i
, ...
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. w a. a. k. A. W a.
Mrs. 'i heodore Cory, Who Writes Novels
as "Winifred Graham,n NW in This Coun
try and Ready to Think a Marriage Bureau
Might Be a Very Good Thing.
By Ethel Thurston
SOMETHING has grot to bt done about it that
is the impression one gets. If you ever read
. a heap of lonesome letters you might join in
.VI- 1 1 ' i . a . -
!'A ' yourseu. h you were tne mayor ol a
1 LM I l i . . r i
(b viijr auiu mriYcu uppeaw w una wives ior
lonesome men in far places you would begin to
understand. If you looked over New York, for
example, the town which "The Great Desire" calls
"The City of the Successfully Single,'' you would
get another slant. And if you heard that awful
phrase, repeated in all parts of the world, 'Buper."
fluous women," you might really get busy.
It is made frankly plain that curtailment of
-marriage is frowned upon by nations that lost
heavily in man power during the four years and
half of. war. AH these governments view the
"surplus woman" problem with anxiety.
Recently the little republic of Uruguay an7
notmrpH an nfFer nf ernn tn .
.w 'w priae, na
anxiousTi that country with a population of onW
bout five persons to tho square mile, to populate
ber rich and fertile lands. War worked havoc
with 4JrugwyVpopulation, . immigration be
J0'1 J?Lb during the warKhiliAer young
men left constantly; for the European battlefields.
many oi mem never to return. -Itt
f nrglng women
to bear more children, but how' can France, with
her large number of fine young marriageable sons
now dead,' expect to increase her population vrv '
considerably without either importing marriage
uic atKu vr suegcsunK inat ner women embrace
-polygamy? ----vV"" -
Problem of "SuperfluousLWoine
, Most English visitors to these shores will give
cheerful accounts of how their government Is ad-
M 1 .1 ' 1. it ...
juung inrn onu mai promem created by war's
necessities, but ask them what England Intern
to do with her two million surplus women.' and
lol their cheerfulness of manner gives way to a
blank stare, while they answer, "I really do not
know." . :, : - y , . v' ....
: This purzlinj question today Is engaging the
attention of half the world.
f Perhaps tlie aulutionrcrthis gigantic problem
may be found m thaauggosfion put forth by Mrs,-
Theodore Cory, the well known English novelist
whoTm'tes under the name of Winifred Graham.
"Miss Graham" has to ber credit 35 books of
Action;; therefore, one readily understands how
she can be an authority on questions of romance
InTmarrTage, parlTcuTarlyis Tier lwnmarriage7;
which has lasted 13 years, has been so very happy.
"I' wonder if every happily married woman
1 hasn't , the instincts of matchmaker?", asked
this beautiful and interesting young woman, who
arrived in this country recently for a short visit.
; "I have not only the instincts,'' she frankly '
admitted, "but I do believe I could qualify for an
official position of matchmaker. : I have had
V
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' A. A. A. -m
L . 4
Yes, everything is all very nice and comfortable in this girls' club in London, but think
pool with themselves, perhaps dancing with themselves in the evening!
. " get awfully lonesome in such a scene?
some success alangJhin,Jiie,.iong my friends,
forTthink :"ir.is"quite true 0t a woman who is
married and is happy longs to see her girl friends
as pleasantly established in life.' ' - "'. "
"Ghdear no, I have no ambition to become
known i as the international matchmaker, as you
suggest,' laughed Mrs. Cory. "That would be a
gigantic job,' wouldn t it now? ' v " V r .
But seriously, I do believe that an Interna
tional Marriage Bureau might become a most
useful institution. I have given this considerable
thought at times, because you see I "became very ,
much interested in the Mormon question. I
wrote a novel on it. I have no patience with
Mormonism and its tenets. I do not think plural
wives -or plural husbands make for the highest
. hnppiwiis or "for the ' best development of
humanity-
Consul as Cupid's Aid
"So, ,why - not an International' Marriag'i
Bureau, where young men and women," who have
ae means of meeting and wbo may live a world
.ap&rVmay .flnsLtheir. pejclect mote,ihrough these
means of communication? ....
, "I believe that such a plan could be worked
in connection with the consular service of the
different countries," explained Mrs, Cory. -
"People go to their consuls With- all sorts ot
requests. If their ambition is to be presented at
court they hunt up the embassy; if they are seek
' ing light on the integrity' and character of some
one with whom they wish to do businesv perhaps.
I7inircf Graham, British Novelist, Who Sees Danger in the Great
"Superfluous Woman" Problem, and Has Heard the Cry of Lonesome
Men, Thinks That Official Watchmaking Might Be Tried.
-MIL
m
LUUlii
'
k ii II 1 i'l i
--ii . . . ininmni r- -' miiiriM
r for some other reason, they look uptheonsuL
"Now, why shouldn't marriage, which' is by all
odds the most important institution, be aided
through some tuch well developed channels of
information. : ' ,
t "If such plan were' ever adopted women
should be appointed as assistant consuls and put
in charge of this work, for women are much'
more sympathetic, I think, and also they have a
keen intuition that would be most valuable in a
work of this sort
. . '."For example, a young man In your, great
western country or on the broad plains of West
ern Canada, Australia or some South American
country, finds it difficult to meet the girl he
would like to marry, and the girt who would be
inca '
willing to share the loneliness
or mine or pioneer railroad building or other de
velopment, he could write to -the country irom
which he would like to choose a wife and make
inquiries." ,l ' ' ; ' ;
"1 suppose it would be necessary for him to
'send bis photograph and swear to the statement
ot factslabout his character and responsibility. .
