A Burmese wonderland; a tale of travel in Lower and ... - Khamkoo

A BURMESE WONDERLAND. 176
The results of this sort of thing may be imagined.
It is absurd to judge the Burmese soldier of to-day by
the disastrous results of a bad start, in which he alone
of all the various indigenous races was a victim.
Kachins, Karens and Shans were all much better
recruited. The Karens had their Missionaries, as well
as eminent men of their own race Uke the Hon'ble
San C.
Po, and U. Myat Nyen (President of the Bassein
Branch of the Karen National Association) to look
after them. The Shans were raised by the efforts of
Mr. Stirling and Mr. Grose through the agency of
Sawbwas, or Chiefs. The Kachins came through the
Military Police and were, of course, supported by
Mr. Scott and his Bhamo Hills.
The zeal with which many Burmans recruited for
the Army during the war is not to be generally condemned
just because sometimes it was misdirected, or
because some were mere Scalp Hunters (at Rs. 10 per
scalp). Burmans, obscure and eminent, worked hard
because they were filled with a great desire to create a
Burmese Army. The whole project would undoubtedly
have failed but for their sustained and earnest cooperation.
They realized that the non-existence of
Burmese soldiers was a national disgrace (though one
for which they were not responsible) : that \\ithout
military efficiency the country could not hope for
political progress. They were out for numbers, but
did not see that Armies are no longer drawn from the
Bcum of the population. Speeches were made exhorting