New Britain herald., 1928-12-11
tIati DIVORCE


 UiNorca, which is derived iron, tho Latin word divorterc. meaning '1o go apart.' and may be either an occasional experiment. as in the case of the ordinary citizen. or 3 hobby, as with Mir. DeWolf Hopper. ig best described as the privilege accordcd to the losing player in the game of mairiinony of buying an other stack of chips and starting in all over again.
 The word "divorce" is perhaps the most popular in the language; and, if is by virtue of constantly re- ptatjng it 10 himself. like magic charm. that the fastidious man is enabled to hear up when first con- froutod with his "ife's relations.
 Divorce. in its earliest stages, was q crude affair Prehistoric man con durteJ his dlvorces, as he did his marriages, with q stout club. uSing tho iuterlocking grip and taking q slow hack-sWirg and keeping his cyo OF inc ball.
 In modern times divorce varies greatly according to the country in which II takes place. In England. lt lS mostly confined 10 the drama. 'f the first act of an English play lS hid either in the morning room at MaltrlverS Park or in the drawing loom of Lady Beevor's town house in GrosN euor Square. you can hr pretty sure that somebody's divorc" Is going to he the motive of it.
 l, is assumed ,p most quarters that the United states leads tGr world in thc matter of divorce. and 'it will proilab bly hc q severe bio" 10 patriots 10 learn that this is not th" ease. Even at tho risk of lnt1aminE our film stars to renewed efforts, We must state the truth-that i'll this particular branch of industry Japan makes America look like tinlil novice. In Japan there ar" o2 divorcrs per 1000 inhabitants. while in the United states there arc q mere eight per 1000. lt is but melancholy consolation that tn" next competitor in order, Switzerland, scores only three.
 This is tue sort of revelation WhiNI takes the heart out of an en- ,rg",ic and pcrscvcring people, who thought till then that they were sv- ing pretty good. The rcason- for these depressing figures lies in. the ,act that. while certain States sare doing all that can be expected of ,hy1n---wc take our bat off to Wash lNgton. here there are II stparat" and distinct grounds for diyorc"-- hers arc simply loIfinE on the job. In South Carolina. for instance. divorce, is actually not permitted. and in many States 1t cannot be oltuincd for such perfectly ade1''atS cn,l.ios as refusing 10 take the dos for a run emitting 10 bring home candy. wearing a straw hat before June 1l and parking the gum on the plano. Naturally. the Japanese, d. race which pulls together as on" iuHn in every patriotic noN"nncl'. is far ahead of q country with such divided methods.
 l;ut. even under existing condl- lions, with every obStncI" placed m the WHv of divorce, if is aStonlsh- ing that # is not more common. When We look about Us and see no" unformly rcpulSiNc our fellow hu- man beings 3rr. if seems extra ordi- nary that oulv eight out of every | nuO ot them talk" the ScnS)bl" totlrSo ot breaking nWay from each other forever. This is due. of course, | to tho cNrrns" of divorce. The Oh"r- ! head is too heavy. Tn" male 3spir- ! rant is faced Witb the prospect oi 1 having 10 part not only from his l Wlfo, which hn could endure cheer 1 fully. but from q considerable DOT I 1lon of his yearly income 3s well l Judges, as . class. display in the | matter Ot arranging Hliluouy that reckless generosity which is found i Duly in men who Jrc giving away : sonchody clse's money. Tho result 1 k that divorce. instead of being the p"Siime of tho people. has degcn"r, ItrI into q rcla Xation for the rich