The Washington times., 1937-01-18
Question Is
OF Timely
Interest
BY BEATRICE FAIRFAX
(FGmous Authority on Problems
of LoDe and MGrridge)

(FGmous Authority on Problems
OF LoUe and MarriGgeJ
What do you boys and girls,
who read this column, think
about Noami Mitchison's prop
osition that young people in
their teens should marry, and
go to school later-after they
have reared a family?
Mrs. Mitchison's belief in the
adviSability of early marriage was
published in this column week or
so ago, and it has brought in an
inundation Of letters by young
sters, their parents, pastors, school
masters and teachers who are con.
sidering youth problems seriously.
Your parents will probably call
the idea "crackpot," but Mrs.
Mitchison is considered one of the
most brilliant Of English feminists.
She's an outstanding writer and
lecturer, an archeologiSt Of note
and, what is more important,
mother of five children.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Her ideas on the subject of early
marriage are taken from personal
experience rather than from books
or theories, which too often are
handed out by learned bachelors
and SpinSters.
If you have forgotten what Mrs.
Mitchison has said about the ad-
vantages of early marriage, here's
her platform. She says, ut in
sureS physically a magnificent
race, one capable of carrying on
the best they have yet acquired
we won't go so far as to call it
civilization"
She thinks further that the
state should see to it that the pot
is kept boiling fer the adoleScent
husband and wife, and that their
roof does not leak.
The state, she claims, in it's own
interest should permit boys and
girls to marry when nature Is
calling them" This she thinks is
about II or Is for girls, and a
year or two later for boys.
She goes on to say two years Of
eduaction, after a woman has had
her children, would be equal TO
four years Of adolescent university
work. A woman would then be
able to take up, seriously, profes-
Sional or business work, begin
ming at 80 or IS years of age.
Pro and Con
Mrs. Mitchison'S ideas on the
subject of early marriage have
brought to this column many in
teresting letters, some for and
some against early marriage.
Curiously enough, women are
all for early wedlock, and the
men are against it, saying it's hard
enough to earn a living and make
go of marriage from twenty to
thirty, and for boy TO attempt
it before he is twenty is courting
positive disaster.
Here's an interesting letter from
Chicago:
Dear Miss Fairfax:
Perhaps some women will agree
with Mrs. MitchiSOn'S ideas about
early marriage; 1 don't. Seven
teen or eighteen is entirely too
young for girls to take such an
important step; and as for boys
marrying before they are legally
of age, the very thought is Inn
possible.
Marriage means responsibility,
and very young shoulders are not
strong enough to bear it. Better
offspring is to be expected when
the parents are young and strong,
but there are more factors con.
nected with marriage than that.
VITAL PROBLEM
"The most vital problem is the
assurance of money. And the
state would never grant enough
money on which a young couple
could live decentIy. Look at the
hubbub over Old-age pensions in
which the employer and the EN-
plOye both cooperate.
eff enough pressure were brought
on the state it might contribute a
small sum, but it would be posi-
lively immoral to encourage young
people to marry and then expect
the state to support them. An
other thing that Mrs. MitchisOn
has overlooked is that boys and
girls should have their playtime,
which is youth.
"If Girl and Boy Meet, have a
bad case of puppy love and marry
as the result Of it, they will dis
cover before a year is over that
they have made the mistake Of
their young lives.
against the MitchiSOn theory
Now there are two sides Of
question that is vitality important
to young folks. Which side dc
YOU agree with?
Every Monday this column Is
devoted to discussion of one OF
more of the problems and Situa
tions connected with the general
subject boy Meets Girl" and let
ters from readers dealing with
these problems are always vel
come. If personal replies are de
sired. stamped addressed envelopes
should be enclosed.