Evening journal., 1897-07-10
WHERE WOMEN ARE SCARCE.
six Men There Are TO One Woman I'm
Fnr-Axny Algeria.

Within the past 90 years the nations
OF Europe have seized vast parts of the
carth's surface. chiefly in Africa and
Asia, but including alsomany islands Of
the Pacific. The total area that has thus
come under European flags is nearly
as large as North and South America
together Some of these regions have
been found to be well adapted FOR white
settlement, and e1nigrants have been
encouraged TO 60 70 them. The Eu-
ropeans call these far-off lands their
colonies, and they are very anxious TO
make them self-supporting and develop
them into markets for home manufac-
lures.
There is a question which is attract
ing more and more attention, and that
is the scarcity Of white women in these
colonies. In the French colonies, for
instance, even where the conditions are
most favorable for colonization, as i'm
Algeria, there are from four to six
French men for every French woman.
For the most part, there is no family
life, and dissipation is more general
than would be the case IL there were
more homes and more of the social life
that is possible only when the sexes are
in nearly equal numbers. NJ. Challey-
Bert, who recently wrote in the Paris
Debates about the paucity OF white
women i'm the French colonies, said that
the young men there were like the roar
ing lion. who "goeth about seeking
whom he may devour."
1t is not easy to solve the problem in
the French colonies, for the young wom-
en- OF France are not at all eager TO
cxpatriate themselves, even 20 find good
husbands and comfortable homes.
There are hundreds of colonists who
would like TO get married A colonist
in Algeria has recently been telling his
experience. He says that for three
years he sought, in his own social circle
in France, for young woman who
would share his fortunes in the colony.
At the end Of that time his perseverance
was rewarded and he is now married.
The fact is, however, that he did not
find a wife among the young women
with whom he had been accustomed to
associate. They liked the colonist, but
the colony terrified them. His wife is
worthy woman, the daughter of a
farm laborer, and she is making him a
good helpmeet in his colonial home.
British and Dutch colonists do not
find it so difficult TO induce the fair sex
of the old homes TO share their lot In
newer parts OF the world. and when
they have found il really difficult to get
wives from the mother country, many
of the Dutch in the East Indies have not
disdained to be joined in lawful wedlocl
with the daughters of the natives.
Many white men are now living In
tropical regions, like equatorial Africa
where they have really no right TO asl
a white woman TO share their dangers
and hardships. Few women from th'
north temperate zones are able to sur
viye one or two child-bearing expert
cnces in tropical Africa. Some white
men who live there have expressed th'
opinion nthatitislittles short of a crime e
bring a white woman of their own rac
TO those regions. The late DR.. Wolf, tn
German explorer, said that any whit
man there who wanted a wife shoull
marry one Of the natives of the country
Some of the Europeans in Africa hav
followed his advice. and among then
DR.. Grenfell, the explorer and mission
ary, who married a negro girl who ha'
been educated at a mission station Of
the west coast.
Two months ago the Canadian news
papers contained an advertisement
from a mining camp in British Colum
bia in which II was announced that tn
camp was wholly destitute of women
that neither gambling nor the sale o
intoxicating liquors was permitted il
the settlement, that the miners were In
dustrious, had saved money, and nov
they wanted wives and homes; an'
young women of the Dominion were in
vited to enter into correspondence wit
a committee as preliminary to possibl
immigration to the camp and marriag
with the bachelors thereof.
Even to-day, in large parts Of Canada
Australia and Cape Colony, there ar
: not women enough to supply the dc
] mand for wives. But when the societie
that promote the emigration of wome
10 the colonies send out a party the las
thing in their minds apparently is tn
! Detter cnunce tncse women VIII nave u
get husbands. They simply send won
r en- who lack work to colonies that lac
Z women. Their character and fitness 70
! emigration must be approved, and the
they are sent out on the long journey i
charge of matrons, who see to thei
comfort and are responsible for thei
safety until situations that win yiel
them living are found for them. Tn
/ United British Women's Emigrant as
sociation, the largest of all these sc
r cieties, would refuse 10 assist any won
E an to emigrate if she should openl
D avow that she was seeking a husban
rather than opportunities for work.
n. Y. Sun.
Europeans as Travellers.
The frequency with which the va!
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