1937-09-27 — Page 8

Page

CHINA MAIL,

PRESTIGE OR PLAIN

stand at its

Economic Problem Perhaps the most important as-

SPARCOUT

has

cannot bat:

counted his brothe

bandon him to his

The Dutch, who, while admitting

"You as a Britisher talk about the and parcel of an extension of Hol ple may

it is most needed, among the half-caste, we, the Dutch, do not land into Asia. know the meaning of the word

There are, of course, other funda- tants of a native State. Officially there is no such thing as a mental reasons for the two points half-caste in the Dutch East Indies. of view: the divergence of opinion If a man is of mixed parentage, he on what the half-caste is worth pect of the half-caste question is the economic problem of the half- problem is to us a Netherlander in exactly measured in sheer man power, for, the economic problem he presents, caste, deny that a social the same degree as anyone arriving instance, and the varying values set That problem is freely admitted even exists, do not fairly face the facts. from Holland for the first time by on prestige as a force stronger than by those Dutchmen who are optimis- The fact is that the economic pro- this morning's boat

force in government.

tically convinced that the social problem creates the social problem; and So spoke a Dutch Civil servant, The first question I was eager to blem of the half-caste does not you have only to observe the half- caste in the grip of depression to explaining to me the national point ask my Dutch friends was "And exist.

The half-caste is a Dutchman only see the social problem at its most of view on the child of mixed paren- how does your point of view work

In British In practice? ·

India, as long as he can afford to be a acute- <tage.

In the poorer classes I have met and talked with half- Further investigation bore out the where the Eurasian is by no means Dutchman.

fight against sinking back castes who are living on a few pence exact truth of his words. To the persona grata, it is largely because the Dutchman the half-caste is a Dutch- man. Every job in the Govern- ment service is open to him up to the Governor-Generalship of the Dutch East Indies. As a fact

(and it is a fact that excites no

COMMONSENSE?

the ataive kampongs is day in the native kampangs of indeed. Throughout the the big towns in Java, laving thus,

particular interest) his Excellency we feel that his breeding gives him into the Governor of Djokjakarta, with the bad points of both races and the severe whom I had the privilege of an good qualities of neither. That is depression, which has lasted for and without hope of bettered con- Dutch such long and bitter years in Java, ditions in the future. Such men in audience, is of mixed European and not your experience in the

hundreds, if not thousands, of half such predicaments are not noticeably Asiatic blood. So are many of the East Indies?”” higher officers in the army and; "As we have held these views and castes who began life with the birth- European. If it were not out of navy; there are admirals and gen- successfully governed these islands right of Dutchmen have been swal- place to be slangily flippant on a erals quite dark enough to be mis- for about four centuries, that is lowed up by the native population theme of tragedy, one might The feelings of a member of this that they were conspicuously taken, or as some might say, not evidently not our experience," I was

drily informed to be mistaken, for Asiatics.

may well be imagined. Dutch than in Dutch" he needs is wealth, education wealth take his place in

Native Objections

class

All

When the arguments are balanced, Socially, as in the field of profes

But that answer, though it ex- the sion or business, the same tradi-

buy, it seems that there is most any said for the English contention that tion holds; the half-caste is a Dutch- presses the official point of view, is to

all society in the land. Because of an the half-caste creates a problem, so- Kergia. He is accepted in any class not the unanimous opinion of of society to which his economic Dutchmen in the Dutch East Indies. economic depression for which he is cial and economic, which is too in- positions gives him the right of I met many, especially among the not to blame he is denied education tricate and bitter ever to be satis- entry.

younger men fresh from Holland, and the position education can fit factorily solved.

Poles Apart

who were disposed, as one of them him for, which will make a Dutch- In a word, he creates a problem The half-caste problem, it should put it, "to think British" on this man of him. Out of sheer poverty that can only be happily disposed be mentioned, exists primarily in subject. I met at least one Civil he must become a native; and be of in one way, by the adoption of Java. There are no half-castes in servant in one of the highest ad cause of his breeding, it is not im the proven, British tradition the Bali, and the British influence in ministrative offices whom first-hand possible or even unnatural for him tradition of not creating the half- Sumatra is said to be one of the acquaintance with British rule. in to do so, though that does not lessen caste in the first place. reasons why so many fewer chil- India and a lifetime of experience

By Denzil Batchelor

dren of mixed parentage are to be in the Dutch East Indies had con-

found in the northern island.

vinced that the British point of view was the sounder.

