OCR Text |
Show WAR MARRIAGES AND . SERVICE. What do all these marriages mean; are they inspired by. a desire (o escape army duty? The San Francisco J Chronicle says, No, and then explains: So great and widespread is the mat- j rimonial bulge that the government at Washington seems greatly alarmed, for it is said that It proposes to make an "investigation." The implication, of course, Is that whoever marries now does so in the ' hope that he m?iy thereby cair.pc mili tary service on the ground of having a "dependent wife." We do not believe there Is the slightest slight-est foundation for such suspicion. In the first place, nil know that recent marriages will not keep any man out of the army, but one need not consider even that. Such a psychological condition as now exists is highly conducive to marriage. mar-riage. The first Instinct of young people peo-ple attached to each other and about to bo separated is to marry. It is the case in all 'wars and in all countries. Those whose memories run back to the Civil war cannot but remember the rush of young couples to marry before tho bridegroom was called away. The Instinct Is natural. It is wholesome. It is desirable. There is no more powerful Inducement, lo good conduct In the army than the thought of tho'young, trusting wife at home. I The more such marriages the better, j There should be a protest ngainst the implied slur on the patriotism of our young manhood which is carried by the statement that these marriages arc to be "investigated." If that means anything, it means that whoever marries mar-ries at this time is lo be compcled to justify lhis action before a military tribunal, the assumption being that tho marriage was for avoiding military duty, which it is up to him to disprove. It is an imputation upon the young manhood of our nation which our young men arc entitled present. |