Evening star., 1949-07-01

have lived among them and they have
my highest regard.
"Kau Kau" is a slang phrase for food,
pronounced Cow cow" s. M. DOWS.
Impressions of Burma
Set Forth by Sir Bernard Binns
To the Editor of The Star:
Perhaps you will permit one who has had
a long and intimate connection with Burma
and the Burmese people, among whom he
claims very many friends, to comment on
the editorial in your issue Of June 81 on the
recent gift Of Burmese books to the Library
of Congress.
While it must be admitted that most
Americans had scarcely heard Of Burma till
1e41 and that this ignorance still persists
very widely, this does not mean that there
has not been in the past close and intimate
contact between Burma and certain classes
Of Americans.
Perhaps the best known American in Bur-
ma was in the past the Baptist missionary,
DR.. Judson, who was one Of the most famous
modern Christian missionaries In Asia and
commenced his mission under the Burmese
kings. DR.. Judson was notable Burmese
scholar who compiled what Is still the best
completed dictionary of the Burmese langu-
age. From DR.. Judson's time the American
Baptist Mission always has had wide and
happy relations with the peoples OF Burma.
One Of the two general constituent colleges
of the University of Rangoon Gudson Col
lege) was originally an American Baptist
foundation, stated, so far as its non-Bur-
man staff was concerned, entirely by Ameri-
cans. Several Of the best schools in the coun-
try are also A. B. NJ foundations. Among re-
cent American missionaries of note may be
mentioned the late DR.. Case, the agricul-
turist missionary, who unfortunately lost his
life in the l941 exodus, and the well-known
medical missionary DR.. Seagrave.
Oil Workers Present
Another notable American connection with
Burma arose from the fact that for many
years the oil companies employed large num-
bers Of Americans in the fields especially
as drillers In latter years these were re-
placed by Scotsmen, but in its heyday the
American Club in Yenangyaung was very
well-known institution and the Texan or
Oklahoman driller was characteristic fig
ure both IL. the oil fields and in Rangoon.
It is true that, in spite Of her great natural
attractions and the unique and colorful
charm Of her people, Burma never was
common resort Of the ordinary tourist OF
any nationality. The reasons for this. how
ever, are not to be found in any form OF
official disbursement but rather IN the
facts that outside Rangoon there were only
one or two hotels and that Rangoon was
terminal and not an intermediate port. Bur-
ma therefore had to be specially visited, and
any prolonged tour involved more organiza-
ton than the ordinary tourist was prepared
to undertake. Nevertheless. during my own
wide travels in Burma met as many Ameri-
can tourists as others.
Further I can assure you that there was
no official discrimination against American
businessmen in Burma during the British
period It is true that there were certain
minor tariff preferences in favor OF British
countries (including India), but these Ger
tainly did not have the effect OF keeping
American goods out Most Of the automo-
biles III the country were American; Ameri-
can refrigerators were the first to be i'm
ported, and all types Of American consumer
goods from canned food and electric torches
to women's clothing and cotton piece goods
were on sale In every shop. Most OF these
goods were. it is true. brought in by British.
Indian q. Chinese importers and agents, but
this did not imply any discrimination against
American firms. Apart from the tariff pre-
ferences the only restriction on foreign busi-
ness that remember was general prohibi-
ton against the grant Of mining leases to
foreigners.
Business Men Of Different Nations.
Many nom -Burmans, besides the British,
took part in the commerce of Burma -
Dutch, Danish. French, Swedish, Chinese,
Japanese and Indians. My recollection Is
that there we're also some resident American
businessmen. If these were few, it must have
been by their own choice. There were also
visiting businessmen: For example. at least
one well-known American buyer regularly
visited the ruby mines at Mogok. The United
States Of America thought sufficiently highly
Of its trade connections with Burma to main
tain consul de carriere in Rangoon and to
raise the office to the status OF Consul-0en-
eral In 144l. OF course, Americans were busi-
ness rivals Of the British-and Of the Indians.
Chinese and japanese -- In Burma, but
know of no attempt to exclude them on that
account.
It may be true that the Burmans met
relatively few Americans, though for this
the Americans, and neither the Burmans
nor the British, were mainly responsible; but
cans to be able to distinguish them clearly
from the British, and resident Americans
generally were certainly Of ".the friendliest"
type, living in close and intimate contact
with the people and deeply sympathetic to
their political and cultural idiosyncracies.
In conclusion, perhaps may mention that
the present gift Of books by Burma means
much more than q similar gift from many
other countries could mean, because. as a
result of the Japanese invasion. most public
and private collections Of books were dis
persed and lost, and shortage Of paper and
presses has since severely restricted re-
printing. BERNARD Q. BINNS.
Testifies to Pleasure Over