Evening star., 1948-05-06
Family Life
Continued From First Page.)


this year in view Of problems facing
the world.
Along this line, I hope nothing
happens to interfere with our BIZ
partisan foreign policy" he declared
adding
We're on the road to peace even
if the road looks rough and rocky
We're going to make the United
Nations work for peace. Unless we
have peace, we have nothing"
Outlines Principal Task.
In discussing comments Mr.. Tru-
man said he has heard about the
great powers the job of President
entails, he said he could boil down
his duties this way:
My principal job is to bring
people in and try to persuade them
to do things they ought to do with
out persuasion"
The President lauded purposes OF
the Family Life Conference and
reminded delegates that the fam
lily is the fundamental unit on
which all governments are formed
Welfare and security of families is
vital to every government in the
world
Mr.. Truman asked the confer
ence to attack its problems in the
same way our forefathers faced
theirs in founding this Nation.
Divorce Law Revision Urged.
Earlier, bold, new plan to junk
the present divorce court system
and substitute a legal setup with
greatly increased powers was pro-
posed to the conference by Judge
Paul w. Alexander of the Domes-
tic Relations and Juvenile Courts
of Toledo.
Judge Alexander served blunt
notice that the usually "conserva-
tive" bar association and a group
of other law leaders he represents
at the meeting are anything but
conservative" in their recommends
tions.
Among proposals for conference
study, as outlined by the jurist, are
Consideration OF legislation to
prohibit elopements, because be-
tween 30 and 40 per cent of divorces
follow such migratory marriages. -
Consideration of moves toward
compulsory education" courses be-
fore marriage licenses are issued.
Consideration of the English plan
prohibiting divorce actions within
the first three years of marriage.
Consideration of legislation to for
bid divorce filings without the leave
OF the proposed new legal setup.
"New Divorce Court" STAFF.
The new divorce court" Judge
Alexander said, would be stated
with psychiatrists, psychologists,
marriage counselors and family
case workers.
AS envisioned by the bar associa-
ton, the jurist said, the court would
act only after investigation, looking
to prevention through reconcilia-
ton where Indicated" Judge Alex
ander said statistics show that the
last 5000 divorce cases before one
judge show the parties had been
separated on an average of longer
than two years before coming to
courtastA* il
{ AS tt now stands ,"the divorce
frial is merely the autopsy or post
mortem," he declared, and the .di-
vorce decree the burial certificate. ="
Jurisdiction of the proposed courts
should extend over "all justifiable
family matters. from juvenile de-
linquency to divorces Judge Alex
ander said. 1T would handle the
embattled spouses much as juvenile
delinquents are handled"
Nine Other Reports Slated.
Reports on nine other phases oi
family welfare form the crux Of dis
cussions slated during the next three
days. To carry them out, delegat tes
have divided into 20 groups.
Chairman Eric Johnston, presi-
dent of the Motion Picture Associa-
ton of America, opened the confer
ence with keynote address last
night He warned that a crisis
exists in American family life. but
that 1t is useless to try to pin down
general cause or a general cure,
In another address, Evan Clague.
commissioner of labor statistics.
presented voluminous report on
statistical trends of population, mar
rage and factors that affect family
life.
DR.. Lawrence K. Frank, execu-
tive secretary of the Central Com
mission of the International Con-
greSs on Mental Health, warned the
delegates that "our purpose is not
to solve these problems, but to re-
state them clearly in the light of
new knowledge and experience.