Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-01-13
AFrER.WAR SURPLUS OF WOMEN

The shortage Of men and the sur
plus of women in Europe is prob
lem that has long engaged serious at
tention and manifestly the results of
of the war will greatly increase its
difficulties. Before the organized
slaughter of the young men COM
menced it was estimated that the
surplus of women was not less than
two millions. In Germany alone there
were 845,O00 more women than men
and in France the surplus of women
amounted to $4,000. The loss of
men in both these countries has been
much greater than in England since
the war began, but England's losses
may be almost as great before the
struggle ends, and what is to be done
about it in these three leading coun-
tries of Europe?
Already the governments Of Ger
many and Austria are said to have
advised their women to supply them
selves with husbands from among
the manned and crippled who have
crawled from under the crushing war
machine, urging such a course as a
patriotic duty. But this asks of wom-
en- a greater patriotic devotion than
is demanded of men and the scheme
is not likely to be successful to any
large extent. Like many another low
ing woman, Jane Eyre devoted her.
self intellectually to her injured
Rochester, but her heart had been
previously won, and this makes all
the difference in the world. A much
more promising plan, open to bellig-
erents with colonies, is to induce a
large part Of the surplus to emigrate
after the war to distant lands, where
there is large majority of men.
This scheme has already been engi-
neered by the British government
with more or less of satisfactory re-
suit.
Fifteen years ago the government
at London was reported to be active
ly engaged in an effort to induce
some three hundred thousand Eng
Itch oirlo n on, ;uroto ~ tbo oo1or;oc
in Australia and New Zealand, there
promptly to become wives and serve
the interests of the race in way
they could never hope to do at home.
How many of the desired three hun
dred thousand were disposed to pack
their bags and undertake the adven
ture with a view to bid goodbye to
native land and maidenhood was not
indicated in the accounts. But it was
said that the male candidates fol-
matrimony in the colonies welcomed
the scheme with open arms and were
impationet for the arrival of the Eng
fish ships and the unloading of the
maiden cargoes. In Australia alone
at that time there were no less than
$1,000 more men than women. In
consequence, the colonial newspapers
enthusiastically supported the scheme
| and one Australian journal was re
ported as urgently calling upon the
unprovided maids of the motherland
to come out and marry us!'
1t is not new proposition. A
similar scheme was worked success
fully during the colonization of oul
Atlantic seaboard, and some of the
proudest Virginia families are prob
ably descended from the venturesome
English girls who were carried across
the ocean and sold at jamestown fol
so many pounds of tobacco required
by the chartered company that did
the ferrying. Of course, the transac
IiOA vas dtLC1uCu Will luc ucCcuL w
servances of civilization. Having sur
| rendered their tobacco, the planters
met the girls in the counting mead
| ow," made their selections on sigh
and sought the favor of marriage il
a becoming manner. Even greater
consideration for the conventions
would now be demanded and would
be possible. The emigrating young
woman of attractive personality coult
no doubt choose the best of half (:
dozen worthy and eligible young mel
in the distant colony.
| Germany and France have distan
dependencies, as well as England, ant
in all of them no doubt there is still
a large surplus of men. It would b,
difficult after the war, as heretofore
to bring together the surplus of WON
en- in Europe and the surplus of mel
in far colonies, but what has beel
done repeatedly can be done again
and this is at least a more promis
ing solution than the proposed mar
riages Of the halt, manned and blind