. Th Jflrf uld JjpaatEwjaji,rma;
times thero are young men in "one part of the'
world who would like to marry H they met the
right girl, and girls in another part equally ;
anxious to have a home of their own if the right
man chanced to ome alon. r "f. "
The whole question of matrimony is in get-
- trnflT the right pate. Now, I can think of nota-
lag more noble than in bringing two young peo-
pie together wbo are going to 'live happily ever
0"
13
When they come fmm far places to give each other
the "once over, or really to make a bargain, why
not have the thing happen in the official presence?
5
.vf
'iiii 1 11 r -y"-r "-f " to j-r -J
of girls flocking all by themselves playing
Wouldn't yon, Miss America,
"
after,'" said this young enthusiast on the fcub
ject of marriage. ""
"The Very fact that marriage bureaus have
been patronized very largely by old and young,
rich and poor, by all sorts of people, shows that
' human 'beings are just human beings. Under
government supervision such bureaus, I believe, -could
render valuable service.
h "Governments have . bureaus for giving . free
advice on animal plagues, agricultural develop.
roent, medical subjects and business prospects in
foreign countries, so why not a bureau which will
deal with the basis of all life and enterprise?".
Referring to the large number of surplus
womea in England, which is around two million,
Mrs.- Cory voiced the "opinion, though she said
she was -a high churchwoman herself, that diyorce
should he made somewhat easier in England.
Simplify Divorce Laws
"The divorce laws Tare , very hard," she said.
The person bringing the diverce complaint must
charge brutality oradultery.vPeople of good breed
ing who, because of temperament or some other
reason aim ply cannot get along together, shrink
from bringing such charges before ths public. A
person who becomes involved In such public pro
ceedings ia England ia not so highly thought of
after. 5 people go an living apart for years.
' sometimes till death claims one or the other, and
then often the one lert marries again.
"If people, cannot live happily ' together it
seema a pity to-drag. utauch an existence.
u
doesn't it T I know a titled gentleman of high
position in England who has been separated from
his wife1 for aquarterof "a century. " Now, It
these men who are living apart from their wives
could be released by the courts from their un
fortunate matrimonial position, this action would
release a number of men for ths matrimonial
market, wouldn't it?
"Why certain people marry is one of the
mysteries of life. I recall a most curious kind
of engagement which existed .during ths war.
This young girl, an acquaintance of mine, beauti
ful, a daughter of - rich and socially powerful
people, carefully reared, confided to me recently
that she had been secretly engaged toher father's
chauffeur. She said her parents do not know to
this day of their engagement She idolized this
young man, she said. . But shortly ttftcr they be
came engaged he went -to-France. After the
war he returned to England and married a work
man's daughter. When the girt learned that ,ha
had jilted her it broke ber heart. This Is an in-
"grmii-n mliorn If 44iwn -Tilling liennlA nad married
f Va mnrrinirn dbiihtlesa would have ended dia
strou:;ly.
Happiness in Clubs
"I believe the great array of unmarried womea
in England as a ruie are not particularly unhappy.
- England is a great place tot-dubs. There ara
working girls' ciuds and clubs for students. Dur
ing the war women became accustomed to living
together in barrack r in France and in training
camps in England. They derive great corafon .
nL plea" 'trora this mode oMivint and ttht
association ft pives. ..
, , "There have been, of course, heaps of mar
riages ainee tbe cioae ot the war But I believe
a man ia much fiorc dt-pondeat on a woman for
comfort and haipin.!is thana woman , ia da-
pendent on a maii. - x--
."I'hcy still ti'k of pasting bachelors In Eng.
land, '-.'t I do not think 0iis is practicable.-" If
would appear as an in'ringenie.1- on personal lib
erty. . Now, with a government marriage bureau
marriage would be optional. No man would be
forced into matrimony to escape a heavy govern
ment tax, and oung people who were earnestly
seeking a mate and a home of their own antfthe
eharm and independence and dignity that comes
to a woman or man happily married, could, I be
lieve, in thisway approach Romance, through
federal aid, without loxing self-respect" , J
Malaria Germs in Winter
MALARIA has a typical seasonal occurrence,
with little or no appearance during the wia
ter mouths. Whether 'the germ ot tela dis
ease passes the winter in the bodies of humaa
beings or ot mosquitoes; or both, baa been the sub
ject of much' discussion. --r-7. , , .- .
Huxnl Pun ie Ile&lth Rnllptln ttr xr n
main, reports extensive Investigations carried eat
In Mississippi from rebruary to June, when a
Search0T anonuheles mosquitoes disclosed Vao
eggs, larva or pupae, and led to ths conclualoa that
only the female insects hibernate. ' v
; More than .2000 insects were dissected and ex
amined and were found not to -hftrbor-jnaiarui
parasites; whereas out ot 1184 human beings ex
emined 492 were found to be carriers Ot these
germs. Hence the opinion of 'moet previous ste
dents of the subject was confirmed, vis, that maa
and not the mosquito la responsible for perpetual
ing malaria from season to season. Thus a simple
method ot ridding mosquitoes of tcalaria suggest
Itself exterminate mankind, tad malaria will raa
ish from Jj earth.
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