The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-03-29

War has resulted in the revival Of
harems in Turkey. Armed strife is fur
nishing girls, too terrified to protest
against harem life, who can be bought
from the soldiery, who hold them cap
tive, for as low as $1.50 and 81 each.
The man who couldn't afford to buy a
hareln ten years ago can afford what
he pIeases now.
Asia Minor has become known as the
Twentieth Century slave market. The
battlefelds are the auction block to
which women are brought for bartering
among the victorious soldiery. The
country's devastated towns along the
shores of the Black Sea and down into
the provinces Of Angora are being used
by slave dealers to carry on their trade
Harems Filled to Overlooking.
The population of the harems has
been sWelled in the last few years
through the decentralization of the Ar
menian girls as a result of the looting
Of the villages by the Turkish soldiery.
Girls who would never have gone into
the harems had the family been held in
tact, have drifted into them from the
ruined districts around the Black Sea,
from Samzoun, Batum, and Tribizond.
Their lives were ruined, their resist
ance broken.
Turks living in lower Anatolia have
filed their harems to overlooking with
these young women, whom they were
able to buy from the soldiery for
abled the country Turk to start the
habit of harem life all over again, just
at a time when decreasing affiuence
and public opinion were mitigating it.
Most Of the women in the harems
are young. A large part of them are
struggled into the country for delib-
crate selling. The Turkish girls who
marry into the harems do so usually
with their parents consent, although
knowing that they will share their hus-
bands with other wives. Other harem
inmates for the most part are not con-
suited.
On the signing of the armistice all
prisoners of war were supposed to be
handed over to the Allied governments
Had this agreement been carried out
faithfully many girls would have been
saved from harem life. The Turks,
however; have found ways to conceal
their trafficking in girls. The famous
bride school at Samzoun is signifi-
cant example Of their cleverness at
Girls School Mere Blind.
This school" was housed in an old
gray convent on the edge Of the town
of Samzoun, on the Black Sea. 1t had |
been a home for beautiful nuns in the
past. for the women Of Samzoun are |
all very beautiful. After the Turks !
took possession Of the town the con- !
vent was used for those lovely Geor
zian and Armenian girls whom the
officers fancied were worth more than
he average captiyes.
The girls were gathered at the old
convent where the officers guarding 1
hem said they were to be put in
school. The girls believed this until
hey noticed they were being brought
lown in groups from their sleeping
quarters, where they were kept guard
d all day, to stand before officers
md merchants, rich farmers and
Pashas. Then one, perhaps
wo. of the girls would be taken from
he convent the next morning.
Sometimes a girls entry into the
larem is accompanied by the old
ashioned details Of a Turkish we'd
ling but, for the most part, she is
AIKEN to her new home like new
domestic animal bought at market.
'or she is, like them, meant for work.