CO129-479 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1923 [1-3] — Page 51

6

been based on the former, because its object was based upon charity, but it must be remembered, that this is not an exclusively Christian virtue, but a generally human one and so I should like to make the suggestion that our symbol be changed, if possible for the whole world into another one viz. a Red Star with five points: a universal symbol of guidance, trust and solace.

If it should be impossible to change the symbol of the whole Society, then I propose, that the Branch of the League, which is to be founded in the Far East, where all the five great religions, Buddhism, Hindooism, Judaism, Mohammedanism and Christianity exist side by side, will accept as its own symbol this Star, which can shine upon all the different peoples which must live and work there together.

I think, that in our country many difficulties would be overcome through such a change. And in this manner I think also, that it will be possible to increase the member- ship, because much opposition, proceeding from religious zeal, in a bad sense, would be disarmed.

Then, we must try to join hands with all the native associa- tions, trade-unions and other ones; for a country as ours, where we have in Java only some 100,000 Europeans against more than 35 million Natives, and more than 400,000 other Asiatics, it seems to me rather ill-judged, to see only to the Europeans. Moreover, the Natives and other Asiatics in the Dutch Indies are starting to unite themselves, a happy phenomenon however difficult it often may be for the Go- vernment and the European colonists,--because it signifies that they begin to understand, that one should not live for oneself alone, but that one's duty is to live for others. | think, that this time of awakening to a sense of confraternity will be a good one for founding a Society, which is based upon brotherhood of mankind. In this manner, I think it will be possible, that the basic principle of our Society will penetrate the souls of all the inhabitants of our country.

Charity, not consisting of almsgiving only, but also of personal, practical relief, will enter into the minds of the whole of our population.

- 7

Our Society should make a league of all those other Societies, which I have enumerated before, with the inten- tion of intensifying their activities.

Of course all this will require much money, and in this time of trade-depression an intense activity will belong to the pia vota.

Now it is indeed a very great pity, that this depression came at this time, as the awakening of the population is a reality, and I can offer you some figures to prove it:

I have already spoken of the "Commission of popular literature". This Commission has opened many libraries:

where

in the Malay-Javanese districts

51

"

"}

Malay-Madurese

Malay-Sundanese

"

11

Malay-Islands outside

of Java

everyone can borrow books,

one Dutch cent a week –

-

754

76

344

543

1617

one book costing

and in the year 1921: 55.327

of those little pamphlets and books, which I have shown you, or more than 1000 books per week, were lent out.

Among that number you find:

upon

First aid

4748

Cholera.

7538

Venereal diseases

6519

Influenza

4424

Hydrophobia.

4263

Eye-diseases.

2596

8137

2861

1086

2329 etc.

Drinking-habits

Opium-abuse.

Tuberculosis. Hygiene.

All these problems are of interest to the population, and

it shows clearly its susceptibility for health education; for all these books are written in their own languages, so that men, who, till now, have learned only these, will form the majority of the readers.

48