Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-07-25
G~e Geographic News
Bulletins By the
National Geographic Society
THE ALBANIA OF ASIA

peror of Annam?"
10 the occidental mind the EN-
peror OF AMMAN may seem a bit be-
lated in visiting Paris. since AMMAN
has been a field of French influence
sine 1879" says a bulletin from
the Washington, ID. c., headquarters
OF the National Geographic Society.
From the Annamite point of view
the present ruler is exercising a rea-
sonable elaboration, for how is he
to know whether these juvenile ma
ions are going to last until they are
a few centuries old? Take the Ro-
man and Russian empires for exam
pie. Mere fiutters in history to one
who sits or the jeweled throne of
AMMAN, beneath the grinning Great
Dragon OF the Five Imperial Claws
which has been biting his sixty
four sacred teeth into the royal en-
blem since several centuries before
the time Of Christ.
Amid the Balkans of the East
If you do not carry the analogy
toe far AMMAN may be called the
Albania of the East, located on the
Balkan Peninsula of Asia. AS you
consider this comparison note hat
pendant from Asia, as from Europe,
are three peninsulas, and that Ara
bia and India, just as Spain and It.
ally in Europe. comprise ancient civ
ilization and distinctive people.
However, in Asia's eastern penin-
sula, as in the Balkans, one finds q
racial melody with alien powers long
~contending for footholds among
them. India tapers off down the
western side, Siam holds the center
with a kite-tail sort of All extension
south to the Federated Malay states,
while IN the west coast French
Indo-China bulks one-fourth larger
than Continental France herself.
And along the South China %seacoast
of French Indo-China lies the noun
tain barrier which is AMMAN, less
hundred miles wide but nearly
500 miles long. The Jagged hills of
this range, sparsely peopled by orr
entail .mountineers, accent the like
ness to Albanis. Toward the rising
sun these mountains look down up
on the sea. which they u off from
easy access to the fertile valley of
the Mighty Mekong to the west.
they bind two plenteous
deltas. that Of the Red River in Ton
kin, on the north, and that Of Me-
many mouths. in Cochin
China, to the south.
A "Flapper" OF the Orient
"a mountain maid of AMMAN Is
lar different from her more rugged
sister of Albania. She wears a one
piece gown caught loosely about the
waist. Her body is bare save for
long strings of beads, one
hanging beneath each breast. She
years as many necklaces as her neck
will permit. and her forearm is COW
cred by a spiral metal bracelet.
Earrings have enlarged the lobes of
ner ears, but her most striking feat
Ire at first glance is the huge hand
pipe she is apt to be smoking
In her exotic appearance one factor
alone stands out with uncanny ia
niliarity t. western eyes. ana that
Is the way her hair is parted and
done up in the demure fashion Of an
American girl Of the Civil War pc
ROD. The girls Of AMMAN have far
freedom than those of China
and have one advantage over their
sisters-for in AMMAN the
boys take care of the babies.
Coming down from the noun
tains, away from the wilder peoples
Of AMMAN, known as Mois, the sim
Albania fades. For you en-
counter IN ancient civilization,
comparable to and largely patterned
after, that Of China. Hue, Annam's
and port, situated half way
along it's lengthy coast line. dis
closes q series Of red rooted abodes
live the mandarins. and one
magnificent establishment rooted in
where the emperor dwells.
True, the French protectorate has
curtailed his absolute sway in some
particulars. but to his
millions of subjects he still is the
sole and supreme ruler.
1.-The present young monarch of
ancient AMMAN is democratic. When
,e goes abroad for diversion he ride
in an open carriage, but the palan-
luin still is employed in his official
He is lot inaccessible when
he moves about the vast courts OF
the Imperial Palace, usually sur
rounded by secretaries, stewards
eunuchs, who are the secret service
men of this oriental executive.
But when he sits in state the gol-
den door that leads to his throne
room is closed to all but the extra
ordinary ambassadors who must
and touch their venerable fore
heads three times to the ground be-
fore they may enter the royal pres
ence. The young king follows the
customs Of many imperial genera
tions by amounting himself with oil
and Weighing himself down with
Has Luxury of Versailles
IT, .- ~& 4hA NAL l
aces of Hue are comparable with
those of Versailles. The monument
tai gate, broad terraces with their
gigantic. urns. perfume burners,
rooms of gold and silver in rarest
pattern, and children's ballet. be-
token a high degree of culture.
For it's influence upon the ira
ditions and habits and s~low-chang
ing customs of AMMAN there is a ST.
lent city near Hue-the City of the
Dead on the Plain of the Tombs-
which deserves to rank with the
capital. This community is a gen.
uine eity-a city of streets and
houses, Of gardens and palaces and
pagodas-it lacks only living beings. !
Here are sculptured likenesses of
relatives Of departed kings. and even
of their household servants. It
casts strange spell. over visitor with
its every strange arrangement for
living, and no sign of life. 1t COM
m~unicates. as nothing else in AMMAN
a sense of Annamite reverence tor |
the past and is a symbol for that
oriental mindfulness of ties with all
that has gone before"
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