The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-15
THE HAREM'S POWER.
ore of the Influential Factors in
Oriental DipIOmacH-HOw the Eu-
rOpean Nations Will Meet the


Problem.
Ex-Attache in Pittsburg Dispatch
Europe has apparently come to the con-
clusion al last that it has made a big mis-
take in negiecting to take into considera-
ton the harem as a factor in the course
of events in the Orient. Until now the
seragHo has been, so to speak, a sealed
book to the Christian Powers of the civil
lied West. In the North of Africa and
throughout Asa, where the harem system
is in vogue, irrespective of religious belief
since the Buddhist King of Siam, the Cen
fucian Emperor OF China, the Shintoist
Mikado of Japan and the Brahmin Rajahs
OF India all maintain great saraglios in
the same way as the Sultans of Turkey
and of Morocco, the Khedhive of Egypt,
and the Shah of Persia no male save the
sovereign is permitted 10 cross the TIRES
held of q mans Zehana The latter is
closed even to his judicial authorities and
to the police. Murder and crime of every
conceivable character can be perpetrated
with impunity behind its doors. Under the
circumstances, it is not surprising that
much Ignorance should prevail in the Occ-
women of the Orient. aud, inasmuch as
the sole knowledge of their individuality
and of their intellectual capacity is deriv-
ed from the stories OF women tourists, US
ually frivolous and only able to converse
with the inmates of the harems through
Interpreters, and from the rare and derog-
atory remarks of the male natives, who
affect a profound contempt for the fair
sex, it has been taken for granted in this
mental caliber of the inmates of the serag-
lios is exceedingly low and even degraded.
An Occidental will never refer in polite
soeietyito his hafem, and 1t is regarded
as breach of etiquette to question him
about the latter or even to inquire after
the health of its inmates
Yet no greater mistake can possibly be
made than to set down the inmates of the
harems of the Orient as what the French
are wont to term a negligible quantity"
Women are the same all the world over
and they exercise quite as much infiu-
ence in the East as they DO in this coun-
| try. Indeed, their influence is probably
| greater. For, whereas in Europe and es-
pecially in America pretty faces and come
| ly figures unsett.e and distract a mans
attention at every step, in the Orient his
! infatuation IS restricted to the inmates of
his own harem, who have nothing to fear
| AAOil we NA4tH VI CHARMS u UST IIlGnlS
| or acquaintance. In fact he Is amen
able to no influence save their own, and,
inasmuch their main object in life is
to win his affection and to devise means
for the retention of his obedience to their
every caprice and fancy, an aim which
| they generally manage to attain, il natu-
rally follows that the harem is a far more
| important factor in the course of events
in Asia and in Africa than the people of
| 10.
1t is with the object of awaiting them
selves of this harem influence for political
purposes that the Russian government has
just organized at st. Petersburg a specia,
school for the training of female students
for secret diplomatic service in the serag-
lios of the Orient, and it is probable that
other foreign nations having interests in
Asia and in the North Of Africa will very
shortly follow suit. Indeed, they VIII have
no alternative but to do so. For male
diplomats being forced to remain outside
the gates of the harem, Russia's diplo-
matte agents will have, dip.omati cally
speaking, an altogether free hand and an
unhindered course within the seragli until
they are called upon to cope with political
rivals of their own sex who enjoy the
same means of access as themselves to the
zenana. The students of this new gov
eminent school at st. Petersburg are be-
| L
Chinese Siamese, Persian and japanese
languages, hut likewise in The various dia.
lects spoken in India which naturally leads
10 the inference that in beginning this
novel department the Russians have in
view political Intrigue and propaganda u
the great Oriental empire of Queen Vic.
b toria by means of the harem. Emperor
William, too has become alive 10 the DOS
sibihues of this species of diplomatic ne
/ rOfiutiCOE cipea tbsp 10
believe that his dispatch of his sister-in.
law, Princess Henry OF Prussia. to The
China seas is not 50 much for the pur.
pose of spending Christmas with her hus
band at Hong Kong as with the object
of making the acquaintance and securing
for Germany the good will of the En-.
presses of China and Japan.
These two great ladies of the Orient con.
stitute by no means isolated instances al
C0~A0L AE