The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-02-06
British and American Men
Sought by Maidens, Many
of Whom Are Rich.
EASY TO GET DIVORCES
After Acquiring New Ma
tionality Brides Generally
Quit Legal Mates.
LETTISH YOKE LOOSENED
German DamseIs in New Re-
public Especially Seek
Freedom at Altar.
BY CAPT. FRANCIS M.cuLLAGH.


Special Correspondence y THE NEW York
HERALD.
Copyright 1891. BY THE NEW YORK IInnALD.
RIGA, Jan. 20.---"A young Baltic Ger
man lady with large. dowry wishes to
marry a young Englishman.'
Such was the message that reached
friend of mine here, young ex-olticer
who is now engaged in business. He
made inquiries but having found that
the lady wanted the marriage to be
merely nominal, and having fiancee
awaiting him in Belfast, he took no
further steps in the matter.
British and American husbands are
certainly at premium in this part of
the world, partly because girls who
marry them lose nationality which is
only an Inconvenience and acquire one
which has more prestige and which frees
them from many restrictions. The Baltic
German or Baltdeutscher hates TO be de-
scribed as a Lett, and this not only for
reasons of sentiment and of racial pride,
but also because If he does become a
Lett. the Government, OF Livonia can
exercise much control over his move
ments-make him serve in the army and
prevent him from leaving the country.
for all these new republics interfere with
personal liberty far more than any Car
ever did.
Baltic Germans of the feminine gem
der are even more restricted in their
liberties than their brothers. 1t is not
surprising therefore, that during the
last year there have been several matri-
monial alliances between English and
American officers (military and Red
Cross on the one side and Baltic dam
sells on the other
WedIock Ends Mt Frontier.
so mu II for the Baltdcutschcr. The
desire of the Russian young lady of good
birth to get out OF Red Russia by marry
ing an outgoing EnSlishman is far more
acute because her horror of being under
the Bolshevik yoke is greater and the
restrictions on her personal liberty are
much more severe.
When ! quilted Red Russia nine
months ago all the young Englishmen
who left at the same time could have
married nice Russian girls, some OF
whom had considefa bitxfoftunes await
ing them in London or Paris banks. bu:
who, being Russian subjects. were COM
pletely at the mercy of the Soviet. Once
married to an Englishman. however,
they would have right TO leave the
country as British refugees. And II
they married according to Soviet law
the marriage would net be regarded as
binding outside. so that they could part
with their husbands once they crossed
the frontier Indeed, the arrangement
generally was that the young pair should
part in this way.
In one case, however that came under
my observation the Finnish authorities
insisted on the pair entering into the
marriage contract according to Finnish
law and also before the British Consul,
and threatened that If This were nto done
the fair lady would be bundled back
into Russia. AS the bride and BRIDE
groom were only very slightly acquaint-
ed with each other. their .dismay on re-
ceiving this ultimatum can be imagined.
but the young man recovered rapidly
from the blow on learning that his COM
panion. very pretty girl. had an in
come equivalent to $4,000 a year from
French securities, and he is still bearing
up manfully--in Paris.
. And so | had to marry the Swede,
was the nonchalant remark overheard
the other day in n Stockholm hotel. The
speaker was a young Russian lady who
was slipping tea amid II group Of distin-
Euished diplomats (among them several
Americans) and their wives. The re-
mark sounded astonishing. incredible.
but IL simply amounted 10 this--that in
order to get out of Russia as foreign
subject Miss R--ova contracted noml-
raj marriage with a Swedish diplomat
who was leaving. and was thus able to
accompany him. The marriage before
the commissar in Moscow cost her the
equivalent of slxpence and the divorce
In Finland cost the equivalent of one
shilling and sixpence, so that the double
experience was not so expensive as 1t
generally Is in England
British Women In Rad Plight.
Unfortunately there are on the other
hand cases of English women who had
married Russians and thus lost their
British nationality, being prevented on
that account from leaving Russia On
one occasion when ! was In the "Na-
tional Commssariat OF Foreign Affairs"
At ~