Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1921-06-01

rear ga famine " tfte plncn vi poverty.
Its lands are productive, 1t is rich In
minerals, it is not over-p0pulated, and
IL is free from the elaborate caste sys-
TEN which is a 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 ar best
for westerners to understand the ORR
entail peoples. If the observer from
the West wishes to. tackle this admit
tedly difficult problem by easy stages,
perhaps he could find no better place
TO start than Burma. In a number Of
senses there is less Of gulf between
the life and customs of the BU.mese,
and those OF the West thar will be
found II the comparison is E.ade 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 IL. 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
hammedan countries are marked by a
quiet dignity.
The Burmese Love Life.
In contrast with these other peo-
plies 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
wearers of bright clothing. Because
Of tLeir spontaneity and friendliness
they have been dubbed "the Irish OF
the Orient"
Burma 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 a certain extent
the others are to be found in
parts Of lower Burma, more heav-
lily settled section which is most easy
OF access to the outside world. 1t is
the Burmese, however, who constitute
the dominant element with the high
est culture, and give color to Burma
as Il 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 a 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. II is their
belief that the surest way of "acQuir-
ing merit" and achieving holy rest .af-
ter death is TO erect a pagoda; and
very few Burmese who are able TO
add to the country's forest OF pagoda
spires fail to do so.
No Aristoeracy, 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 diggers. the descendants OF the
former pagoda slaves and the beggars.
The general attitude toward these I'M
fortunates is one Of the contradictions
In Burmese character; and there are
others Their religion requires kind
ness toward animals. and Burmese will