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Show Sultan of Sulu Is a Modern Ruler. Prepared by National Geographic Society, V.'aahlnvton. D. C.-WNU Service. TIIK sultan of Sulu, the only oriental potentate ruling under the protection of the United States, has recently been bereft of all political power, although he still exercises religious authority over his Moro subjects In a little group of Islands which are part of the Philippines. Philip-pines. The new governor of the Philippines, Philip-pines, Frank Murphy, decided not to appoint the sultan to the Philippine senate. Although the sultan seldom took his seat, the honor had been accorded ac-corded him since the time of Gov. Gen. Dwlght F. Davis. "In real life the sultan of Sulu is not the amusing semi-savage that George Ade put Into comic opera three decades ago, but a decidedly modern ruler of the Sulu archipelago, which forms a series of oceanic stepping stones from the Philippine group to British North Borneo," writes George M. Hanson, former United States consul con-sul at Sandakan, British North Borneo. Bor-neo. "Although he partly acknowledged the temporal sovereignty of the United Unit-ed States In 1899, and completely so in 1915, he retains some of the glamor glam-or ascribed to him by the dramatist and remains locally a potentate to the native Sulus, or Moros. He formerly maintained at Malmbung, on the southern coast of the Island of Jolo, a two story frame 'palace' for himself and six smaller dwellings for his wives and retinue. In 1932 a storm wrecked most of the buildings. "Purely religious, his title connotes nothing more than leadership of the Mohammedan church within the limits lim-its of his sultanate. The sultan of Brunei, British Borneo, the recognized 'royal highness' in the greater part of the territory, Is Inclined to regard him as a poor relation who pays tribute trib-ute to Brunei ; but nevertheless he Is a full-fledged sultan and has authority author-ity of a sort over perhaps 300 small Islands and that part of British North Borneo with administrative headquarters headquar-ters at Sandakan. "In Borneo, as elsewhere, the British Brit-ish are good colonizers. They believe It Is wiser to placate the Sulus on the Borneo side of the Sulu sultanate than to run risk of trouble; consequently conse-quently they still pay tribute to the sultan and accord him military honors hon-ors on his visits to Sandakan. He Is given a salute of guns when he comes to collect his annual tribute, and Is entertained for two weeks or more by British officials at Government Govern-ment house. Here he receives local native chiefs and other notables. Many Wives but No Children. "The sultan prides himself on being an American, though his domestic arrangements ar-rangements have hardly been of a kind sanctioned in the United States. Under the Koran he may have four wives at one time; and, since he has power to dismiss a wife or divorce her by waving his royal hand, the limitation of number has not been Irksome. It is said that in his day he espoused many wives. He has no children, however, and the ltajamuda, or heir apparent (muda is a Malay word meaning 'unripe'), is his younger young-er brother. Although the 1915 treaty recognized him as the spiritual head of the Sulu Mohammedans, its terms were such as will eventually cause polygamy to be abandoned. "Matrimony Is somewhat casual among the Sulus. and it is not unusual un-usual for girls of thirteen, twelve, or even eleven to be claimed as brides. When I was United States consul at Sandakan. I had an amusing experience experi-ence which impressed upon me the peculiarity of native marriage customs. cus-toms. "Shortly before the sultan's visit to Borneo that year, a German landholder land-holder whom the British had ordered out of the country for the duration of the World war requested me to take charge of his rubber plantation near Sandakan. I agreed, since It was then my duty to take over representation of German Interests, to go there on each pay day and check the accounts, but I declined to assume official control con-trol of the plantation. Thus I became for a short time 'master' of the Malay laborers, pending appointment of a permanent superintendent. "Upon my arrival on the first payday, pay-day, the accountant, a Singhalese from Ceylon, brought to my attention a plea from Alus, the house boy, who needed an advance of $10, Singapore currency, for wedding expenses. Alus' prospective prospec-tive bride, the