SOLDIERS’ FIANCEES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 18075, 17 April 1919, Page 8

SOLDIERS’ FIANCEES.

TO ENGLAND FOR BRIDES. | SOME VARYING IDEAS, *1 think some of th© returned boldiers are positively unfair to our girls,” remarked a married woman to a reporter yesterday morning, when referring to the statement that some -returned men were hoping to bring their fiancees out from England. ‘ Not only are a big number of them getting married in England, but now that they are back in New Zealand some of the single men are gome back to England and jilting the New Zealand girls. In her opinion there were sufficient girls here ror all returned soldiers, and a man who could not find a wife in New Zealand must be either very hard to please or unable to get any girl to have him. Commenting on the statement that men engaged beforb going to the war were now breaking off their engagements and bringing out girls from England, she declared that this wn9 scandalous. She could hardly believe that there could bo many men likely to treat their fiancees in such a shameful manner. ' Another Indy snfd that after the men had been back some months she thought they would forget their English girls, and chooso a wife in New Zealand. A returned soldier was asked for his opinion. 11 Since I’ve been back,” he. declared, " I’ve had to listen to such a lot of utter nonsense concerning the English wives, that I’ve felt absolutely disgusted.” To him it looked ao though a good many people had the idea that love did not enter into the soldiers’ marriages- at all, but ho repudiated such a suggestion. He considered that the soldiers were marrying in England because they were in love with the girls, and because the girls were in lovo with them. After nil, what concern was it of the general public? It was well known that men would go to the ends of. the earth in search of the women they loved, and if a man met u girl in England and fell in love with her, he was perfectly justified in marrying her.' Further, if a man loved a giri and could not see his way clear to get married at the time he was in England, he was surely'entitled to send for her when . his, prospects improved. “Some people ought to adopt a more reasonable attitude towards the soldiers’ wives,” ho continued, “and not make statements which they know are utter rot.”