The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-20

Copyright, 1910, by Frank G. Carpen-
 ter)
 SINGAPORE, 1910. WRITE today of the awakening or
 Malaysia. have already described I how this whole Asiatic continent IS tbrobbing with the invasion of our new civilization. The movement eNtehos from the snows of the north, where over the Trans-Siberian railroad the Russians are pouring in immigrants at the rate of 10000 per day, down 10 tnis very tip of the Malay peninsula Wlthih sO miles of the equator, where ne" roads are making. railroads building and cities are rising into being nave told you how the Chinese are preparing for a constitutional government anu how the Japanese have overthrown the old courts and corruption of Korea and are there instituting schols and clvil- ized ways I hear that similar work has begun in the French Chinese pos sessions; and also in Siam, wHere Bangkok, the capital, is now a live, up-to-date city with electric lights5 street railroads, telephones, newspapers and schools.
 At the End of the Continent
 Away down here at the south end Of Asia the western invasion has been go- ing on for some years It began Ill Singapore and Penang, the two chief cities of the Straits Settlements, be- longing to England. Pounded more than a generation before the birth or Chicago. they were for a long time trade outposts only. They are now go ing forward at telegraphic speed, and the Malay peninsula is moving with them That country, which, beginning with Burma and Siam, extends south ward to Singapore, was until lately in state of savage innocuous desuetude. Then the English took hold, consoli- dated the tribes, and took the Malay states under their protection Since then roads have been cut through the jungles, and the peninsula has thou sands of miles of highways better than those of the Philippines, and equal to the best roads of Java. You can ride for days in an automobile through these federated Malay states and not have enough bumps to stir up your liver Within the past year or so rail- roads have been projected, and the chief centers are now connected by rail with the ports. About 400 miles of track have already been laid, and there are 2500 miles of telegraph in operation.
 Instead of the barbarous rule of the Malay sultans, the people now have the British to administer their laws Crime is decreasing; there are cdhrts of all kinds, and a frst-class police force. The government has established hospi tals throughout the peninsula, and it is developing all sorts of industries
 In Perak irrigation works have been dug and rubber plantations are now growing in the several states. The trees are planted at 200 to the acre, and a1raadU al Tp17f in, bearing. The tin and gold deposits are being exploited, and the tin output Is now worth more than $50000, 900 per year. All this is the work of less than generatiSn, and the increase of today is more raHd than ever.
 The Straits Settlements
 The advance made at the Straits Set dement's themselves is surprising. These little British possessions, consisting of the two islands of Singapore and Penang and small strip of the mainland now rank among the richest parts of the world. Penang is not much bigger than the Dis trict of Columbia, and Singapore a little more than double as large. Nevertheless, the two have a revenue of more than six million gold dollars, and a foreign trade greater than that of many nations of Europe. It was almost four hundred millions last year., and its imports now amount to $2o0000,000 per annum. The total tonnage of the colony, including the various ports, surpasses that of any one great port of the world, and Singapore itself raiks fifth among the trade ports. | Here in the east it is only surpassed by | Hongkong, something like 5000 10000 vessels coming in and going out of its harbor every year.
 The Warehouses of South Asia. I wish I could take you to the wharves of Singapore and show you this great warehouse of south Asia. The port is free, and it has become distributing center for the countries about. It is LAO | miles from Kongkong 5000 miles from London, and only two or three days from Java, Borneo and others of the Dutch East Indies. Sumatra is in plain view from where I am writing; Bangkok, Siam, is only four days away, and Burma is | just around the corner. This island lies midway in the Straits of Malacca. It l is the chief stopping place between the 1 Pacific and Indian oceans, and 1t is just 1 half way between China and India. It | is the gateway of the east, where the shaved heads of the celestials and the 1 turbans of the Hindus bump against one another To ths north and east s'l Y