AMERICA’S DIVORCE PROBLEM.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3385, 28 November 1911, Page 3

AMERICA’S DIVORCE PROBLEM.

ONE DIVORCE TO TEN MARRIAGES.

America is becoming shocked and alarmed at the terrible progress of divorce. At the present rate it will only take twenty years for every other marriage to end 1 in divorce. In 18(0 the ratio was one divorce to thirtyfour marriages. In 1907 it was <jho to twelve. In 1900, Professor AV. F. AA’illcox estimated the ratio as one to ten. No wonder that sober and thoughtful people are becoming alarmed. The effect on the children ns heartbreaking. Private nurseries, sanatoriums, and schools are often nothing more than dumping grounds for me children of divorced parents. Only recently in a New A ork court a little boy ran distracted first to his mother and then to his father, crying in ram for love and attention, while they snarled and fought over a divorce. It is useless to ask for new and stronger laws—too manv people want t-o keep me laws lax and easy. Ministers may refuse to marry divorced couples, but there is always' a Justice of the Peace who will perform the ceremony. The evil is threatening the stability of the nation. In Kansas City the statistics show a ratio of one divorce suit to every four marriage licenses issued. The State of AVasbington granted in 1910, in its most populous county, one every six marriages. Fourfifths of the divorces are my mutual consent* the suit never being contested by the ""defendant. A curious fact that the vast majority of divorces come after ten years of married life. Commissioners are studying the problem, conferences are sugested, but at present nothing is being dono —nothing apparently can be done. The Christian forces of the country look on with hopeless horror. —“Christian AYorld.”