
Minar, president Of the SOroptimist
Club. When seen today she said;
1.-The tendency in all legislation,
believe, liz toward uniformity,
and 1t has many times been mat
ter of surprise. to me that in mar
rage and divorce, which presuma-
bly, involve the most important OF
contractual relations, there exists
such divergence Of laws In the
States Of the union.
without attempting to say the
laws affecting marriage and divorce
should be made easier or more rigid,
I think 1t is only common sense
to say that they should not be
easier in one State than In another.
It Is largely heterogeneous mar
riage and divorce laws which are
for our various Renos
and Gretna Greens.
"It, is still vivid in our minds
the expose made by The Washing
ton Times of the Little Reno
which has existed for many years
in Alexandria, right at hand to the
Nations Capital. / assume that
two things were responsible for this
condition in which a
husband or wife seeking a divorce
could obtain one with only the
most perfunctory Of formalities and
at times even without the knowi-
edge of his or her marital partner.
The prime reason was the fact that
the divorce laws were easier than
in a contiguous locality. Another
reason, as 1t appeared from the
expose, was the activity OF certain
lawyers and others in encouraging
and facilitating divorce proceedings.
Grounds Should Be Same.
Grounds for divorce should be
the same in every State. If 1t is
the Judgment of the majority of
our people that the divorce laws
should be less rigid, very well.
II it is decided that they should
be more strict, very well. The point
is that they should be absolutely
Uniform.
"It is the same in marriage. If
we are to have more restrictions to
marriage and q closer scrutiny of
the antecedents of the contracting
parties, then these restrictions
should obtain uniformly throughout
the United States. If we are to
have fewer bars and impediments,
then the bars should be let down
everywhere.
"It is a most absurd, illogical and
unfair situation for couple to be
Oermitted marriage in one State
and then to find on. going into an
other State that there their marriage
is not recognized as legal and that
they are, in the eyes of the law.
most disreputable characters.
Child Should BE Guarded.
1.-The childs interest in divorce
should be carefully
and there should be
no conflicting laws to jeopardize
the future child. / am heartily in
favor of the proposal by Senator
Capper looking toward the unifica-
tion of our marriage and divorce
laws. It Is something that should
have come years ago"
The proposed amendment is the
Joint work of Mrs. Edward Frank
lin White, Deputy Attorney Gen
eral of Indiana. and chairman of
the Department of Legislation of
the General Federation Of Women's
Clubs, and Senator Capper. 1t
provides:
"That the following article is
as an amendment to the
Of the United States.
which shall be valid, to all intents
and purposes, as part of the
when ratified by the
of three-fourths Of the
several states:
"The Congress shall have power
to make laws which shall be uni.