WHITE GIRLS AND BLACK MEN

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9796, 20 October 1917, Page 3

WHITE GIRLS AND BLACK MEN

EPIDEMIC OP WEDDINGS. LURE OF HIGH WAGES. Within tho last few months, I am told (writes tho Loudon correspondent of a Homo, paper), there has been a perfect epidemic of marriages between English girls, principally munition workers, and negroes who have come to Britain from the West Coast ol Africa on war work. Seldom a week passes non - that a dusky bridegroom does not figure in a matrimonial ceremony in some part of London. '-the negroes are engaged in factories and at tho docks, and while thousands ot white men arc in the fighting lino the coloured ones arc winning their way into many an English home. Already there is quite a negro colony in the East End of London, and the police are becoming anxious as to the future. They have no complaint to make against the coloured men, who, by all accounts, arc on their best behaviour and giving yory little trouble.

Some of the negroes, I learned on inquiry, are earning handsome money, not a few of them turning over an income of £lO and £l2. a Week. This in itself is always an attraction to a girl of simple birth. Tho coloured men, however, show fheir affection and devotion in a variety of ways, and, not content with buying fancy presents for their English sweethearts, they also “look after’' the fathers and mothers of their brides. SWIFT COURTSHIP.

A registrar in an East End area says that bo has married no fewer tha.il 100 couples in the last six weeks, and that there is quite a boom m East End weddings. “The courtships appear to ho swift and sweet,’’ he smiled, “and, to bo frank, the pairs that come hero all seem to be quite happy and contented. I asked one young brunette why she couldn't find an English husband, and she ic-plicd that ehc wouldn’t exchange her nigger boy for all tho white men iu. the world. A favourite explanation is that colour makes no difference to tho affections of the heart.” Ono of the instance communicated Was that of an oightcon-year-old girl, who renounced a private in a London regiment and transferred her heart to a negro- She had met tho latter at a dance, and was so carried away with him that they wore married in. three weeks.

Another story is told of a ‘'flapper who vanished from homo, and when next heard of was down with a coloured man in tho West End ol London. Ho had wooed and won her in less time than it takes to have a cub of tea, and their wedding was quite a lightning affair. FOND OF FOREIGNERS. “This wave ol weddings is nothing new,’’ said a police inspector of a large district close to the London docks, “The girls seem to take very quickly to foreigners, and down hero wo have young women married to Chinamen,' Japs, Senegalese and Zouaves. The addition of tho negroes from tVest- Africa will add to the gaiety of the neighbourhood. So far ns their general conduct is concerned, I must any we, have no objection to raise. They give very little trouble, ami are usually well conducted. Our experience in this quarter is that whenever a shindy arises it is the woman’s fault, and not the negroc’s.” A clergyman took a tnlTorcnt view. “X have repeatedly warned the girls in this district,” ho observed, “but my words continue to fall on deaf cars. It seems to me that the real attraction is the money which the negroes are able to command in munition factories throughout the country. No, I cannot tel! you whether such alliances turn out happily, but I deploro-tbe increase of weddings with negroes on national as well" as sentimental grounds.”

There’s dozens of remedies mother has tried. If we hadn’t been strong X expect we’d have died. For weeks we've been moping and swallowing trash. And when there’s a lot it walks into the cash. I aareed with my dad. who says "VTonds’ is a Uriel; For showing the world how to euro a cold quick: Xo need to be laitl up for weeks when you may Take Pi pocraiint Cure and be well in a day.” Very nearly ] 100 million rounds sterling is invested in railway companies(.n the E T nitcd Kingdom.