The Washington times., 1933-04-26
EN- ROUTE TO BROADWAY,

world trip will probably serve
as well as anything in this
space. So:
Over in Rangoon, Burma,
went on a buying spree. I had
been told about a place called
Scott's market, where they sell
everything from a pen wiper to
a corn cure. And the prices
were supposed to be so reason
able that they practically paid
you to take the stuff away. All
foreign markets are like that
until you try to buy something.
Makes a Purchase
Well, what do you suppose
Hellinger went for? The one
thing that I needed least in the
world was a Burmese table, and
it would be the most difficult
thing to get back. So, naturally,
that's what I picked out. And
not one-but seven Of them.
The price for the lot came to
about $40 in our money, and it
certainly covered the biggest
mess Of junk anybody ever
bought for 500. I tumbled the
entire works into a car and took
the stuff over to the Cooks Of
flee for shipping. And there I
learned that my original invest
ment was only sort Of down
payment.
For the box to carry the table
to America, the cost came to
about $40. Tips and carrying
ran to about S.. The freight
charges to America came to
about $40. Since you can get
no receipt in a local market,
the customs boys will probably
give me a $35 duty when the
tables reach the dock in Jersey
and then I'll have to pay an
express company to get it to
my home in New York.
And what will be the net re-
suit? When I open the box I
will undoubtedly break a few
fingers. I will find that the
tables have been ruined by the
long voyage. And the first lady
who sees them will unquestion-
ably tell me that I could have
bought the same thing in any
New York five-and-ten cent
store.
Many Chinese
In Bangkok, Siam, so per
cent Of the population is
Chinese. Many of them are
among the towns foremost
merchants: and many are rick
shaw pullers of the town.
Strange to have a. capital city
contain more foreigners than
natives-but Bangkok is a
town of great contrasts no mat
ter how you look at it.
In some respects it is a
highly progressive city.
Yet it is one of the few
nations in the world that per-
mits open house for opium
smokers. In British-controlled
territory, no man can hit the
pipe unless he is a registered
smoker-and then the rule ap-
plies only to Cinnamon and
not to white men.
But in Bangkok, the situa-
ton is wide open. There are
at least 10 smoke shops in
town. and any visitor can take
his choice. The places are all
upon the main thoroughfares
and there is no attempt at
secrecy whatsoever. The pills
have been purchased direct
from the government and,
when a Chinaman or a white
man enters the place, he Is
handed pipe Immediately.
Hundreds Of Cinnamon,
naked but for a pair Of
trousers. recline on long tables
and kick the gong around to
their hearts content.
A Large Salary
The hold that opium has
upon the Chinese population
you find very few Siamese going
for the stuff-is amazing. Your
rickShaw puller, for example,
earns about 40 cents day in
our money. For that sum, he
must race through the hot
streets in the burning sun-it
was 103 degrees when I was
there-from dawn until eve
ming. Sometimes he pulls one
person and sometimes two.
Of this 40 cents he pays ex-
actly half to the man who rents
him the rickshaw. His three
meals through the day-all of
them rice-cost him 3 cents as
total. His lodging may cost
him a cent or two a day. And
with the possible IS cents that
remains from his torturous
days labor he purchases his
opium pill and dreams of the
millions that are his for an
hour.
He lives for nothing else.
While in Siam, requested a
Siamese gentleman to show me
a typical Siamese dance. I had
heard a great deal about them
and had even seen one or two
at private parties in New York.
But now I was on the home
6/w7ve > ahette,.-Lo -