Peking, Feb. 3.
The revolutionary character of] tie family law embodied in. the jrew Chinese Civil Code was stress at by Mr. Harry Jowett in an address before members of the! Rotary Club of Peking at their lureheon meeting at the Wagons-Lits Hotel.
Me said that the new law ignor-Jea the institution of ancestor-worjshiy. which waa the basis of the {traditional family system in China, Under the old system, marriage was wrested as a clan affair and the wishes of the two parties directly, Jconcernesd were aways. not consult Jed. Accouding to the new family fave any boy and girl can enter into compact of ge Dra they have attained to the ages of 18 "and 16 respectively, parental consent being not necessary.
The speaker also discussed the Jeubject of divorce. Under the old legal system divorce was most difficult to obtain for either party and ]was considered a most disgraceful thing that coald happen to a family. According to the new law Jcouplo can have a divorce at any crude heres, tors tually othe for cod tate Jjugal relations and register their separation agreement in the court for purposes of record.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.