The Men Made History, The Women Make Headlines

New Zealand Listener, Volume 14, Issue 349, 1 March 1946, Page 11

The Men Made History, The Women Make Headlines

These troubles over succession seem to be endemic in the Brooke family. Sir Charles, the second rajah, succeeded Sir James only because he happened to be assiduously on hand when Sir James became fed up with the other nephew whom he had been schooling for the post. Charles, also, had taken the precaution of. changing his birth name of Johnston to Brooke. But he in turn was not merely bitterly disappointed, but actually humiliated on each occasion that his daughter-in-law produced yet another of her now "fabulous" daughters. For each time, in certainty of a son, he had had, for weeks beforehand, one hundred guns feady to fire off in his capital of Kuching. Later he became suddenly suspicious of Vyner himself and, without informing him, had Bertram declared Tuan Muda and a Council established to watch over his heir. Vyner, from the government offices over the river opposite the Palace, replied furiously by letter. And thereafter salvos of correspondence passed both ways, the physical commotion caused by each new broadside being anxiously watched across the stream by the opposing. general’s staff. In Spite of All This... . For all these extraordinary antics the effect of Brooke rule upon Sarawak (if not of ruling Sarawak upon the Brookes) seems to have been almost entirely satisfactory. A joint council of native chiefs and departmental officers has advised each rajah, though ‘not until 1941 was representative government _ instituted. Suppression of private wars, and the absolute equality before the law of all sections and individuals in the country’s complicated congeries of tribes and peoples were first aims and principles. Then as internal security was established, Charles and later Vyner turned to repulsing the new enemy that this condition attracted. "It is not my policy," declared Vyner to the Council Negri, "and it never was the policy of my predecessors, to increase the revenue of the State by inviting any influx of foreign capital. Development of the resources of the country must be as far as possible carried out by the peers of Sarawak themselves." This policy has, of course, kept Sarawak "backward’"-in the sense that the natives work their own land and not in factories for outsiders. But their own agriculture progresses, the hospitals and schools of Christian missions flourish, and oil wells produce revenue. The Brookes, who have put on record that "the natives are not inferior to white men-only different," hold firmly that in this they are maintaining the first Rajah’s Testa-ment-‘"Sarawak belongs to the Malays, Dyaks, Kayans .... and the other tribes, and not to us. It is for them that we labour, not for ourselves." But probably the dynasty has run its course and Crown government, with the local constitution maintained, may be the best for all parties. It was Bernard Shaw, apparently, who first suggested selling aan £30,000,000, in 1913. Vyner Broc contracting out to-day for one c is probably (like Robert "aghast at his own moderation."