New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-04
THE POWER OF THE HAREM.
ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FAC
TORS IN ORIENTAL DIPLOMACY
ROW EUROPEAN POWERS INTEND TO USE THE
INFLUENCE OF THE SEHAGIIo FOR

Europe has apparently come to the conclusion
At last that it has made a big mistake in neglect
ing TO take into consideration the harem as a
factor in the course Of events in the Orient
Until now the seraslio has been. to speak. a
sealed book to the Christian Powers OF the
civilized West. In the North Of Africa and
throughout Asia. where the harem system Is
in vogue. irrespective of religious belief, since
the Buddhist King OF Siam. the Confucian En-
pcror &C China the Shintoist Mikado of Japan
and the Rrahmin Rajahs Of India all main
tam great seragiios in the same way as the
Sultans of Turkey and Of Morocco the Khedive
Of egypt and the Shah OF Persia. no male save
the sovereign is permitted to cross the threshold
of a mans zenana The latter is closed even
to the judicial authorities and to the police
Murder and crime of every conceivable charac-
ter can be porpetrated with mpunity behind
its doors. To such an extent. indeed. is the
harcm secure from the visitation OF any save
its owner that, although the authorities of
British India have all along been aware that
large numbers of those many hundreds Of
young English women and little girls who dis
appeared during the great Sepoy mutiny Of
1891 were and are still detained as inmates Of
the zenanas OF Rajahs. native dignitarcs and
rich merchants of India. they have never dared
to institute any search for these captives or to
deliver them from the bondage in which they
held This perhaps demonstrates better
than anything else the degree to which the
harems OF the Orient have remained impenetra-
bic mysteries to Europeans
Under the circumstances It Is not surprising
that much ignorance should prevail in the DC
cidcnt concerning the true character of the
women Of the Orient. and inasmuch as the sole
knowledge of their individuality and of their
int al ic he
Of women tourists. usually frivolous and only
able to converse with the inmates Of the harcms
thrc ugh interpreters. and from the rare and de-
rogatory remarks Of the male natives. who af-
feet profound contempt for the fair sex. 1t
has been taken for granted in this country and
likewise in Europe that the mental calibrc or
the inmates Of the seraglios is exceedingly low
and even degraded. An Oriental will never re-
fer in polite society to his harom. and il is re-
Earded as a breach of etiquette to question him
about the latter even to inquire after the
health OF its inmates. while the general tenor
OF his utteranCes concerning the weaker sex
is entirely in keeping with that Oriental
legend according to which the Almighty created
woman not with rib of Adam. but of the tail
OF a
According to this story which in slightly
different form is current throughout Asia and
up the side of Adam, after removing the rib
which was to serve the basis for the con-
structon Of Eve. had laid it down by His side
on the grass. A hungry yellow dog happened
along and, catching sight of the rib. seized it
and boltod. Allah started In hot pursuit. and
would have recovered the bone had not the tail
Of the dog given way. and remained in his
hand just as He managed to clutch hold Of it
Thanks to the fresh Roadway which the cur
thus obtained. it able to escape and to
Unwilling TO deprive Adam of another bone.
Allah resolved to use the dogs tail in lieu Of
the rib for the construction of Eve and it is
alleged that it is precisely because there is
much Of the caudal appcndage of the dog in
the composition Of woman that it is just i'm
possible for her to remain quiet for any length
Of time as il is to keep a dogs tail from wag
ging.
WOMANS INFLUENCE IN TIE EAST.
Yet 10 greater mistake can possibly be made
than TO set down the inmates of the harems
of the Orient as what the French wont to
term a "negligibe quantity" Women are the
same all the world over and they exercise quite
as much influence in the East they do in
this country. Indeed their influence is proba-
bly, greater For. whereas in Europe and cspc-
cially in America. pretty faces and Comey fig
urcs unscttlc and distract a mans attention at
every step, in the Orient his nfatuatiOn is
strctcd to the inmates Of his own harem who
have nothing to fear from the wiles or charms
Of their fri ,nds Ct acquaintance. In fact he is
amcnable to no influence save their own. and
inasnsuch their main object in life is to win
his affection, and 10 devise means for the re-
tcutiOn of his obedience to their every caprice