Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-10-10

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington. D. CO.
While the Netherlands are celebrat-
ing the silver jubilee of their ruler
and the peace and well-being of the
Kingdom in war-torn Europe, one may
well turn half around the world to
the beautiful island of Java, queen of
Dutch possessions, which has contrib
uted so heavily to the country's pros
perity.
Distance does Java an injustice. The
Westerner, seeing on his map this
slender island lying off the southeast
ern point Of Asia, might well compare
1t to our own Long Island which it
resembles In shape. But Java is a
giant, equaling in area the entire state
Of New York.
Volcano-made in the first place, and
constantly being remade by them,
Java has more volcanoes than any
area Of its size in the world. Esti-
mates OK the active and extinct GRAFT
ers range from 100 to $50. Every
where In Java, in the huge crater
lakes, In assures that now are river
beds, even in ancient temples, half
finished when interrupted by some
fiery CONFUSION, are evidences of cat
aclysmic forces-such turbulent forces
as now are in continuous hysteria In
the Valley of the Ten Thousand
Smokes in Alaska-and break their
crusted surface cage internationally in
Java.
Java is fifth in size of the Dutch
islands; but it Is probably best known,
and for good reason. Enthusiastic
observers have called it ''the garden
spot Of the world" It's soil is con-
stantly enriched by it's active vol
canoes, 1t is well watered, and four
out OF every five acres of it's surface
are cultivated. Even mountain peaks
10000 feet high are girdled by unbrok-
en- fields up to half their height, above
which forests still hold sway.
Java, with its $4,000 square miles
Of area, has a population of about
85,000,0 O0-one-third that Of the Unit
ed States which is 70 times as large.
Compared with other geographical
units Of It's size, it Is probably the
most populous as we'll as the most
prosperous region in the world. Most
of the inhabitants live In villages. AL
though it has only four cities as large
or larger than Reading, Pa, the dens-
ity of population for the island as
whole is close to 700 per square mile
greater than that of Belgium, the
most crowded country in Europe, or
Shantung the most heavily populated
province in China.
Luxuriance Of Vegetation.
The deep rich soil of this favored
island supports a vegetation which, in
luxuriance and variety, is unsurpassed
by that of any other region of similar
area, and ever since the Dutch estab-
lished their first settlement on the
island, in 1898, a golden harvest of
agricultural products has been year.
ly garnered to swell the granaries of
the colonists and the revenues Of the
home government.
To the visiting American perhaps
one Of the most noticeable features
about Java Is the distinctly paternal
character of the Dutch colonial admin
istration. On landing at Batavia, one
must report directly to the chief of
police to obtain permits to travel on
the island. Before these are granted,
full answers must be given as to
names, nationality, occupation, age
and purpose in visiting Java. During
the travellers subsequent wanderings,
he must hold these permits in readi-
ness for inspection by officials, and at
all times his movements are a matter
OF some interest to the authorities. Is
a. matter of fact the uniform policy
OF the government has been, in for
mer years, to discourage foreign trav-
ell In Netherlands-India, and the pres
ent regulations are only a concession
TO the modern spirit which demands
free intercourse among the nations.
To one who halls from a country
where private initiative counts for
30 much, 1t Is something of a surprise
to learn that nearly all the land is
owned by the government. In secur-
Ing from the native princes by treaty
end purchase the lordship of the land.
the Dutch government also Inherited
the right to receive one-fifth Of prod
uce and the labor of the peasant. This
led to the introduction. in the year
1882, of what is known as the "culture
system" This was device to IN
crease the revenues, and consisted in
the exaction Of forced labor from the
peasants. who were compelled, under
official supervision, to cultivate tobac-
90, roffee, sugar, tea and indigo for