The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1913. ROUMANIA UNEASY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 14, 15 January 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1913. ROUMANIA UNEASY.

I Roumania’s threat to occupy a portion of Bulgaria’s territory, although contradicted, has probably some good foundation in fact. It seems pretty clear that Roumania’s neutrality was purchased in the present conflict by a promise of territorial compensation from Bulgaria, and Roumania’s ruler, King Charles, has as great ambitions for an extension of territory as his neighbour King Ferdinand. Altogether Balkan differences offer an awkward problem for solution. Yesterday’s cables informed us that Servia and Albania had entered into conflict, and general peace prospects are by no means good. Roumania is well equipped in many ways, and lias Germany and Austria at her back. “Since King Charles has had a united people at his back, a people who trust him and are devoted to him, his work as a ruler has been comparatively easy,” wrote Miss Edith Sellers in the December ‘Fortnightly.’ “He has for years now had a free hand in all that concerns the army, with the result that Roumania has now 300,000 of the finest soldiers in Europe to work her will. In foreign affairs, too- he has had a free hand ; so free a hand, indeed, that when ho deemed it expedient to break away from the old Roumanian Francophil tradition, and enter into friendly relations with the Triple Alliance, ho had nothing more serious than cavilling to encounter.” Roumania must, accordingly, bo reckoned with in the sharing of the spoils.

DIVORCE IN AMERICA. The multiplicity of divorce laws in America and the facility with which marriages are dissolved in that re-cord-breaking land, have long constituted a national scandal. It is said that there are no less than forty-eight different divorce codes in the different States of the Union, and many of them are surprisingly lax. In Nevada, as an example, after six months’ residence, anulment of marriage can he obtained on the grounds of desertion for one year only, cruelty, drunkenness. neglect to provide for one year, or adultery, and this fully accounts for the notorious Reno divorce colony. The ratio of divorces to marriages increased from one in thirty-four in 1870, to one in twelve in 1907. During part of 15)11 there was one divorce suit in Kansas City to every four marriage licenses issued. In the face of such a state of things, it is not wonderful that there should he strong protest in England against any fur-

thcr relaxation of the law of divorce in that country. There is also evid-

ence of a growing feeling in America that the dissolution of marriage should he made less scandalously easy

than it is at present in that land of the free.