The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1950-03-30
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
by Huzel Brannon Smith
Singapore, Malaga
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t1GldyCQJ
Singapore is a British Crown
Colony and one of the most beau
tiful cities in South East Asia.
1t is an island and situated at the
southern tip of the Malayan
Peninsula and Joined to
Johore by a causeway
three-fourths of a mile long.
1t is 1925 miles from Manila
and l,408 miles to Hong Kong
only TIT miles from Bangkok,
Siam.
Many of the passengers on the
S. S. President Monroe on its
round the world cruise left the
ship at Singapore and went up to
Bangkok by plane rejoining the
ship several days later at Penang.
Singapore has an area of 225
square miles and is q. miles long
and IA miles wide. It's harbor is
lovely and visited every year by
more than 10000 ships. The popu-
lation of nearly 100000 persons
is IT'S per cent Chinese. The rest
is Polyglot living up to the city's
claim of being the ''cross roads of
the world"
The Federation of Malaga be-
came effective in 1948 and con-
sists of the four former Federated
Malay States of Perak, Selangor,
Negri Sembilan and Pahang, the
five former Unfederated States
and the two British settlements
of Penang and Malacca. Singa-
pore itself became a separate
Crown colony in 1916 when the
former colony of the Straits Set
Elements was dissolved and the
Malayan Union formed. The area
of the Federation is over $4,000
square miles and the estimated
population in 1850 is about five
million.
The former unfederated Malay
states are Johore, Kedah, Perlis,
Kalantan and Trengganu. Each
state is governed by its native
ruler who is subject to the adj
vice of the British High Commits
sioner except in religious mat
tiers. The Sultan of each state
has undertaken to promulgate a
written constitution for his state.
The Malay states are Of parti-
cular interest to the United
states because trey = tina graf
est source of tin in the world and
an important source of rubber.
Over sixty per cent of the Gull
tivated ares is devoted to grow
ing rubber.
Other products from the Mala-
van States are cocoanuts, rice,
tapioca, sugar. canned pineapples.
pepper, copra, camphor and palm
oil. Singapore plays an important
part in the trade of Malayan pro-
ducts. In l947 73 per cent of Ma
laya's foreign imports and So per
cent of its exports passed through
Singapore. 1t is a free port ex-
cept for duties on spirits, tobacco,
petrol, and a first registration tax
of is per cent on cars not OF Bril-
fish origin. Exchange, imports
and exports are all controlled.
Here again the British influence
dominates completely 49, in spite
of the fact that less than one per
cent of the total population is
European. The Malays account for
about twelve per cent of the pop
ulation and Indians rs per cent
The remainder is Chinese.
It is interesting to note a modi-
fled caste system prevails and the
various races represented follow
certain lines of work generation
after generation. For the most
part each race sticks to its own
section of the city and maintains
its own native dress and nod Oh
living which makes for a colorfui
and interesting city.
Entertainment features three
amusement parks which m tne
limited States would be called
street fairs and carnivals. These
amusement parks known as n
Great World. the New World and
the Happy World, are found
throughout Malaga and Hong
Kong as we'll. They contain CHI
nese theatres, cinemas, cabarets
and dance halls, wrestling and
boxing arenas and cater princi-
nallv to the Asiatic population.
The European visits these places
mostly to see native MaIayan
dances and to take in the Chi
nese theatre with its old and Ella
borate costumes. Merry-go-rounds,
ferris wheels and other amuse-
ment devices abound. All kinds
of gambling devices are found,
the Chinese being notorious gam
biers.. In practically every large
Chinese restaurant nah jong Is
Dlayed in the rear and as you en-
ioy your Chinese dinner you hear
the constant click of the NAH
5ong worries. /.
The Malayan money consists OF
Straits dollars and coins pattern
ed along the lines of United
States money. 1t is interesting to
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