Women;s News & Views

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29776, 20 March 1962, Page 2

Women;s News & Views

Marriage Partners Are Chosen By Punch Cards

[Reuter Copyright]

PARIS.

Marriages with a psychological basis are the best safeguard against the ever-increasing divorce rate in the world today, according to an experienced French psychologist. To prove this theory, he and some associates set up the Marriage Advice Institute 10 years ago.

The institute is staffed by fully-qualified psychologists and graphologists. After filling in an application form, would-be husbands and wives are given expert psychological. graphological and psychomorphological analyses—and then paired up with people who perfectly complement their personality.

"Our aim is to use an essentially technical system to ensure security and guarantees which have never been available in a marriage.” the director of the institute, Mr Louis Jentel. said. “It is the modern industrial and technical revolution which has completely ruptured the calm of married life and led to the present high divorce rate. In France, the divorce rate is highest in areas where the traffic is densest, and there are three times as many divorces in towns as in agricultural areas.” Stressing that in less industrialised nations, such as Spain, the divorce rate is far lower than in advanced countries like America or Scandinavia, he added: “We think our methods have reduced divorce risks from 15 per cent to 3 or 4 per cent. In the 10 years of our existence, we have seen hundreds of couples married and only four have later been divorced However the dangerous years in a marriage are between the seventh and the fifteenth, so we must wait a little longer for a fair picture.” Application Form

The confidential application form sent to everyone includes such questions as “what are your principal reasons for living.” “what was the most moving moment in your life.” and “what are the principal qualities and faults of your best friend,” as well as more orthodox questions about favourite pastimes, and books, music and holidays preferred These replies are then analysed, and a punchholed index card made out. When fed into an electronic machine this immediately gives the type of person which exactly complements that personality.

A typical “perfect harmony” description card, on pink paper for a girl, described Micheline as a non-religious, brown-haired Parisienne, with details of her occupation and salary, education, favourite pastimes and authors, and tier character as ‘‘accurately intelligent, serious, orderly, sensitive, economic, punctual and discreet, with a gentle, sweet nature.” Micheline will receive blue cards with personality outlines of men who complement her sensitivity with understanding, appreciate her neatness and fidelity, and would like to meet a petite. 21-year-old French girl with grey-blue eyes and a good position as a secretary. Her card will be sent to them. Each will then choose whom they want to meet from the selection of cards received, and make a date. Mr Jentel said: “They are both completely free all the time. They may decide to contact no-one and return the cards. Tliey may meet one person and then do nothing about it for a month. We continue to send them ‘perfect harmony’ description cards until they get married.” Typical Letter Most applicants do get married, and a typical letter from a former client read: “I am happy to be able to announce mv engagement to M.C. . . . (No. 181.536 B). He was the first to send me his card, which showed numerous interests in common with mine, and that our tastes were in perfect harmony. We have discovered profound affinity and are certainly made for each other. We owe our happiness to you and we thank vou wholeheartedly for it. Mlle. L.P. . . . (Paris), No. 241.500 A.” One gentleman, however, has been on the cards for two years and a half, and is stall receiving would-be complements to his personality. Cost of Service The advantages of this kind of marriage advice, however, do demand greater financial expenditure than the

usual haphazard methods of meeting a marriage partner.

For formula A. the complete service costs about £2O. Formula B costs about £l5 with an additional £6 15s at marriage. Formula C offers deferred payment terms, and for about £3O a special speeded formula is offered for “businessmen and women, doctors, lawyers, air hostesses, journalists and travellers” who have Little time to spare. “We had an Englishman who wanted to marry a French girl.” said Mr Jentel. “As he could only spend two months in France, he naturally wanted to be fixed up as quickly as possible. Yes, he did get married and is now very happy.” Mr Jentel himself met his wife in a tourist coach on holiday. But that was before the institute was founded. “There is always a 50-50 chance that unpsychological marriages work out,” he said, but added that he and his wife complemented each other perfectly. A hundred years ago marriages were arranged by wellmeaning parents. Yesterday, young people made a haphazard choice by themselves. Today, science provides a futuristic romance of psychology, leading to love and marriage.