Evening star., 1941-10-26
Natures Part in Creating Vital Regions of the World
Ill
Malay JuneIes
To Tropical Richness

This is the third of a series OF
informative articles and maps OF
the fascinating geographic back
ground of 1rorld areas in the 1elDs
OF today. At the request OF The
Sunday Star, the National Geo.
graphic Society, as q part OF its
many educational actiuitieS, has
prepared the basic data and dc-
companying maps from its rich
resources of geographic kno,Cl-
edge and surveys. BY clipping
this series from Deek to week,
adults and school pupils may ac-
Quire a gazetteer for permanent
reference and Interpretation OF
neUs dispatches.
Copyright: National Geographic
Society.
Every time you open tin can or
put air into an automobile tire,
think of Singapore, teeming with
commerce at the tip Of Southeastern
Asia. From its busy harbor bulky
freighters carry four-fifths of the
worlds rubber and more than half
its tin
Where does Singapore get this
wealth Of raw material for the fac
tories of the United States and Great
Britain?
Some of it comes from Sumatra
and other islands of the Netherlands
Indies. But the greater part is pro-
duced in the Malay Peninsula,
stretching toward the Equator like
a thOuSand-m mile arm.
The way an abundant but diSor-
derly nature has been put to work
in this hot, damp jungle land is a
thrilling story Of modern pioneering.
1t is story of how white men used
the helpful things that geography
provided and conquered geographic
obstacles to develop tropical riches.
To one man in particular, Sir
Stamford Raff1es, goes much Of the
credit. AS young British govern
ment official sent to the East from
London. Rafles was impressed by
the possible value of the wild Malay
region. One of his aims was to i'm
prove trade with the homeland. To
do so, there had to be well-located
port. So in 1919 Raffles arranged
to buy from the Sultan of Johore the
site of present-day Singapore. then
a jungle island where tigers ate ma
tives at night.
From a geographic standpoint. the
young Englishman could scarcely
have selected better spot. It is one
OF two most valuable and strategic
entrances to the Pacific Ocean. The
other is the Panama Canal, short
cut from Europe and the Eastern
United States.
At the crossroads of the East,
Singapore has grown into an amaz-
ing mixture of ornamental Moham-
medan mosques. loss houses" where
Chinese worship, and modern busi-
ness buildings. 1t is a great center
for trade and the exchange Of goods
among Europe, Africa, India, Aus
tralia, Japan, China and the Amer
icas. Over its wharves pass oil,
quinine, hides and spices from the
Netherlands Indies; teakwood from
Thailand (Which used to be called
Siam and Burma; hemp from the
Philippines: rice from Indo- China.
To protect its Asiatic commerce,
Britain has fortified the city and
made it formidable naval base.
When Singapore was founded, vir-
tually the entire Malay Peninsula
was steaming jungle Only ele-
phant paths led through the chok-
ing tangle of trees and vines. Tigers
lurked at the waters edge, pythons
coiled among leafy branches and
leopards silently Stalked bright
plumaged birds.
Today there still is plenty of jun
gle, some parts so dense that men
never have penetrated them. Wild
animals still abound. But acre
after acre has been cleared and Is
cultivated in big plantations.
Sixty years ago a few rubber
plants brought from the Amazon
jungles of Brazil fruited in Singa-
pore. That was the beginning of the
rubber industry in the British Malay
States, which now produce nearly
half the world supply.
Geographers, looking back, can
readily see why rubber fourished.
The soil on the low. coastal plains
and the rolling hills is rich. All
through the year temperatures are
high; the weather is too hot for the
white mans comfort There is
great deal Of rain, 10 to 120 inches
a year.
These natural advantages are