WAR MARRIAGES.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15753, 21 November 1916, Page 8

WAR MARRIAGES.

BRITISH BRIDES FOR THE RANCHES AND THE BUSH.

To find the full explanation of the astounding number of marriages in l<ondon during the past year the rccovds offices of the Canadian and Australian contingents must be visited (says the London "Dispatch'' of October 14th). The report of tlse County Medical Officer of Health of London and tho Scliool Medical Officer, published hist week, contained the suggestion that many of those marriages were of persons not residing in London. At the offices of the Canadian and Australian contingents they will tell you that hundreds of their men have married, girls they have known only a short time over here, munition workers, nurses, and girls iti offices. Many of these men live on ranches or in the bush, or have farms, and it is not easy to get wives in those remote places. They have wanted to marry for some time, and over here, with the hero worship in full swing, with khaki tho onjy proper wear, the dashing Colonial has no difficulty in finding & -wife. What will happen when the war is over and the war. brides realise that they must sail to the ends of the earth with their husbands, remains to be seen. Life in the bush or in the wilds of Canada has not attracted many London-bred girls in the p:\st. "We cannot give any exact figures as to the number of marriages of Canadian soldiers." one of the staff sergeants at the Canadian Records Office told a reporter, "because, many of the marriages arc not on our own records. We know that hundreds of our men have married girls they have met over here, but such marriages do not come under the separation allowance provision. A man must have been engaged to the girl he marries before tho war for her to get a separation allow-a-aca.

"We have a great number of men who have married girls to whom they have b'een engaged for years, always hoping to arrance for them to come out to Canada. The war provided the means of a reunion. "We shall know the full record of war marriages when the times comes for our men to go ba-ck, and provision hag to be made for their wives to go also. Then I think there will be great surprise when it is learned just how many British, women are to settle m the Colonies-"