The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-08-22
1t You Want to See Native Ball. Better Hurry!
Exploited Dutch Paradise Isle May Not Last
By SAX BRADFORD


BALTIC thrifty Dutch have
brought the art of separating the
unwary tourist from his coin to a
state OF perfection in this highly
advertised last paradise
From every part of the civilized
world come sun-helmeted men and
women in gasping droves TO watch
the half-clad natives 60 through
the PAGES carefully drilled into
them by the efficient Dutch tour
list bureau. They snap photographs
OF funeral services. peer into pri-
waite homes, put their fingers into
dishes Of rice curry. giggle at bare
bosoms and whish through villages
in luxurious automobiles at so
guilders a day 1880 U. 81
It is all great fun for the tour
list and the native, and it nets the
Dutch tidy sum to stow away in
the Amsterdam banks.
Thirst Party Advised
The Fleeing process begins when
the tourist books passage to Bali
just off the coast of Java. He
finds (unless he is on one of the
rare and expensive round-the-
world lines) that be must book
passage on Dutch ship. The
royal family of Holland is heavy
owners of stock in East Indies
steamship companies, which ex-
plains why these enjoy a monop-
oily of the inter-island trade. Fares
on these lines are exorbitant-but
if you want to see Bali you must
pay it and like 1t.
Steamers stop at the roadstead
of Boeleleng only. so that the tour
list faces a long and expensive rao-
tor trip TO reach the inhabited
south of the island.
A GLIDE Dutch tourist guide ex-
plains at Boeleleng that you can
really see the island only by join
ing tourist party. A long list Of
automobiles is already drawn up
to start on the carefully selected
route for those passengers who
were sold the tour by their travel
agents in Europe or America. The
independent tourist faces the alter
native of paying the outrageous
fee charged for the official tour
or trying to find an automobile
and starting out on his own. He
chooses the former course almost
invariably.
One Mad Flight
He speeds past rice fields and
cocoanut groves, grapes at an oc-
casional native pedestrian in batik
sarong and turban, ends his
GREATNESS dash in the foreyard
of the elaborate Bali hotel in the
city of Den Pesar, in thickly popu-
lated South Bali.
There he is subjected to a dizzy
reund---of legong dances. illegal
cock-fights. village cremations and
rice-and-meat dinners until hin
pocketbook thins-usually two or
three days. Then he is whisked to
a sacred mountain or two, q BAN
you grove and the tombs Of de-
parted royalty. then back to Boele-
leng and the waiting steamer.
Once aboard and headed some
where else, he remembers the
things he came to see, the ques-
tions he meant to ask.
The Balinese (there are 1885,
900 of them were conquered 30
years ago by the Dutch. The en-
pire of Holland embraced Java,
just next door, for 300 years. Bali
was unimportant commercially,
and so it was apparent not much
could be wrung from the natives
in taxes.
Malay Word for Sucker
The rise of the tourist industry
made Bali a standout attraction,
and so a Dutch army wiped out
Balinese prince and his retainers,
and the Dutch flag flew over Den
Pesar. Publicity and advertising
did their work, and today there is
r