Ye the Editor of the "NontH-Cuiwa Dalny "News"
Sim,—Some tiffns, as everyone knows, are productive of quite a good deal of fiction, but there would appear to be no excuse for the fic~ ion doled out to the Rotarians at their last tiffin by the speaker, Mr. Zobel.
Tf Mr, Zobel intends thay book he is about to write, "The severed Isle," is to be a work well and good, but if not, and if it'contains such priceless ce-tails as those with which he regal-his hosts last Thursday, the book be merely another contribu-to the pile of twaddle which hoe already been written abou, the Luteh East Indies.
Mr. Zobel states he has - been there, and he, cannot therefore retort @ la Kentwelt "It must have seen the ceremony himself.
"The Dutch Government," Mr. Zobel states, "objects to the creme. tion ceremony, and therefore," he "i be done at night 'The Governmeny of the Dutch East Indies does' mot object. to these ceremonies at all: The ereimation ceremony, or lterbrandcalled down there, Hindoo ite, and the Government has never interfered in the slightest degree with any native rite, religi-ug oF otherwise.
And there is no secrecy about it, Why, whiler Mr, Zobel wes delivering his address, the str. Rumphi was_preparing "to leave Soerab {for Boeleling, the northern port of instead of going direc: to Main order to disembevke the many tourists and residents of Java, who had arranged to witness one of last Friday's eremation ceremonies which took place at indus, Bandjar, and Sudjadji.
There is nothing whatever tevious about the island. Hundreds of people visit the island every year—I have myself tramped and ¥dden all over' the island' severa! times,—and, since Mr, Zobel states he has been there, his Rota speech' on Bali and the Dutch merely a display of inexcusable ignorance.
T am, otos SI
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.