"EAST AND WEST"

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 136, 10 June 1937, Page 10

"EAST AND WEST"

LESSON TO LEARN

FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE

SELF OR SERVICE?

Discussing the fundamental difference between East and West in the Orient and the Occident—at a New Zealand Club luncheon today, Mr. J. S. Barton, C.M.G., said that the visit he had made to the East last year had caused him to wonder whether or not the West might not learn a lesson from the East. The West was marked by its striving after happiness and contentment; the East had accepted both. He expressed the opinion that happiness could not be captured by a frontal attack, but might be secured through service.

Mr. Barton said he had chosen "East and West" as his subject because he had taken a trip to Java for health reasons, and had thoroughly enjoyed it. He had visited various islands as well as the mainland of Java. The scenery in the islands was very beautiful, and the provisions for transport were most up to date. In Java the railway rolling stock was excellent, the observation car he had travelled in being better than anything similar he had seen before. Although Java had a very hot climate, it was cold in the hills, and while in the hills his party had visited hot springs similar to those in New! Zealand. After passing through Java he spent ten days in Batavia. The weather was excessively hot and no one moved abroad during the middle of the day.

In Batavia, said Mr. Barton, he had met several Dutch' official's, and they had all helped to make his stay pleasant. Most of the problems of the Dutch were similar to those of New Zealanders. Java was a colony halfway round the world, largely financed by Holland. The principal income w,as from primary products, and the colonists looked to their home country to buy their produce. There was one problem the Dutch had to face that did not exist in New Zealand. Java had a native population of 42,000,000, and this population had been thrown on the 1 l>our. market by the slump. Many of the natives had been brought to the verge of starvation, but conditions were improving again. THE MAIN DIFFERENCE. • Observing life in the East had made him think about the difference between the Occidental and the Oriental, Mr. Barton said. The Occidental always wanted to increase what he had, while the Oriental submitted to fate and was satisfied with his lot. Thu Occidental was prepared to lead a lifs of strain and worry to achieve his' desires, but the Oriental accepted what he had and appeared to be happy in doing so. On the Dutch boats all the stewards were Chinese and they gave an exceedingly efficient service, while they showed clearly that they were the happiest persons on the ship. They appeared to get pleasure from their work and when they were off duty they were the happiest people on deck. The same thing applied to the Javanese workers. One factory visited was overcrowded; there was child labour and obvious speeding-up, but the workers were the happiest he had ever seen. Even the children chatted and laughed while they worked. On the other hand - the Occidental was protected by law in the conditions of labour and the amount of. wages, but 'he was discontented- and often at the point of revolt. The white was trying to capture happiness by a frontal attack, but he would never do so Happiness and contentment couH not be secured by self-seeking, but they might be found through service. They might be found through the words: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all else will be added unto you." If the economic equivalent of those words could be achieved, the Occidental might get somewhere. When he did it would be announced in the smiling faces of satisfied and contented workmen. At the Conclusion of Mr. Barton's address, the chairman, Mr. J. Mclntosh, presented him with a silver kiwi on a greenstone stand as a token of the appreciation of members of the club.