The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-10-06
BRITISH GUIANA
 WARM IN WELCOME ID ALL AMERICANS
Georgetown Four Feet Be- low Sea, Which Makes
 Drainage Problem

Georgetown, British Guiana, October l5.-Americans who visit British Guiana and the British possessions in the West Indies in the days of the great war receive very warm welcome and are accorded the most hospitable treatment This kind of reception is in strong contrast with that which awaited trav- elers from the United States in the
 days before President Wilson sent his
 famous message to Congress and ar
 rayed the strength of America against Germany. The English of these pos
 sessions were very chilly in their at
 titude toward Americans then, and they
 were quite frank in expressing their
 opinion of the United States and it's
 position a neutral. The average Eng
 1ishman admires America very much
 He regards it as the country nearest
 to England of all the nations of the
 world The American, the English
 man wishes to believe, is his brother. Therefore, he has always thought that America should be fighting side by side with England and until she did step into the lineup against the Kaiser the Briton was disgruntled.
 Below sea level conditions of the coast lands of British Guiana give to IGeorgetown, capital of this colony, many of the same physical features that are possessed by Holland. It has been suggested, too, that perhaps the similarity of this land to their own country was deciding attraction in | leading the early Hollanders to settle in this part of South America, for it was the Dutch who colonized this frac- tion of the western continent in the sixteenth century. They gave to what is now British Guiana an elaborate system of sea defenses and canals, which, much improved, exist today. However, with the exception of the canals the sluice- gates, and sea de- lenses there are but few traces left of
 the Dutch occupation. Most of the Holland architecture of the old days has disappeared with the advance of new ideas, though here and there in Georgetown there still remain a few specimens of the building ideals that Hollanders admire.
 Because the land of Georgetown is four feet below high water mark drainage system to take care of the ex- cess water is absolutely necessary. Canals traversing many of the streets
 in the city form this system, which is on the inter tidal plan. Sluice gates L the surplus water to drain off and then are shut as the tide comes in.
 With such peculiar below-sea condi- | tions existing pipe system of water | conveyed sewage is, of course. practi- cally impossible, and the conservancy plan Is therefore carried out, partly by the pail plan, which Is employed at night, but the ways most generally in 1 use are cesspits. underground hose ex- 1 tractor apparatus and air-tight vans, the contents of which are discharged into the tide-way at the mouth of the Demarara river.
 | The population of Georgetown is now estmatedi at 60,000. It is very mixed, consisting of British, Portuguese col ored people of all shades. East Indians, Chinese and Buck Indians. The East Indian population is very large, as also Is that of the Chinese, who have
 small colonly here and control many I of the stores in the smaller and cheaper settlements of the town and it's sub urbs. There also is large Portu- guese population. many of the rich est families of the city being of this nationality.
 The Age-Herald Travel Series, show ing views of "Georgeaown, British Guiana" may be seen at the Colonial theatre, Birmingham, and Franklip theatre EnSley.