The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-08

'Hcfing TO take into conxlEera-
tios the hagem "a a factor In
- IN he course OF events In the
orish', Until now the seragiIo has been
20 70 speak. sealed book to the Christian
powsEs OK the civilized west Ia the nortn
% africa and throughout Asia where the
Haish system IL IN vogue, Irrespective OF
ssllHaous belief, since tire Buddhist king
=. s'an,' TIE Confuctan emperor OF China.
ne snfnfolst fnikado or Japan ana the
pf~AinsA raJaos 81 India all maintain
great ssFashos In the same way as the
suitans of Turkey and OF Morocco the
AhsotFe CT Egypt. and the shah of Persia.
no male save the sovereign + permitted
20 cross tbs threshold IF a mans zenana.
.fle latter Is closed even To the judicial au-
01ofihss ana 10 the police. Murder and
IfiH's OF every epnee, yabis character can
&c perpetrated with IMMUNITY behind It's
uoofs. 10 sum an extent. indeed, ~ the
aarem secure from the visitation OF ary
save liz owner. that, although the author
it1es OF British India have all along been
aware That large numbers Of those many
hundreds OF young English women and
ht'Ie girls who disappeared during the
great sepoy mui.ny Of 1857 were and are
s'ii' detained sc inmates OF the zenanas OF
saJahs, native dignataries and rich ulsr-
chants of India. they have never dared 10
institute any search for these captives or
10 deliver them from the bondage In which
strates better than anything else the de-
gree 10 which the haremE OF the Orient
save remained impenetrabse mysteries 10
Europeans.
Under the circumstances IL Is not sur
prsssng that much ignorance should prevail
n the Orient concerning the true charac-
ter OF the women of the Orient and, mas
much as the sole knowledge of their indl-
Vidualfiy and OF their intellectual capacity
4 derived from the stories OF women tour
lists. usually frivolous and only able to con-
verse with the inmates OF the bar
through Interpreters. and from the rare
and derogatory remarks OF tfe male ma
'ives who affect a profound contempt for
the fair sex. it has been taken for granteu
In this country, and likewise in Europe.
that the mental caliber Of the inmates Of
the serag!sos Is exceedingly low and even
degraded. An Oriental will never refer In
polite society to his harem. and ii is re-
garded as breach Of etiquette TO question
him about the latter or even 10 inquire az
ter the health or its inmates while the gen.
erai tenor OF his utterances concerning the
weaker sex Is entirely In keeping with that
Oriental legend according 70 which the Al
mighty created woman not from rib OF
Adam. but Of the tai Of cur.
q .
According to this story. which In slight
~ different form is current throughout
Asia and the greater part OF Africa. Allah,
while sewing M the side Of Adam, after
removing the rib which was 20 serve as the
BAGS for the construction OF Eve, had laid
i. down by his side on the grass. A hungry
yellow dog happened along and catching
sight Of the rib. seized Il and hoited. Allah
started In hot pursuit and would have re-
covered the bone had MOI the tail OF the
dog given way. and remained In his hand
Just as he managed 10 clutch hold OF II.
n frTG which
cur thus obtained. il was able 10 escape and
To swallow the rib before being once moro
caught. Unwilling 10 deprive Adam OF an
other bone. Allah resolved to use the dogs
tail in lieu OF the rib for the construction
of Eve and 1t Is alleged that Il Is precisely
because there is much of the caudal
appendage Of the dog in the composition Of
woman that IL IS just as impossible for her
TO remain quiet for any length OF time as
II is to keep dogs tail from wagging.
Yet no greater mistake can possibly he
made than to set down the inmates 81 the
harems CT the Orient "a wins. the French
are won, 20 term i negligible quantity"
Women are the same all the world over.
and they exercise quite as much influence
in the East they do IN this country. In
deed. their influence ia probably greater.
Fer, whereas In Europe and especially IN
America pretty faces and coTneiy figures
Gnsotfls and distract n mans attention at
every step in the Orient his infatuation is
restricted 10 the inmates OF his own harein.
who have nothing 70 fear from the wiles or
charms Of their friends or acquaintauces.
In fact no Is asnenahle 10 no influence save
their ewu. and. lnasn1uch as their main
object In life Is 10 win hls affection, and To
devise means for the retention Of HIS
obedience 10 heir every caprice ana fancy.
an ain which they generally manage 70
attain Il naturally follows that the haTen
Is A far more important factor IN the course
Of events IN Asia and IN Africa than the
people O, the West have been willing to
believe.
II Is with the object Of awaiting them
selves % this harem Influence for political
purposes that the Russian government has
fusf organized at 81. Petersburg a special
sehssor fer the training OF female students
for secret Diplomatic service IN TIRE ssrag-
Tics OF the Orient, and il Is probable that
other foreign nations having interests n
Asia and IN tire north % Africa Will very
shortly f0iiaw SUIT, Indeed. they WI have
10 alternative but 70 do 80. Fer. rsale DIP
lofnat< being forced 10 remain outside tae
gates - The haresu. Rgtssa's female agents
wilt have automatically speaking An al
together free aAni and ar onhlnaeres
course within the saraglio. untl trey are
called uran - cope with political rivals et
thsir avn sex who enjoy Tie same means
students or this new government scaeol ~
So PsterNurw are icing Instructed n0t only
in tse Turkish Chinese, SsaFlsess, Persian
ara t&PaBeSe languages. hn; HNswssS n
Tbs various ~ Kiyc3s sfoks1 IN India ~HisA
naturally leads - she inference ssAf IN
beginning thls 0>veI department. The Rus
Stars have in y.sw political Intrigue are
fFaeaEaaas 81 IRE great Oriental empire
~ Queen Nicfcx5&. oy means ~ sHe haFesa.
Emperor William Seo. h&S become alive .
the possibilities - 5a& species q dspIo-
malta negotiations. ssrsce tksr@ - every Fe@-
san % believe shsf hls sslaSAseA 90 sas Sas-
tss-t NAV. Princess Nsnry - PRUSSIA -
era CHINA seas = Tas - sEl9eA fer sac par
,s<ss cf Spreading Christmas w4tA her A'as-
Ns~e a, HonEKong IS WIta the oa(aCz %
making thF acquaintance AMI securing Tex
Germany tAe good wNi q tAe eEnpEtSsSs
90 cara ard - Jaraa-
These tyso xspsg ladies C re Orient car-
ssfrute hy 80 msaas lsc1s,eSa instances -
Nen.en uiav.nE Predominant ro3e a;
AxAtc ceasrf& Tstsz tAs sr|ssat cu@*H ~
ys4Ys-s & - qzskNN