PICKING THE BRIDE BY PHOTOGRAPH.

Waikato Times, Volume 88, Issue 13488, 19 May 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

PICKING THE BRIDE BY PHOTOGRAPH.

By Rene Bache

When the war is over husbandbjnever too plentiful in Europe, are going to be frightfully scarce in that part *■: ot the world. This means that there will U» a greatly augumented influx of young women into the neutral countries looking for mates. Even under ordinary conditions they arrive by thousands annually, a not inconsiderable percentage of them being 'photograph brides"—the term applied -> by the immigration service to girls who • thedr intended husbands have nerer seen, and who come over as a result of arrangements to which an exchange of photographs is incidental. The average bachelor immigrant would rather have a wife from- his own I country —preferablv from his own village. Accordingly, he writes to his parents, or to his nearest relatives, in the old country, and asks them to pick out a wife for him. 'They do so; photographs are exchanged, and if the pictures please both parties the girl starts foY America. Her passage, of course, is prepaid, but usually she arrives with only a few pennies- in her pocket.

Sometimes, if the, folks at home are very poor, the intended husband may send the money to pay the young woman's passage. But in any case the* situation in which she finds' herself on ■ arrival is pathetic. Her sole dependence lies in the man. She is helpless and at his mercy. He may (as .soflMU*-""! times happens) be disappointed with her 4 looks and refuse, to marry her. 1 If he will not accept her she must go back home. On that point the law is definite and incxorahle. She is in that case deported on the ground 'that, lacking ostensible means of support, she is likely to become a public charge. J* . !t may happen that the man Shanged hisTnind about marrying. Perhaps he 1 has come across another girl. From his . . point of view the easiest waf out of the difficulty is to refrain from "meeting his. - imported fiancee when she arrives. So she finds herself stranded, with deporta- .:. tion "In prospect. Here is where Uncle Sam steps in. He wants to get that husband for her—to make him toe the mark like a man. Presumably she has his address. If so, the immigration authorities hunt him up—even though he be in Michigan or Oregon—and try (by frightening him) to persuade him to "come up to the § scratch." Oh, yes, indeed ; Uncle Sam is a great matrimonial agent, where immigrant * girls are concerned. His main idea is to provide for their safety, and this can be best accomplished by providing them with husbands. -

Meanwhile—and the same remark applies to any ease where the expected lrtisband fails to turn up—the giri waits. For the time being (barring her anxiety) she is all right; the government takes good care, of her. She geta excellent board 1 and lodgings at the immigration station (the steamship company which brought her over pays for that) —the food being probably much better than she has been accustomed to, and her bed a comfortable canvas cot in one of the women's dormitories.

She may get out of the scrape even though her man does not put in an appearance finally. Agents of tie philanthropic immigration societies are constantly prowling about the station and one of them, becoming interested in her case, may find some sort of employment for her. In that event, she will be released. Or investigation may locate a friend —some person she has known in the Old Country, perhaps—who will give a bond for guaranteeing that she shall not become a public charge. » In a surprising number or cases the missing husband-to-be is located and brought forward. Perhaps (as often he has not meant to be baek- \ rd, and his failure to turn up has b'."'•> due to some accident attributable to, 9 fact that he himself is a stranger in r * strange land, without much acquaintance with the American language. Owing to change of address, letters may have failed to reach him. All such possibilities are covered as far as possible by the immigration service's system'of inquiry. In many an instance the intending husband (perhaps thousands of miles away "some- • where in the west"), is delighted to hear of his fiancee's arrival, sends on the money for her railroad ticket. A happy day it is for her when the money ~- comes.

When she departs on her journey the Service provides her with a lunch box filled with sandwiches and other good and nourishing things to eat. There will be no dining car on her train, and so her subsistence must be supplied in -advance, with careful reckoning for the number of hours or days her trip to find a husband will consume.

In all cases the character of the intended husband is carefully investigated. He may be a worthless person; it is conceivable that he is importing the girl for immoral purposes. The idea of the Immigration Service is, first, to protect her; secondly, to prevent the admission of a woman likely to hecomo a vicious character or a public charge. The intending husband, furthermore, is not allowed simply to walk off with his fiancee. He is required to marry her at the immigration station. One thing about which the authorities must feel very certain is that he has not a wife already. If such should afterwards prove to he the fact the girl would be sent back anl the man would be prosecuted for bigamy. Mormon missionaries are continually prowling about England and elsewhere in the north of Europe looking for girls that are wanted for "plural wives" in Utah. Of course, polygamy in that State is supposed to be abolished, but (in the opinion of the immigration authorities) there is just about as much, of it as ever, though under cover. Hence it is that young women who ooniß to this country bound for Utah are suspected and rigidly questioned. The girl who is admitted "in bond" may get a husband. In that case 6he at once becomes, through marriage, free' of the string the government has tied to her. She is provided for. But the authorities take pains to ascertain before cancelling her bond, that the marriage is bona fide. There have been 4 many cases of fraud in this matter.

Practically all of the voting women who come to this country from Japan are "photo-brides." the Japanese bachelor resident in the United States, if he wants a wife, is usually obliged to import one from his native land. Rarely does he wish to marry an American girl; and few American girls, of the desirable sort, would care to hare htim for a husband. It is customary in Japan for parent* to arrange the niatings of then - children. The fathers and mothers, with more or less advice from relatives, do the choosing. This method is not : highly thought of in America: yet expreience has proved, not only in Japan but elsewhere, that marriage* thus ',ar- | ranged" turn out quite as well as love ! matches.

Consequently, no conventionalities are violated when a marriage is arranged between a Japanese girl at home and a Japanese man in the United States, even though they have never met each other—the only preliminary being an exchange of letters and photographs. The girl, of course, has no share in the correspondence; such a thing would be quite improper. If the correspondence is satisfactory to the man, and he likes the looks of the photograph, he asks that the girl be duly shipped, f.0.b., and with her Dassage paid. It is his business to meet her on arrival and to look out for her afterwards.

In such cases Uncle Sam requires the intending husband to furnish the customary testimonials guaranteeing his good character. When this demand has been met he must marry the girl before she is allowed to leave the immeration station. But think of the gamble, for her. Once married she walks off with a man wholly strange to her. He may be a good fellow or a brute; she must take her chances.

Mr William Herring, of New Cavendish street, Portland Place,- London, who died on December Bth. left pro-