Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1921-06-02

prepared By the National Geographic So
While there Is considerable
amount Of unrest in many parts Of
India proper, the people Of Burma,
which Is governed as part Of India
and yet is geographically separate
from 1t, seem to be living contentedly.
Geographical and social conditions and
the economic situation flowing from
them undoubtedly have much to do
with this. Burma knows little Of the
fear Of famine or the pinch Of poverty.
Its lands are productive, 1t Is rich in
minerals. 1t is not over-populated, and
It Is free from the elaborate caste sys-
TEN which is tremendous handicap
to India, both socially and economi-
cally.
Kipling and practically all other writ
ers about the East have pointed out
repeatedly that 1t is difficult at best
for westerners to understand the ORR
entail peoples. If the observer from
the West wishes to tackle this admit
teddy difficult problem by easy stages,
perhaps he could find no better place
to start than Burma. In number Of
senses there is less Of gulf between
the life and customs Of the Burmese,
and those of the West than will be
found If the comparison is made with
any other eastern country.
The Indian is IN most cases a sober
individual. The lower castles must
take life with desperate seriousness
because Of its hardness and the diff
Guilty Of clingIng to it. The higher
castles are sedate and given to specu-
lative philosophy. The Chinaman is
an enigma. His emotions are difficult
to fathom. The people Of the Mo-
nn,at %gt countries RE are marked by a
e'''- The Burmese Love Life.
l In contrast with these other peo-
pies of Asia, and almost alone among
them, the Burmese are frank, open,
happy-lovers Of life. Their women
are not secluded, but are among the
freest women in the world. Both men
and women are lovers of music and
wsarers of bright clothing. Because
Of their spontaneity and friendliness
they have been dubbed ''the Irish of
tAa 9glssnt:" - ,-t' So,
+ Bufnd Is a country Of many tribes,
but practically all of them are Of the
same racial strain. Shans, Karens,
Katchins, Chins and Palaungs are
among those living in the outlying
parts Of the country, though the
karens and to certain extent
the others are to be. found in
parts Of lower Burma, a more heav-
lily settled section which is most easy
Of access to the outside world. It is
the Burmese, however, who constitute
the dominant element with the high
est culture, and give color to Burma
as it is known to most westerners who
visit the land.
The Burma Of the Burmese, that is
lower Burma and the basin Of the
great Irrawaddy river, is land Of
pagodas, the shrines Of Buddhism.
Thousands upon thousands of these
bell-shaped structures surmounted by
gilded spires and tinkling bells have
been built. Many of them have fallen
into decay, but others are built each
year. They are the symbols of the
hold which the Buddhist religion has
upon the people Of Burma. It is their
belief that the surest way Of "acquir-
ing merit" and achieving holy rest af-
ter death is to erect pagoda; and
very few Burmese who are able to
add to the country's forest Of pagoda
spires fail to do so.
No ArIstocracy, Few Poor.
There are no noble classes among
the Burmese, no aristocracy. few who
are very wealthy, and few very poor.
While the caste system as a system
does not exist in the country, there
are several classes Of people who are
looked upon as degraded by their vo-
cations and with whom practically no
intercourse is had by the majority Of
the people. Unfortunately, too, these
classes are hereditary. They are the
grave diggerA the descendants Of the
former pagoda slaves and the beggars.
The general attitude toward these I'M
fortunates Is one Of the contradictions
IL Burmese character; and there are
others. Their religion requires kind.
nsss toward animals, and Burmese will
81 ~ Is 1sss553i