Intermediary explained, was Canapa, daughter of Samat, the chief tapper. Canapa Was Too Young. "Canapa was rather a little girl, and, it seemed to me when her moth er presented her for Inspection, much too young to be thinking of matrimony. matri-mony. I decided a little delay would do no harm. Although the mother, herself only twenty-four, argued that Canapa was 'long past eleven and j reudy to marry', I announced kindly but firmly that no girl under twelve could be married without my special consent. "The mother asked if the wedding could take place when the girl was twelve. Not wishing to seem over-harsh, over-harsh, I assented. I even offered to take a photograph of the supplicants and to give them a print as balm for their disappointment. They eagerly posed for the picture and went away seemingly well pleased. "On my next visit to the plantation, planta-tion, I sent for Canapa and her mother moth-er and gave them a print of the photograph pho-tograph I had taken of them two weeks earlier. They seemed very happy, hap-py, and the mother asked again if Canapa could be married when she was twelve. Again I said yes, and told her to go ahead and prepare for the I wedding. Aius also asked the same question, and I repeated my assurance assur-ance to him. Canapa would be twelve at the full moon, which would occur, so he had learned from the accountant, account-ant, on Sunday of the next week. Entertaining the Sultan. "A week after this episode the sultan sul-tan arrived and received official entertainment en-tertainment at government house. I could not let the British outdo me In showing him the courtesy due his position posi-tion and influence, and accordingly 1 invited him and his party to the consulate con-sulate to tea. The guests included the sultana, the rajamuda, the sultan's minister, and several datus, or chiefs. "I offered them cigarettes and handed hand-ed the sultan a package labeled 'Egyptian 'Egyp-tian Cigarettes, Turkish Tobacco.' He examined the package critically, and when he saw the hieroglyphics he was delighted. Egyptian cigarettes, he said, were made by the 'followers of the Faithful and not by Christian infidels.' I did not disturb his sublime faith, though I could have told him that those cigarettes were machine made in North Carolina from tobacco grown in Asia Minor. And So They Were Married. "While I was entertaining the sultan sul-tan at the consulate, it occurred to me that it would be a fine thing to have him perform the wedding ceremony. cere-mony. This would be an unexpected honor to Alus and Canapa and no doubt would prove highly gratifying to all concerned. The more I thought of the idea the better I liked it. I would have the young couple come back with me to Sandakan on Saturday, Satur-day, and invite the sultan to another anoth-er tea, where he could smoke his fill of Turkish cigarettes made by the 'Faithful' in North Carolina. The wedding wed-ding of Alus the Bajao and the twelve-year-old Malay beauty, Canapa, would follow. The incident was all but closed. "When I went to the plantation the following Saturday, the full moon that regulated Malay birthdays for the month had waned perceptibly. The accountant met me as usual, but no smiling Alus stood in the doorway to greet me. " 'Where is Alus?' I asked. " 'He is here no more. He and Canapa Ca-napa live in the little house behind the rubber factory with Surinim, the kaboon (gardener), and they went to Sandakan today in the hope of getting get-ting to see the sultan.' "'Living with Canapa?' I muttered. 'What do you mean?' " They were married at the full moon, a week ago. as the tuan had said, and he is at this house no more.' " 'Married a week ago? Who married them?' " 'Why you, Tuan ; you married them.' " 'I married them ! What are you driving at? " 'It was the full moon, Tuan, and Canapa was twelve. And so they were married, as the tuan had said. They sleep in the house of the kaboon. who is Canapa's uncle. Is not the tuan pleased?' "Then the whole thing suddenly dawned. The accountant was right, and all my paternalistic plans for giving the house boy and his child ish fiancee a wedding of regal pomp and circumstance had come to naughi. "I had married them, however, unintentionally, unin-tentionally, but none-the-less certain ly. Because of my inexperience with native customs in affairs of the heart, I had spoken fateful words too casu ally. The tuan had signified his consent con-sent and had fixed the time That was enough." |