Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-07-25
ROAD TO MANDALAY
IT-RAGOON-TI1E BOOM CITY
BY Frederic j. Haskin

sentially tropical Europeans who are
permanent residents have adopted a
plan of house building radically differ
ent from that in India and most warm
countries, where the thickness of brick
or stone walls is relied upon to give
house cave-lite GOODNESS, despite the
assaults of the sun. Most of the preten-
tious Rangoon homes are of wood.
Many of them are not frame houses in
the commonly accepted sense of the
term, but merely of 'boX" construc-
ton with the greater portion of wall
areas made entirely of shutters that
may be either thrown entirely open or
so arranged as to allow the breeze full
play through sleeping rooms. These
residences, situated in the midst of ex-
tensive grounds and surrounded by
shrubbery and the poisoning trees
that make Rangoon so colorful during
the rainy season, are comfortable dwell
ings during the greater pa4t OF the
year.
Burma came into English hands
without great expenditure of blood
upon tho part of Great Britain. In
its requirement there is repeated the
history of the British army following
the flag of English merchants, and of
conquest following the gaining of a
commercial foothold in a foreign land.
although the early occupation was at
tended by many reverses From the
birthday of Rangoon until the begin
ming of the nineteenth century the
English along the Burma coast might
nave reported progress to their homo
government in the words of the Ameri-
can railroad engineer, whose telegram
read:
OF again, on again, gone again
Finnegan."
Sometimes the Burmese favored the
English because the English stood with
them against the French, and at other
times English traders and manufac-
turers We're murdered or expelled for
faVoring the cause of rebels who sought
to overthrow native rule. In 1924 the
Burmese general Maha Bandula, made
ambitious plans to invade Bengal with
an army recruited from amalgamated
tribes, and Great Britain declared war
against Burma. A battle at Rangoon,
in which $4,000 or 60, 900 men took part,
shattered Bandula's army, and when
the general was killed in a cannonade
at Donabyu, more than a year after the
beginning of the war, the victory of
the English was complete. After the
few minor engagements incidental to
the British advance to Yandahoo, a
treaty was signed. STIMULATING that the
Burmese should pay 100000 indemni-
pointed.
Thebaw, ninth in descent from AL
ompra, bore the titles Lord of Ele-
plants, Lord of Many White Elephants,
Lord of Gold, Silver. Rubies, Amber
and Jade; Sovereign of the Empires of
Thunaparanta, Jambudipa and other
Great Empires and Countries, and of
all Umbrella Bearing Chiefs, Support
er of Religion, Descendant of the Sun,
Arbiter of Life, King of Righteousness,
King of Kings and Possessor of Bound
less Wisdom. But he did not live up
to his titles. He had the unwisdom to
create monopolies injurious to British
trade, and to govern In such a lax
manner that he lost control OF many of
the warlike tribes He also had n
member OF his family executed IN his
capital, Mandalay, and when the gov
eminent of India withdrew Its repre-
sentative from the Burmese court, by
way of expressing indignation, the Pos
SCISSOR Of Boundless Wisdom welcomed
French and italian ministers and en-
deavored to form alliances with other
European powers. He sealed the death
warrant of his kingdom when he fined
the Bombay-Burma Trading company
500, 900 and declined to submit the case
to arbitration. When the British gov
eminent resented this Thebaw called
upon the Burmese to drive the English
into the sea. The result was an ad-
vance to Mandalay, a bloodless con-
quest and the excitement of King The
baw to India, where he has since re-
sided.
Tho great growth of Rangoon has
taken place since the overthrow of ma
tive rule, twenty-four years ago. At
present residence lots in the suburbs
are selling for $4,000 an acre, with an
unprecedented upward trend, and all
living expenses are about twice what
they are in India today and three times
what they were in Rangoon before 1t
assumed a metropolitan aspect. That
Rangoon is destined to become great
gateway to an important Asian market
for manufactured articles and various
commodities exported by western coun-
tries is beyond dispute. The "swadesht'
movement against English goods is
likely TO give outsiders an advantage
in all Indian markets for sometime
to come. The question asked In Ran
COON is why Americans are not more
alive to their opportunities in this
growing market.
Top,orrow-The Road to Mandalay. III
The Indolent Burmese.