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Show I Startling Changes .in Europe's "Balance of the Sexes" and Strangely Differing Views as to the Probable I A N English writer recently asked rather de- sparingly, "Is marriage dying on Europe's k battlefields ?" He quoted the bishop of Peterborough as saying: "One o the tragedies of the war is that the wholesale destruction of young manhood will have the effect that many I "ihousands of girls will never know thojoys of j inotherhood." I It was pointed out that between four and five ! million men had 'ween lost in war that in countries t where a larger percentage of women already cx- I isled the loss would be a particular calamity. In England, for example, the before-the-war ratio was Ij of 55 women to 45 men. The effect of the war on this proportion has been cited as 'overwhelming." In America the ratio of losses will, of course, ! not greatly affect the proportions that have exist ed. Yet America m common with all the nations ! will share in the effects of the war on notions of i love and marriage. The bishop of Peterborough says: "One grave question of the future, perhaps crease in the country was greater than in the. town. 0 . The loss of potential lives to the bolUgercnt countries bv the decrease In the numbers of children chil-dren born was. perhaps, the most important effect produced bv the war on vUal statistics. It was first felt ai the end of April. 1015. and it would continue until nine months after the termination of hostilities and demobilization was more or less completed. In England and Wales, in the three years JO 1 1-13, the decrease in the births amounted to 1.2 per cent, in numbers, as compared with 190S-10, and represented a birth rato of 6.3; in Scotland the decrease in numbers was 4.9 per cent,, and 5.G per cent, in the birih rate; in Ireland Ire-land the decrease was 1.3 per cent, in numbers, and 1.2 in the rate. In Germany, where the decrease de-crease had been much more rapid of late year3, tho decline was 5 per cent, in numbers and 9 per cent, in rate, and in Hungarv 1.1 and 3.5. From these figures It was apparent that the United King- 1 life f fllfe K!?1 Here Is the War-Work Type of Heroine Who May Be Counted Upon to Have a Definite Influence with Regard to After-the-War ' H Romance. H of the near future, Is the ideas of marriage which H will prevail. It is possible that the holy estate H will be attacked In a way we never have known; H wc may be confronted by the efforts of many pco- pie. In view of the present unprecedented situa- j IQ fact, there is universal recognition of tho 1 fact that such a world upheaval must have certain H effects, how great or small no ono can confidently H predict or, if confident prediction is ventured it H must be upon the basis of personal theory. H Meanwhile marriages, whilo they increased in H England during tho war, decreased in the Tou- H tonic countries. Sir Bernard Mallctt, president of the British Royal Statistical Society, recently de- H dared that in England tho war has resulted in, H 200,000 people being married between August, 1914, H and June, 1917, who in the ordinary course would H not have married. Tho marriage rale for 1915 was H the highest recorded 19.4; the previous maxi- H mum 17.9 was in 1853. H Marriage Figures in Europe H Alluding to the marriage statistics in bolliger- Hj ent countries, Sir Bernard says that in Hungary H the effect of the war had been that more than H 600,000 peoplo who in the ordinary course -would B have married had not dono so. In Prussia, Ba- Hs varla, Saxony. Hesse, Hamburg and Bremen, six H ttatos containing more than SO per cent, of tho H German population, tho total number of marriage H in 1913 was 434.103, and in 1914 tho number was Hl 392,053, a decrease of nearly 10 per cent, in spite H of a great number of war marriages during tho first month of the war. From figures available, H in Saxony, compared with the last year of peace, H the decrease was about 35 per cent., in Hamburg H 245 Per cent., in Bremen 37.6 per cent, and in H Berlin 21.G per cent., and he presumed that the do TC n,i , , , , dom had suffered far less than had Germany in the vitally important point. Tho United Kingdom. Sir Bernard says, has .lost by the fall hi births over 500,000 potential lives, approximately 10.000 per million of the population. Germany had lost in the fame period ,2,000,000. approximately 40.000 per million. Hungary Hun-gary had lost 1,500.000, approximately 40.000 per million. At the outbreak of war the population of the central empires was