Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-29
THE CITY OF RANCOON
Where Wisdom of British Ad-
ministration is Manifest.
AN OBJECT LESSON
SUCCESSFULLY PROTECTED FROM
CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.
Finest Jail in the British Empire-Im-
posing Public Build
ings. ,..y
AN OBJECT LESSON
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening star and
Chicago Record Herald.
RANGOON. Burma. March 2s 1904.
Nowhere is the wisdom and effectiveness
of British administration more manifest
than in the city of Rangoon. the principal
port of Burma, and one of the most i'm
pcrtant commercial and industrial centers
OF the east. In the last twenty years Its
population has Increased from 10000 to
4OO.OD1 souls Its foreign commerce from
100000 to 2100000O0 rupees, its manu-
featuring Industries from practically moth
ing to n,o0O.OO0 rupees, and the growth
continues steadily and the prosperity Of
the people was never greater than 1t Is to-
day.
The harbor Is full OF ships. the banks of
the river are lined with warehouses and
auays filled with merchandise Of all kinds.
and at each railway station bags of rice
are stacked up in small mountains waiting
transportation facilities that the railway
company is urable to furnish. Next to the
English the most progressive and valuable
citizens are the Chinese, and IL Secretary
Taft, Governor Wright and the members
OF the congressional committees on insular
affairs at Washington would come out
here and investigate the history and be-
havior of the Chinese in Rangoon and
other parts Of Burma / am sure they
would change their minds concerning the
policy of excluding them from the Philip
pines
The greatest weakness, the most grievous
error, OF Secretary Taft and other men who
have been responsible for the conduct I
affairs at Manila has been their neglect TO
learn from the experience of others. The
fact that England, Holland France and
other nations have solved the same prob
lens that perplex our people in the Philip
pines is well known to them, yet neither
Governor Taft nor any member OF the ad-
ministration, nor any other person or au-
Sritx hos fax ha m
a short journey to see with his own eyes
the mistakes and the achievements of those
nations in the east. Millions of dollars
might have been saved our treasury ana
incalculable trouble and anxiety might
have been avoided If those who have been
responsible had been willing to study the
object lessons that are spread out for their
be neft.
A commission consisting of Surgeon Ma
Tor Carter president of the board of health
of Manila an able and broad minded man;
Bishop Brent of the Episcopal Church. and
a native physician and philanthropist Wis
tied Burma, Java, China, Tonquin. FOR
mOsa and other places to study the opium
problem, in order that they might recon-
mend a method of regulating that vice in
the Philippines They were here Few
weeks ago and made thorough lnVestlga-
ton, and | suppose they nave done the
same elsewhere, that they know some
thing about the subject and are competent
TO give advice. But this is the only IN
stance in which the United States has ever
attempted to learn anything ABOUT The soF-
eminent of a colony.
When Senator Lodge and his associates
on the Philippine committee In the senate
have spent two years at Manila ana In the
east they will be competent to legfslate Tor
the Philippine Islands. and not until then.
And a law should be passed requiring every
person appointed to a responsible position
in connection with the Philippine govern
ment to pass an examination upon the his
tory of the administration of the English.
French and Dutch possessions.
The retail business in Rangoon Is largely
in the hands of the Chinese and you see
some queer names on the sign boards as
you ride around the streets. l have been
making notes of some of them, such as
All Goo. Wing Sang Long, Wun Kit All
Lone, Yu Chuck. All Coon, How Long and
All Men. but they are no more amusing
than some Of the geographical names that
appear upon the map. Evidently some
funny out here early and got in
his work with Dum-Dum. Poo-Poo, Zoo
Zoo and similar silly nomenclature.
Protected From the Plague.
Rangoon has been successfully pro-
tected against the bubonic plague. the
cholera and other contagious diseases from
which the cities Of India have suffered, by
the enforcement of strict quarantine reg
ulations. They are annoying to travellers,
but have proved effective in the defense of
the public health. and today Burma is
the healthiest province in India. When our
dropped anchor at the. quarantine station,
as all incoming vessels required to do
and we lay there what seemed to be a
longer time than necessary. Everybody
was impatient, and We growled and grum-
bled and abused the health officer and the
government. and made the captain, who
was even more impatient than his pas
sengers very unhappy. As usual we forgot
that there were other ships in the river
and that a hard working health officer who
mas TO start out ut daylight must take
them in turn. He came aboard at last ac-
Companed by a staff of native clerks and
woman assistant, who examined the
women passengers while he examined the
men, and gave each of US a card which
We were required to present daily at the
health office of the place in which we nav
pened TO be. so that the sanitary officers
could keep us under surveillance Miner
we were travelling and could not comnly
with the regulation we We're required m
report the fact at our first stopping place
The native passengers were not cyan
meg. lhey We're simply sent to the quar-
sitlhe station and detained there for ten
days. 50 that IL any disease deveIoped the
oflcials could control It. Their bappsve
all fumigated odee"se
After this examination we were allowed
10 go ashore and had an opportunity 70 or
serve the easy and methodical mapner a.
winch the customs laws are administered
me system however. Is the same as that
AZ Bombay and other ports OF India, which
described to you few weeks ago and II
would be d blessing to all concerned 40 tho
customs officials in the United States and
al Manila could come here and see how the
Eusilshmen do 1t. And. what is still bet
ter. the tarin committees of Congress might
make similar observations with great proit
TO themselves and to people who enter
American ports.
Modern Part of Rangoon.
The modern part of Rangoon Is a beautI-
full city. The streets are wide well paved
with macadam. shaded with noble trees and
lined on either side with beautiful bunea-
lows surrounded by gardens and groves
Many OF the finest houses are owned and
occupied by Chinese merchants and bank
ers. but the British in the majority and
they have learned by long experience how
TO make themselves comfortable i'm the
tropics \ good many Germans are coming
to Burma and are taking away some OF
the trade from the Englishmen, which is
true of all OF the cities OF the east The
commercial aggressiveness of the Gremans
Is particularly noticeable in China but
notable examples may be found in every
city
The German Club has one of the most
beautiful buildings in Rangoon. The Eng
lsh Club Is larger and wealthier Indeed
there are several fine clubs here which
nfyA hnG taIit oil