The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-10
OF the crops.
Durmn's Foreign Trade.

I
Durmn's Foreign Trade.
! Tho trade here is almost altogether
In the, hands OF Great Britain. The
officials protect the British merchants
and favor them where possible. al
though the Germans. japanese. Eel
! gians and French try 10 compete
AZ 70 our trade, IL lis small usually
amounting TO less than a million dol
lars a year. and consisting mostly OF
machines. canned goods and kerosene
oil. WITHIN the past year or SO ws
have established "a consulate at Fan
| seon. and the man in charge. Z. A.
| Wakefield. is doing much to push
American trade. He thinks we sliould
nave n direct steamship line from here
connections, as well wholesale
( depot which should keep our leading
/ exports IN stock. The total imports OF
tho country now amount TO something
| like S36,000.Q00 per annuni of when
! Great britain supplies more than 81
/ tools, pipe fittings. axes typewriter.
and sewing machines. The Burmese or
I the better classes wear some American
i shoes. and they are beginning to eat
! canned goods and condensed milk.
/ They are fond OF milk. hut their own
/ cows aroused chiefly a. draft animals
| rhey arc Importing butter. ard not
/ few spread the condensed milk ON
bread in It's place.
| Our American 1Ittionaric..
America should have good trade in
Burma. our missionaries have done
| more for the people in the way of edp.
! cation and civilization than have those
Of any other country.
About the first Christian work done
who sent the Rev Adoniram Judson
! here in 1919 Judson made the first
| Burmese dictionary and grammar and
! ne translated the Bible into the verna-
Il g,,In ,oa Il /. y.
er foreigners fled al the time OF the
first troubles with England, and later
during the British Burmese war. was
thrown into prison and almost starved.
\ The story of this sufferings Is one OF
/ the most affecting In missionary histo-
| ry He kept al the work however, and
| did much after the British took pos
session of lower Burma, dying in 1Shp
4 ncaith.
Since then the Baptist mission here
OF American Professionalism seems to
have chosen Burma as Its special field.
! and II is now spending almost a quar-
] ter OF a million dollars per annum
upon it. It has large e.. number ,1,,es rs Of
native churches and about sixty thous-
and communicates. 1t is carrying on
a number of girls and boys schools.
and the Baptist College at Rangoon:.
which has more than twelve hundred
! educational institution in the country.
! !. is recognized by the British govern
ment. and is affiliated w:sh the Univer-
I sity of Calcutta. Nearly all Of the stu
i dents are native Burmese and many are
i Christians The institution is largely
! self-supporting, The students pay Tor
their board and tuition. and not a
few work their way tnr ,e, ), ! hee hnn
added, and the course IL such that the
\ graduates are given the degree OF B. x.
The american Methodists have mis-
sion here, which was established about
thirty years ago. They are doing con,
siderable work IN lower Burma an, anu
4 have numerous schools. The American
\ Baptist Mission Press Is one OF nc
kind. 1T publishes Bibles, tracts; re-
:, liglous newspapers and many educa-
tional works.
The British government is dolnS
, much to educate the Burmese. IT Is
establishing schools of all kinds from
kindergartenS to colleges, ,. ana !, n, nnS
, schools with about quarter OF mil
! lion pupils on the rolls In ADDITION !,
! there are almost as many pupils y
other schools. over sixteen thousand
/, az the schools being carried on outside
the government.
!, same Studies as our schools az noma
!. and their hours are. somewhat SIM.
J lar The students are interested In attn,
/. l letii al and the boys drill and play foot
, ball and cricket.
Taught by the Monks.
In addition there are thousands OF
:. classes taught by the, monks. Every
village has its monastic schools ard
: such boys as do not go TO the otnst
3 schools attend 1t. The girls dare r ,,a
Z come near the inconsistencies, Tor ~,
i priest who would touch or talk Win
woman would he defiled. IT IS pnrt
az the duty OF the monks 70 teacn
!; and they charge no tuition. me npss
: arc taught to read and write :, ana T rhay
; learn elementary arlthmetlc. IneS
I study out loud and comm.t 70 1pg I,Sa
1.-The ,rayers and hymns Ct tora nu us,,
!, ha they are supposed TO pray M.E 1,i,t
: and morning. one OF .helr lno'H'itb
prayers, reading as follows:
"How great Il favor has the Lord
Buddhn bestowed upon mo In, showing
o mo Ills law, by the keeping OF which
. I may escape hell aud secure my sal
vation."
J Iof the boys go into the monasterleS
for a time and some stay there AZ
: their lives. Others remain for q while
X and then come ONT and go into hus-
i mess They all learn to read and write
J in the schools. and Burma, Tor this
reason, In the Noint OF the llteracy ar
the men, Is far In advance Of any
y country OF Asia.
. | copyrighted, 1910; by Frank q. Cars
!. pentsc4