about two and a half tipies as great as that of the United Kingdom-, their losses of births had apparently been ten times as great. The Fear of Polygamy Tho mo3t startling effect of the war has been tho assumed Gorman encouragement of polygamy. Much support, Is given to tho claim that Germany lias not only tacitly but officially encouraged polygamy. The outspoken condemnation of immorality im-morality by at least one religious journal of Bcr lin makes it plain that the better chus of Germans indignantly repudiate the new theories. It is held in some quarters that a real "drivo" for polygamy is actually to be started In Europe, On tho other hand It Is plainly evident that a strong feeling exists, particularly, in England, and America, that tho highest Ideals will find fresh support as a rosult of tho war. Winifred Graham, writing in an English journal, jour-nal, says that 'Vomon arc growing more sensible and Independent overy day, though, naturally, thu subject of husbands is always enthralling to the romantic mind. Wo shall, of course, see some astonishing marriages when our men come horns broken from the battle, and to cheer their shattered shat-tered lives will be the lifelong work of many a woman who would never havo dreamed of marrying mar-rying a disabled man in pre-war days I hope we chall see interesting announcements of 'marriages arranged' between our blinded heroes and English women for whoso safety they havo sacrificed that most precious of gifts. "A splendid, young follow, blinded in a recent i bottle, said sadly to the matron of his hospital: 'I shall never marry now! She repeated the re- Result .of the Loss of Men and the Altered Attitude of the World's Women. . .... ..s, - . , ' ' " . .i.-rf InTiu-key the ''Economical Woman Has Not Yet Appeared. mark to mo with tears In her eyes, adding. 'He was one of the nicest boys I ever meL' I "We arc told that girls who have worked during dur-ing the war will never bo content to settle down to just ordinary society lifo in their parents' homes. What better work could they do than to become the help and solace of such men as these? I would suggest that special arrangements bo made for the blinded soldiers to meet girls in their own station of life, with facilities for developing de-veloping friendship. "Such a scheme would really provide great opportunities op-portunities for those whose attraction lies chiefly Xewnpspcr Voaturc ScrvTri. 131 f ' i ; , ' ! " Miss , ct Kerning Has Been Cited as Belonging to the Romantic Typo of Heroine That Had Quite Its Owr. Way Before the War-Work Girl Came Into Fashion. in an amiable disposition rather than In tho beauty which Is only skin deep. We know so well how many charming girls were 'cut out in pre-war days by their more frivolous sisters. The 'butterfly' girl knew, perhaps, just how to put on her hat. exactly what clothes to wear to set off her charms. Often a heart was won by an unworthy Intriguer ' simply because her complexion was bettor, her hair moro curly, her appearance more pleasing than thoso of the sweet-naturod. unnoticed Cinderella." Cin-derella." The Rev. Percy Sticknoy Grant Insists that "war marriages" havo not been idealized as they should be. "I nave." ho says, "heard young womci say quite frankly that if the man they cared for must go to war; if he must Like tho chanco o death on the battlefield, their own future couh1 only become endurable in caring for his child. . This frankness, this essential wisdom of matrimonial matri-monial purpose and opportunity, is one of the new and fortunate awakenings which the war ha? given us." What About the Future? Everywhere. 'I suppose, there is. among men. and perhaps also among womon. an apprehension as to how Increased "economic independence" Is going to affect love and marriage. The final re mil will he that fewer women will marry to be "supported." Whether it will actually diminish the total marriage, rato is a broad question upon which few seom willing to offer definite prophecy. War certainly will not lessen the power to love. If (his remains so it ought to happen that there will bo moro marriages for love, whatever the total of the marriage rate may turn out to bo. For one thing, men have learned to look for their horoincs outside tho circle of Uio fluffy ones. The heroines from the war front,, from the war workers at home, will havo a fascination not to bo matched among painted charmers. The sturdy r,'irl3 from- tho munition factories and shipyard engine rooms present a picture that may well con-i.und con-i.und the oxpectVrf- -' -vc?mi-f, |