THE

TW

WORLD GOES BY

* *

By "ULYSSES"

vertising gem

I like to think of that supreme "Sudden wealth affects people in moment when he sparkled out with different ways," says a financier. It the memorable words, "A determin enables some to find their feet, and ed mite of rubber"

But don't let me spoil it for you. makes others lose their heads.

Here you are:

You're all set for summer

"And in Holland?" I asked.

They are still Dutchmen: pre- In the first place he questioned TWENTY extra exits have been out. I like to think of him crouch-

placed round a football grounding over his desk in cisely and exactly as much Dutch- whether in fact the half-caste was as men as those whose families have good a man as the European. The old at Home. That should give the re-ecstasy that gave birth to this never left their suburb of Rot doubts about the Eurasian's relia feree a sporting chance. terdam within the memory of man. bility, strength of character, and, They marry Dutch girls, they are above all, value in a crisis assailed

are him. accepted everywhere. They made to feel at home, for they are An even stronger objection to the system, in his opinion, was the in their own land.”

Again it was quite true. As true point of view of the native. A mere as the often-heard stories of girls handful of British are able to con- Denying a charge of drunkenness out from Holland who ma men trol and dominate the countless mil-a defendant protested that he had "Nemolet the new foundation sensu with large brown families and are lions of India because they have merely been upset by finding him tion. It's a garterless girdle, a legless to self overdrawn at the bank. It was panhe . A determined mite of expected to bring them up with something stronger than force their own and take them back to the give them authority; they have pres-only his money, it seems, that was rubber snuggles against your thigh and holds tenderly, yet tenaciously, homeland when the time comes for tige. In the Dutch East Indies the tight.

*

comfortably, yet numistakably. retirement. I learnt of one such white man accepts the half-caste as case (not unique) where the mo- a white man; but the native does Extract from the novel "Magni-It's the cutest, coolest girdle that ther of the first family actually stay- not. The native recognises that he ficent Obsession," indicating that ever hugged your hips.” ed on to act as servant to the young is as much a blood brother to the gravity has been defied again.

"He shook his head, with tightly wife who had come out from Hol- man who refuses to admit his claim land to bring up the dark children to kinship as is the white man to closed eyes, and gripped her hand.

be- The emotional tension of the past Capable Girl with her own. And this is under- whose family he professes to taken not in any noble spirit of long. When the half-caste is given half-hour was taking advantage of martyrdom, as the great cross the a position of command, the Dutch his physical weakness. Hot tears Something seems to have got a women of a country with an Asiatic feel that they are appointing a Neth-seeped through his lashes and tricki-bit scrambled up in this news item. "The seventeen-year-old girl has empire have to bear, but rather as erlander to govern natives; but to ed down his temples.”

the native, a native has been set in Of course, he may have been stand- been missing from her parents home authority over his own flesh and ing on his head

a perfectly normal state of affairs

as a matter of course.

-

blood whom he is too proud or too ashamed to recognise.

*

in-Manchester for four days. Her parents are not unduly worried and On this question, the British and

The March of Civilisation, as said She's a capable girl and knows the Dutch points of view are diame trically opposed: poles apart One In one or two great native States quoted by the New York Times. how to look after herself At 2:30 conspicuous fact the magnificent Temple of am she was dying at 11,000 feet of the reasons underlying this dif- in Java, it is ferentiation the fact that the that nearly every member of the Humanity at Osaka was sold under and was about 195 miles from Bot- (Newfoundland). She was Englishman, in India feels himself to staff of the Dutch Governor, is of the auctioneer's hammer to day to wood

scrap iron for rships of making about 165 miles an hour and be still primarily and essentially an pare European blood, and I was pri-furnish

had been successful in picking up Englishman, an exile, governing a vately assured by an official that Japan's increasing navy. foreign race in a foreign try, there can be no doubt (though it Pardon my horrible laughter.

the

would never be officially admitted) Dutch

that the Governor-General of the Fashion Notes the ties there, blends himself into the Indies has deliberately chosen white

while

Dutchman comes

und, and sees the land, its presentatives of the white race so I like to think of the advertise

their rulers, all as part that the prestige of the ruling peo-Iment writer who whipped this one

a following wind. Her

is described by American avis terrine

“The Argus

Well I'll admit I'm a hit impressed