The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-19
A PARsEE FROM BOMBAY.
Mr.. Jehanghier ID. COIa's Admiration
Aroused by Our Attitude in War.

| New York Sun.
| 1t has SO long been the habit of transat-
| lantfc visitors who come over to study
| America to glance through New York, peep
| at Boston, doze around Philadelphia for a
| couple of days, and sniff at Chicago, and
go home to write learnedly of America
| from the point of view of man who has
| taken it IN in its broader aspects, that a
foreigner who comes over and stays long
enough to discover that he doesn't know all
about this country is a rarity Such is Mr..
Jehanghier D. Cola, a Parsee from Bombay,
who has been in this city few days and in
this country something more than two
years, and sees so much ahead of him that
he hasn't begun to think about going home
yet. Mr.; Cola is g! tall young man who
foreigner whose university education has
been in the English tongue. When a re-
porter called on him with the not entirely
American Mr.. Cola seemed surprised.
I cannot tell yet what l think of it," ne
said, Il have only been here two years and
half, and / haven't gone deeply into it,
Whereupon it was the reporters turn to be
surprised.
You. find us now he suggested. Gin a
Yes" said Mr.. Cola land am revising
some of the notions your British cousins
have given me about your nation. They
consider your patriotism rather vapid and
vapory sentiment. 1t appears to me quite
the reverse. From what | have seen of your
northumberland that 1 speaking from
the point of view as an Oriental who can
only strive as best he may to understand
your national character-you are a peace
loving people. Your central, compact idea.
is to elevate yourselves through commerce
war interferes with commerce and there
fore on general principles you don't want
to tight, but now that you are reused to it
the whole heart of the country is in the
battle. l have met many of your business
men and talked with them. and know how
disastrous the war may be to them. coming
so close upon your financial depression, but
L nave found none who, since the die has
been cast for war has not put the best face
upon IT and tlOUghr of his flag first
speak truth, l know not how all Europe
combined could hope to conquer you deci-
SlVely; you with your uncomfortable re-
sources of mineral and agricultural wealth.
and your railroads by which you mobilize
your army as no other nation can do. The
self"
DO you think that the United States will
conquer Spain quickly?"
No man can prophesy the result of war"
said the ParSee. 1t seems that America
should soon be finally victorious. The Span
courageous race Their courage is merely
pride and is akin to the Mohammedan fatal
ism. 1t is not the planning courage, the
courage that has foresight and deliberate
purpose. But fear that you will lose many
lives in Cuba from the climate. In India 1
nave seen much of the effect of tropical
climate upon the English. When your men
go to Cuba they should make complete
change of diet. You eat too freely and you
eat too much meat. Unless a man is very
careful In his diet he soon falls a prey to the
malarial fever of the tropics. The exhaIa-
tions that arise from the ground between
s and in the evening, particularly in the
rainy season, will poison him. When l was
in London / talked with Gen. Sir Herbert
Kitchener, commander of the English in the
Soudan. on this subject of diet. The Arabs
he says, preserve themselves from malariaI
fevers by drinking mixture of black coffee
and lemon juice in the morning, and this is
used with great success by the troops in
India. Against the heat they wear water
pouches on the nape of the neck and the
wrists"
What will be the effect in the Orient of
the American capture of the Philippnes?"
asked the reporter
1T is little early yet to say. isn't it?"
asked Mr.. Cola. smiling. Your country
has not yet decided upon q territorial policy
of extension Should you do so, the Philip
pines would be to America what Hong
Kong is to England, Your Commodore
Dewey's victory will undoubtedly establish
you high in the respect of England which
regards highly any naval achievement 1t
would seem to me that the greatest fear for
America in the present war would be the
financial stringency which will follow it,"
Mr.. Cola is much Interested in the ques-
tion of relief for the Cubans. and has writ
ten to Miss Clara Barton for information
about the Red Cross work. The Parsees
have frequently been ready contributors to