New Britain herald., 1923-06-26
CAROLINE ISLANDS
 ROMANTIC PLACE
Movies Vic With SWOrd Dances in
 Tropical Resort

Washington, n, c, June ss,=hssth Of an American Marine officer In the Caroline Islands brings to attention q region of the Pacific which vas cons spieueas whsn Van Rss discussed and when the Conference on the Limitar iian of AFmaments was sitting,
 "soNn iR the form Of an inverted T, the Pacific islands under Japanese mandate stretch s,is2 miles east and west, just north af the Equater," says bulletin from Washington, n, C., headquarters of the National GeegFa- Rhie Society,
 'ffhsy extend from l.oFd North Island, the westeEnm0st Of the care- llRss. to Mile Atoil, the easteEnmost of the Marshalls, and i,i7A miles north and south from Palares most northern Of the Marianas, to Green. wieh, in the caFalines, Small as they are, the stake out about i,hhA,000 square miles in the North Pacific"
 Iife Among the Natives Life among the natives Tn described in a communication to The Society by Iunius R, Wood which follows, In parts
 ''Ponape is about the center of the Iananese mandatory islands. its life and customs may be taken as stand ard for all the others.
 Those who have passed their lives along this border of the Equator say it Is the cleanest, healthiest. and happiest, Conditions and habits vary in the others: some arc better and some are worse. according to the In. diyidnal tastes.
 Each group of Islands has a lang uage of its own. The years are not long past when each was petty kingdom, and tho stranger cast up on ifs shores was hailed as a gift from the gods, whose head quickly adorned tho door post of the first islander to greet him,
 Missionaries Fashion Arbitcrs
 "The extent Of American missionary activity can be gauged by the length of the women's skirts In Yap. which uissionary influence has hardly touched. the fluffy fiber upholsterins clings precariously on the rat hips' In the Marianas and middle Carolines, skirts start above the waist-line. Tn Eusaie, the easternmost Of the caro- ! lines, they reach to the shoulders Tn one piece wrappers. In the Marshalls, where the missionary work has four lIshod without interruption. the long, trained wrappers. sweeping up the due, arc further ornamented with high ruffIe collars and wrist-length sleeves. a,
 "Formerly the natives were walk ing pictorial histories After the mis- sionaries came. tattoing was discour- aged. not caring to be tattoed them- selves. and in recent years It has been nrobibited It was considered sign courage. without which a young man or younp woman was not worthy to marry. -
 'rhe young people still practice an effete modification of the old tests of courage by pricking cicatrices' or little raised welts, on their nesn. Most of the girls prefer the rlgnt shou,der for the adornment, though some have them on their breasts. The boys adorn shoulders and chests
 "The welts, which are formed by making a fairly deep cut In the nesn and keeping 1t open until ne" sKln crows into a ridge, are usually apout an inch long and a quarter or an men wide. Sometimes they are arranged in straight lines, one for eacn aa- m,rer like the bangles on a hlgn- school girls friendship bracelet; again tbev may make an asterisk or are scattered indiscriminately over the shoulders. breast and back
 "rbe older people still show the old adornment. the lobes or the ee stretched intosloops until they toucn the shoulders, and bodies ana lmps tattooed, the most distinctive eHec. heinz broad parallel stripes or solo h,ack from ankles to thighs. HOW ever they follow modern conveniences and wear the long loops wrapped ,round the ears close to the head when they work, while skirts drape Tho pailv tattooed legs of the social ! leaders of former days.
 Movies and Sword Dancing "one night I attended open-air movies and Japanese sword oanclhs | Inv sailors and couple of proncieht | native boys on the lawn Of the oHlciai resident. Visitors and dignitaries had l rbairs while the others stood or souatted on the cool grass.
 Movies were a novelty to the na- lives bu. comparatively few had the energy to walk the quarter mile rom Inc settlement to the grounds An American comic of an indestructlole man wrecking furniture, and pictures of Japanese warships, including @ ooa. crew feverishly lowering a cutter were