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And so it is really deplorable, that the financial crisis of our country makes it impossible to work with such energy as would be desirable and properly speaking necessary.
In the meantime we can only hope for better times, and prepare for them.
So, I think, that in our country, when our Society: Red Cross, or Red Star, will have grown on account of native membership, this Society could organize propaganda-cam- paigns by means of a cinema-auto, as Singapore and some States of America are said to have done, showing moving pictures, while a propagandist could deliver a lecture in the national language, as simple as possible, with reference to the picture, and could sell books on the same subject.
For our Javanese I have already proposed to the Government, with the co-operation of the Javanese Princes, to make a film of a performance by the princely actors of "a wayang wong", which shows a "lakon", a stage-play, in which the old Javanese legends are told, but in which also three, seemingly comical personages act, who can speak upon every subject they like, and thus could spread better hygienic ideas among the people, which is very fond of these performances, and as we would photograph the best company, which exists in Java, we would also encourage the old national arts.
We are intending also to photograph a performance by the "wayang kulit", the Javanese shadow-play, wherein the "dalang", the narrator, who also works the figures, can give his hygienical teachings to his countrymen, which teachings we will project as text, while during the show, we shall make the "gamelang" the native orchestra, play. Of course our Society can take over this plan, when its financial circumstances are perhaps relatively better than those of the Government,- of which I cannot judge, and the Government will in this case undoubtedly lend its officials and its apparatus gratuitously. In this manner the propaganda will become very beloved in the Javanese country, and so we will have the best results. Moreover, I repeat once more, one of the most difficult things we have to cope with, is, that the population and the Government as also our Society are not of the same race
nor of the same religion, and thus often a silent, subconscious opposition is raised, even by acts meant for the best, as if they know the Virgilian verse:
"Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes"
and, alas, in times of old, it was often not without reason, so that we now suffer for it, but in the way I have just suggested, I think that distrust will not be raised.
It may be, that my suggestion will also be useful to the de- legates of other countries, where a similar difference between the Government and the population exists, and therefore I have given many details, which were not at all pleasant for me to tell, and i hope, that my colleagues also will give full information, that I may learn, how they have overcome the same or similar difficulties.
Then it seems to me of the utmost importance, that already in the primary schools the children learn the principles of hygiene, very simply in the beginning, but more advanced and profound as the children grow older. So I have seen it in the Philippines, it being the American educational system. But one thing, I think, will be of the greatest importance for the future of manhood especially in the tropics, I mean the sex-education. But it seems to me, that we can learn many things in regard to these problems, from the native population, which looks upon sexuality in a more natural way and with less prejudice, even upon sexual anomalies, than we do.
As a beautiful example of what I mean, I will give you a specimen of Javanese poetry, a verse, written in Dutch by a Prince of the House of PAKOE ALAM in Djokjakarta, Raden Mas NOTO SOEROTO, in his "Melati-knoppen" ("Buds of Melati").
It is dedicated to his sister:
"Why I call you my darling-sister?
Without knowing I have prophesied to mother That her prayer would be granted in my whispering desire.
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