"ORGANISING MARRIAGE"

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2961, 27 December 1916, Page 2

"ORGANISING MARRIAGE"

Has the "war'godson" craze-reached Australia yet (asks a London.correspondent in Sydney "Daily Telegraph"). In Uritain it has been tho ragotfor over two. years. The ''marraine/'br "godmother,," who may be of any rank, ironi the rich society woman to „the poor working- woman, takes a ."filleul" or "godson," preferably a niah jliclonging to the invaded districts, and;out off from his family, and does what she can to raalio his life less hard by writing to him and sending him presents.- Some funny situations arise, such as the case of a, little girl of 10, whoso "filleul" turned out to be a bearded man of middle, age, and the father of a'familjv and tho whole subject is not without an important bearing on the ever-in-creasing matrimonial problem. In fact many French girls havo already mot their f ato in the person of. their "fUleuls," and the "Journal" goes so far as to take tho question up, and proposes to organise a work which shall be known as that of the, "Soldier's ' Fiancee." An animated correspondence lias taken place in its columns, and it is quite surprising 'to Britishers who cherish tho conviction that French young people are paircd'off like so many sheep according to considerations of family or not, to find how many confuss that they remain unmarrie.u because they have no opportunities for meeting their ideal. Many mademoiselles, presumably young and charming, confess that they would gladly marry a mutilated soldier, even, if they had , to work for him, in order to' kiiow their admiration for his heroism, iivd ii youu'g l man of I 2G relates his hard fortune at having caught a glimpse of his ideal ' in the street, and! being prevented by stupid conventions from making her acquaintance. But the '.'Journal" adI mits the difficulties of "organising marriage," even of bringing the soldiers into touch with tho women who are willing to marry them. A bureau ought, it suggests, to be opened in each commune, with two registers and an official in charge of them—but much would depend on the character-of this official— and, in fact, the snags in tho way of the State matrimonial agency are numerous I *