Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-03
THE STRAITS
SETTLEMENTS
III-Sultan-
ate of
Johore.

JoHoRE. Bharu-.For nearly 100 miles
along the Straits OF Malacca, on the west.
and the China sea on the east, runs the
coast line of the Sultanate of Johore, the
only Independent Malay state. If history
does not fail to repeat itself Johore may
one day become one of the federated
Malay states, and the sultan a figure
head with a much reduced income.
Whether the annexation will take place
in the near future depends to a great
extent upon the personal conduct of the
present occupant of the throne Of Jo-
hore, who came into public notice some
time ago when he scattered the reve-
nues of his country about European cap
itals and made a decided reputation as a
good fellow"
At present Sultan Ibrahim is being
comparatively good and somewhat lone
some, no doubt, upon his own soil, and his
crown is temporarily safe. However, in
vidious comparisons between the prog
ress of Johore and the federated states
are being made by British administrators
and writers, and the way is paved for
the taking over of the country, Tor its
own good. If the sultan does not take
advantage of his undeniably great oppor-
tunity to develop Johore and improve the
condition of his subjects.
Johore is the only state in the peninsula
which boasts a coast line upon three or
its -four sides. 1t is separated from Sing
apore by the Straits of Johore, about d
half mile wide, and connected by ferry
that meets the trains Of the Singapore
railway at the terminus OF the line. The
capital city, Johore Bharu, is neat 1T
tie town facing the strait. The chief
L. 10 naInHQ which
presents the exterior appearance OF .
oonmodious but cheaply built country
house In it's interior 1t reflects the love
of an eastern king for splendid decoration
tempered by the good taste of man edu-
Gated in Europe and capable of discrimi-
nation between the impressive and the
tawdry.
Sultan Ibrahim is not fond Of living IN
his palace, and when he is in Johore ne
prefers his country seat two miles from
hts capital The palace was hospitality
open TO inspection until ill-bred tourists
incurred the displeasure Of his highness
by cutting slivers from his gilded throne
with their jack knives to take home as
souvenirs Nowadays a polite but open
eyed attendant accompanies VISITOR
through the clustered GOODNESS OF the
closed palace and sees to II that the tour
ist does not remove anything not tightly
nailed down. The throne of his hignness
and that of his sultana sit side by side
In an unfurnished room with their backs
to the wall as IL defying the vandal.
Johore Bharu is a wide open town" In
all that this expressive American term
implies. 1t is more candidly VIDE open
than most municipalities. In good plain
English and In letters several inches high.
the sign gambling house" directs the
devotee of chance to the places where ne
NAV lose his money at fan tan, roulette
and other games. And money Ia lost Ia
the Johore gambling houses with an ease
and regularity somewhat mystifytng 10
the newly-arrived. All along the streets
there are signs, equally as candid as tna'
of the fan-tan and roulette 'parlors' m
viting the lover of the opium pipe to tar
~ a while and dream.
These and other 'conveniences make
the capital of Johore favorite resor~
for persons from the comparatively gooiy
citv of Singapore, where, upon the Sab
hath the lid is more or less firmly
screwed down by the church doing Brit
.ish. Whether the conveniences or Jo-
hore. and its proximity to Singapore, will
tend to create sentiment against its con-
tinued independence is question upon
which loyal subjects OF Great Britain d.
vide, according to their tastes and their
opinions as reformers. There are not
few who say that as a safety valve for
the release OF sinfulness that would 9TH
erwise be pent up in Singapore. the MO-
sultan of lahore to encourage the indus
trial development of his country lies In
the fact that he is permitting the FEEDER
ated Malay states to build a railroad
through his dominions. He has also I'M
dertaken rubber growing upon a large
scale. and may become a rubber king as
well as a sultan. II he should now turn
his attention to road building and con-
struct feeders for the railroad, Johore
might move along in the procession with
the other Malay states.
AT present the revenues of Johore are
derived chiefly from the Chinese who
have settled there. and go mostly into the