Show Does Our Increasing Divorce Rate Mean Decreasing Morality I B By the theN Rev Chas C Stelzle EXT to Japan we wo grant more N NEXT divorces than any other country in the tho world We Ve ten grant one divorce for every marriages This Is twice as many divorces as asare asare asare Switzerland three times are granted in a as many as France five times a as many manyas as Germany and probably forty times as many as England And tho the number of or divorces granted In this country is rapidly Increasing increasing- more rapidly p than an anywhere bere else It is estimated that tho the number of ot divorces granted is increasing Increasing- over seven times as fast as tho the population 1 I This situation Is causing causing- great alarm among the leaders rs in sociological and religious thought They wonder what were we're drifting to toIs Is the family the family the unit of ot Boch society being broken up I Will the nation go to sm smash sh because I our homes are disintegrating What is the cause of ot this apparent l j slump In our moral morally morality p For of or course most of ot us imagine that tho the increase in the tho number of ot di divorces dl- dl vOIces must bo be duo to immorality Hut But is It I Lets Let's confess that on tho the whole di divorces divorces dl- dl I are aro bad signs But they are not i always signs of ot depravity or viciousness vicious vicious- ness or general immoral conduct Its It's worth while to note that divorce proceedings aro are a sign of ot tho greater grenter freedom and independence of t Amen 1 can women In England where there is only one ono divorce for tor every marriages marriages marriages mar mar- women are oro almost helpless in inthe Inthe inthe the taco face of or the legal power of ot their husbands husban s. s It is extremely difficult for tor an on English English Eng Eng- lish Ush woman to get a divorce no matter matter mattor mat mat- ter tor how outrageously her husband may treat her Tho The lower divorce rate rato In England is not duo to the superior morality of or Us Us' people Furthermore in this country di divorces divorces divorces di- di are most frequently granted to people living in states which are predomInantly predominantly predominantly pre pre- dominantly American In the main maIn this is duo due to the fact tact that tho the AmerIcans Americana are high strung or temperamental in their makeup It Is Isa isa a D. curious situation that as people become be become become be- be come more sensitive to the finer things s sIn in life Ute the tho dangers daners of or p increase The They find it Jt harder to got I along with one another This does doe not mean that either cither person erson Is necessarily necessarily- p have absolutely ab absolutely absolutely ab- ab immoral for tor Immorality ma may nothing to o do with the case Efforts have o been made mado to prove that more morl divorces divorce are aro granted In wot wet states than In dry or that the dry states are most guilty in this regard But there thero are so BO many factors in tho situation that it is impossible to o m make ko a D. clear case for tor either side For example example exam exam- 1 1 the divorce laws vary v ry greatly inthe In Inthe Inthe the different states and tho the real reason rca rca- son Eon on for tor the tho request for tor a a. divorce IH Is rarely given in tho the application to tho the court The entrance of ot women Into industry has undoubtedly resulted In the thein in crease creaso of or the number of r divorces grant grant- ed A woman is no longer lonser dependent upon her husband for support support she she can rh fight ht her own battles as never before Therefore when she feels herself herselt wronged by her husband she is freer to seek seok a rI separation from him This Is particularly true truo I if she ehe has had business business business busi busi- ness or professional prote experience before oho eho was WilS married It is probably true that the reason early earh marriages result In fewer divorces is because use of or tho the greater eater economic dependence of or the wife wito upon her husband Whatever may map bo be the causes of ot tho the increase of or divorce we may bo be sure that they are aro not primarily due to increased in increased increased in- in creased immorality Whatever Im Immorality immorality Immorality Im- Im morality thoro there may be has hM probably always existed existed lt It was wa simply out of at sight or it took on another form torm |