The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-13
VS7 WASHINGTON, D. C., July IF. W\W Special )-There is to be a

M0{ HASt1NGION, D. S., Juiy AA' W\W Special )-There is to be a
 change in the government
 of Burma, following the recent re- shaping of the governmental machin- cry of the governmental dispatches from London, where a committee of Parliament has been considering whether constitution shall be granted and even whether the coun- try should eventually be severed from the empire. That there have been changes in Burma in other than political fields is brought out In the following bulletin of the National Geographic society, issued from its Washington, D. C., headquarters:
 Recently in Burma, the old pagan order of things has been passing, and modern ethical ideas. and manners are gradually seeping into the oriental mind and replacing many picturesque and amusing customs" says the bull letn.
 "Perhaps the most characteristic ccncomitant of the Burmese men.
 women and children's appearance is
 the inevitable 'whackin' white che root It is said that a mother often transfers her lighter cigar from her own mouth to that of the wee child in her arms; and no lady would start on dress parade without taking a necessary stock of. smokes to sup
 ply her while she is out. This cheroot is more like an overgrown cigarette
 than anything else, and is said to contain but small portion of the real tobacco leaf.
 Another Burman>scustom common
 to boys, girls, men and women IS kun chewing. The Burman has been said to smoks between chews and chew between smokes. but to have little time for anything else. The Fbetel nut is chopped fine. a red lime paste is spread on 9 certain kind of astringent leaf and all are damned into the mouth together. Then the chewing begins. To extract the last bit of flavor from the combination the chewer comforts his face while his cheeks puff out more and more, until finally discomfort compels him to start again with a fresh charge
 "The Burman has a pride that makes him in his own estimation sec ond to none on earth. He is descend cd from angels who came on earth and gradually adopted. the ways of human beings His kings, before the days of Thebaw and his Queen, Su- piyawlat. had complete power over their subjects and wore list of titles which make the letter abbreviations of orders after the name of a British celebrity seem few by comparison. These potentates were content, how ever, to be known as Lords of the White Elephant for short.
 There is no elaborate caste sys- tenn. among the Burmans like that which proves curse among the Hin aus, put CeItdiu S~aoSSS ei os'NN>--~S' The pagoda slave remains a pagoda Fslave generation in and generation out; a grave-digger never hopes 10 rise above his occupation and his be- nighted- social position: and the lep- CTS, beggars and the deformed or maimed are believed to suffer the stigma of some terrible sin of for mer existence.N
 s.The Burman is the cleanliest and dressiest of the races of his country. but his gaudy shirt Is no indication that his pockets will give forth the tmerry tinlSle of coin. In this sparse |ly populated country one finds Ia laings, Shans. Karens, Kachlns and the ,Chins, whose manner of dressing would call forth little comment if they would only keep their clothes on. ..As strict Buddhists these people are not supposed to take life in any form, special and uncomfortable hells being reserved for fishermen and hunters; but few of them manifest any unwillingness to eat the quarry when it Is served as food,
 "One respect in which the Burmese shine as people among the other
 orientals is in the pos<sioh of their women. Though they consider man far superior to woman, and though her fondest hope is that she may be born to this high estate in some flu ture existence she walks the streets Iir absolute freedom and p6ffs her cheroot to her hearts content. She takes part in and quite often has