Evening star., 1934-12-30

altar consists of table supporting a registra-
ton book and controlled by very business
like woman official. She asks the bride and
groom if they are in good health. From their
passports, ages and names are recorded The
bride states whether she takes her husbands
name keeps her own. The groom pays 1
ruble-3 cents-if he is a factory worker;
rubles if he is a factory director. They sign
the registry and are pushed out to make way
for the next couple. The ceremony takes
about 60 seconds
In the adjoining room is the divorce court.
The dissa woman or man likewise waits
in line to report to the officer behind the book.
The applicant merely says: Il want divorce
from my husband Ivan Ivanof"
Are there children?" is the only question
asked. If not, the bureau sends Ivan Ivanotf
penny post card, saying:
Dear Ivan: You and your wife are divorced.
Regards.-The Government"
If there are children the bureau must know
what arrangements have been made for their
welfare before the post card is sent off.
THE day I went to visit the marriage and
= divorce bureau was so taken by the cas-
ualness of the Soviet system that decided to
get married and divorced myself just to ex-
pertinent with new sensation. There were
several rather pretty girls lined up in the en-
trance hall, but they were all determined to
marry their escorts. The only bride available
at the moment was my lady Interpreter, who
had escorted me from the hotel. I'd never
seen her until 10 minutes before and still didn't
know her name. She wasn't at all my type,
weighing about 200, but found no one else
about, so proposed. She accepted me. We took
our places in line. The other betrothed couples
snickered at my overly buxom bride. But I
tried to appear absorbed and not notice them.
Our turn came We showed Our passports.
For the first time learned that my new vife's
name was Leda.
Leda said she'd keep her own name and not
take mine as she didn't expect our marriage
to last very long.
1t lasted just 1 minute and 10 seconds
Leda and walked into the next room. Leda
said, II want divorce from my husband"
Have you any children?"
mol"
"Sign here!"
We signed
Now you're divorced" said the Official.
What" 1 exclaimed. Don't I even get .
post card?"
IF you insist"
I gave the bureau my address and next day
got post card saying my marriage was kaput.
But back to Mrs Lenin.
I asked her more questions about women
VINO, unlike Leda, stay married One point i'm
pressed me: Soviet wives, just because they are
married to husbands holding important posi-
tions in no way benefit from it. They are
accorded honor only when they themselves have
served the Workers party and achieved prom.
Inence as an active Communist. Social stand
ards and classes for women, we know them,
nave been exterminated. There is no such thing
as official entertainments where social rank
might intrude. And if there were, only worker
wives would be invited
Mrs. Lenin is a heroic figure in Russian, not
because she was married to Vladimir Lenin,
he patron saint Of Bolshevism, but because
ihe herself aseCitizen Krupskaya has achieved
heroic things. Otherwise she would live in
complete obscurity.
Stains first wife died at the outset of The