A Social Study of the Russian German 93 
been the plaintiff in five out of the six divorce suits of inter- 
married couples. 
A fact which does not appear from the table is that in many 
of the marriages culminating in divorce, the ceremony was per- 
formed by a civil officer instead of an ecclesiastic. This includes 
all the marriages listed in the table as performed in Council Bluffs, 
Iowa, and some of those solemnized in Lincoln. There is always 
something irregular about the civil ceremony among the Russian 
Germans because church control of the institution is so grounded 
in them that resort to a civil ceremony is considered a disgrace, 
and usually denotes such in fact. In Russia, forced marriages 
are as binding as the others, but in America escape is often sought 
later through the divorce court. 
The years of marriage for the Russian German divorcees are, 
as for the American, chiefly short. Almost one half the total 
TABLE XXI. Duration oF MARRIAGE BEFORE DIVORCE AMONG THE RUSSIAN 
GERMANS, 1900-1914 
Duration of Marriage Number of Divorces | Duration of Marriage] Number of Divorces 
Less than one year......... 6 7 years 2 
EV CAN ok Nese er 8c helt le! aire ephttise aorta 9 IO years 2 
DEN CATS 4. yhix anes set wie) Sg who eres ees I 13 years I 
BR CALS vise raciia ciate ses fuchsia: 5 15 years I 
ABV CATS Ue ates ta dsrealhan ence fs I 20 years I 
G WEBING ao Bice eI eae reese 2 24 years I 
GRYV.CATSieratectancbeeiete reas (eects lays I 26 years I 
number of divorces (15) were granted to persons who had been 
married less than two years; while 22 couples out of 34 were 
married less than 5 years. 
The alleged ground for divorce among the Russian Germans is 
usually, as with divorce in general, cruelty. In 25 out of the 34 
cases, cruelty is one of the grounds given and in 14 cases it is the 
sole allegation; while non-support enters into I1 cases. As a 
matter of fact, it is impossible to tell from the alleged ground 
what was the real cause for action; for cruelty, in divorce peti- 
tions, covers a multitude of sins. In more cases than with 
Americans, however, it means physical cruelty, such as wife- 
beating. In 3 cases, adultery is an alleged ground; in 2 cases, 
219 
