"Middle Class Institution"

Having been married himself, having traveled widely and seen much of other married folk, deep-dimpled Paul Whiteman, famed jazz maestro, last week felt justified in delivering himself of some lay observations on the holy state of matrimony. Further justification for his remarks seemed to lie in the fact that he and his spouse, Dancer Vanda Hoff, had just, after several attempts at reconciliation, obtained a divorce.

"Marriage," announced cupid-like Mr. Whiteman in Chicago, "is a middle-class institution. At any rate, it seems to work best for those of the average mode, somewhere between the hodcarrier and the banker."

Of his own case Mr. Whiteman explained: "It's hard for two people in the show business to be happily married. Any way, I found it impossible. It isn't a normal existence. It's a very intense life.

"Think of the movie actors in Hollywood. You think they have a snap until you face those big lights and microphones and cameras. I believe they get more happiness out of one or two years of marriage than an average person does in a life time."/-

Abnormal though the Whiteman case may be, it is a fact that the U. S. stands second only to Soviet Russia, with Austria a distant third, among the divorce-seeking nations. Figures for 1927 published last week by the German Government:

Country Divorces per 100,000 population

U. S. S. R 305.7

U. S. A. 163.3

Austria 89.6

Japan 79.1

Switzerland 67.5

Denmark 66.0

Germany 61.6

France 47.1

England 8.6

The race of the States to compete with Nevada in the U. S. quick-divorce market (TIME, March 9) last week continued apace, attracting new entries as it progressed.

Arkansas remained in the lead, with its new 90-day residence law (matching Nevada and effective June 12) signed by Governor Harvey Parnell.

The Idaho legislature repassed and made law a similar 90-day measure, over last fortnight's veto by Governor C. Ben Ross. It was felt, however, that Idaho's divorce-counter would feel a lack of the gambling facilities which help make life bearable in Reno. Representative Maude Largent Cosho pointed out: "Visitors would go back east and say they had to sit around and crochet. That isn't as good advertising as we're getting from spuds and Senator Borah."

South Dakota's Senate put their State in the race by voting 39 to 5 for a 90-day bill of the standard design, but after a motion to reconsider, the bill was defeated.

Nevada, meantime, moved quickly to preserve its monopoly. By unanimous vote its lower House passed a bill cutting the Nevada divorce-residence requirement from 90 days to 42. In the Senate Committee on Public Morals one group argued to delay the Senate vote until the last minute, to prevent the bill being matched by any other state; another faction urged that it be rushed through, effective May 1, to forestall an exodus of Reno's divorce colony.

P: In Cuba, where gambling facilities abound, divorce was last week made almost as easy as in Mexico. Almost unanimous votes in both houses of the national Congress modified the Cuban law as follows: "Divorces may be granted on the application of both parties, the decrees to be known as mutual consent decrees. They will be effective within 90 days from the filing of application. Both parties shall report before courts three times, 30 days apart." The divorce becomes automatically effective if, 30 days after the decree is issued, the parties do not ask to have it set aside. The bill makes it possible for non-Cubans to sue, after filing an affidavit that they have resided continuously in Cuba for one month. Litigants may not be obliged to appear personally, as all summonses and appearances may be received or made by their attorneys.

P: In Pittsburgh last week, a special committee of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. approved a resolution on marriage & divorce for adoption by the General Assembly in May. Chief new provision: a complete medical examination and certificates of health for all affianced couples.

P: In London last week, Anglican Bishop Albert Augustus David of Liverpool revealed that at last year's Lambeth Conference (TIME, July 14 & Aug. 25), numerous English Bishops had secretly agreed that "sexual relationship even in marriage must be regarded as a regrettable necessity. . . . Except where children are desired, married persons should remain celibate after marriage, as before."

/- The Associated Press last week reported that in 1930 there were 47 marriages, 37 divorces among prominent cinema folk.

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