New Britain herald., 1926-06-11
By w. L. George
As Told in an Interview

MARRIAGE will always endure. In
 spite of the constant abuse heaped upon the institution; in spite of the fact that it creaks, groans and ire Quently collapses under the stress of our daily life; in spite of the ever-increasing number of diyorces, matrimony continues to be one of the most popular lotteries licensed by modern Governments. And the same thing will undoubtedly be true thousand years from now.
 This is the opinion of w. L. George, the well-known English novelist, whose keen insight into matrimonial problems and superior understanding of myste- rious femininity have created large de- mand for his books in this country.
 When recently called upon at his Eng fish country house by an American re- porter seeking his views on the future of marriage Mir. George fidgeted in his chintz-covered armchair, stroked the large, silky gray cat sprawled on the table at his elbow, glanced at a photo graph of the late Anatole France for in spiration, and then, staring into the orange and purple coals of the warm grate fire, described marriage as he saw 1t in years to come.
 There seem to be only two kinds of opinion about marriage and the future of matrimony in general. One type of inter ested party says that in a few years there will be no such thing as marriage and that the world will then be living in 8 state of free love. Some deplore this, some welcome the idea, but they are all agreed as to what will happen,
 "The second type asserts that human nature never changes. and therefore that to the end of the world marriage will go on as we know it.
 "I cannot believe that anything so ex- treme will happen. Marriage has often altered, but it has endured for thousands of years. Not so long ago the wife was bought and sold, lost control of her property and even her share in the con trol of her children. All that has gone. Likewise. divorce was once impossible or so expensive as to be beyond the reach of the poor.
 "All that has gone
 "On the other hand, me and women have always wanted to form homes. l am convinced that in prehistoric times many unions were as tender and steadfast as they can be today. Nothing of this has gone. The opening of ancient vaults has revealed. side by side. the remains of men and women, old men and old women, which means husband and wife for many wears, and no discarding the old wife for younger one. Nothing of this has gone.
 Tn other words, believe that hun dred or a thousand years from now mar riage may have altered in some detail. and vet it will be essentially the same. It may alter more, and much more quickly, if private property disappears people who take an interest in the mar riage question are given to ignoring the fact that marriage is tirst--though not last--an institution intended to settle to whom property shall go. Legal wife, legitimate child, these are terms which would hardly mean anything if there were no property. Therefore, we may he sure that marriage will become easier to contract and easier to dissolve if some form of Socialism is established. HT AM not here attacking or defending
 Social. n I am only saying that free love is much easier to conduct where there is no difference between one child and another: where all children are wards of the community. The tendency of the world being toward Socialism. in the sense that the most conservative are ready to envisage the standardization of mines. of railways. etc, it is quite likely hat in days to come tbe principal indus tries will be controlled by the state. In that case the majority of children will be cared for by the state, and marriage will be easier because it will entail lesser financial responsibilities.