Medford
United Press Full Leased Wire
Tribune
United Press Full Leased Wire
Second Section
MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 1955
Pagesl-6
Ko Tun Oo's Four-Week Visit
In County Gives Hosts Better
Understanding of Home Land
(Editor's Note: The John
Ousterhout family, Dutton rd.,
has been host for the past
four weeks to Ko Tun Oo, of
Myaungmya, Burma, who is in
this country' through the In
ternational Farm Youth Ex
change program. The follow
ing story, about Ko Tun Oo's
visit in Jackson county, was
written by Mrs. Ousterhout, a
former member of The Mail
Tribune staff.)
BY EVELYN OUSTERHOUT
It is interesting to welcome a
friend, and the farther he has
traveled the more welcome the
visit. It was with such a thought
that we looked forward to the
four-week stay of Ko Tun Oo
from Burma.
We were both willing and
curious when we told the coun
ty 'agent we would take the
Burman, who with three others,
was coming to Jackson county
under the International Farm
Youth Exchange program. The
agent said it would be a "two
way street to understanding a
way of life'' of others ... to
learn by living it with you."
Study Youth Activities
Each of the four would spend
four weeks working with a
"typical farm family" with em
phasis on youth activities of 4-H
clubs and Boy Scouts, as all are
prospective scout executives for
Burma. They would be away
from home for eight months,
each spending four months on
four different American farms,
with the remaining months
training in scouting, studying
farm life, and traveling com
pletely around the world.
Our's was Ko Tun Oo's first
American home. Maung Thein
Nyun stayed in the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Don Minear of Med
ford; Maung Thein Lwin, Mr.
and Mrs. Emerson Wilken, Mur
phy; and Maung Nyi Nyi, Mr.
and Mrs. Jerry Stone, Provolt.
The four fast weeks were in
deed a two-way street to under
standing. We learned many
things, not only about Burma
and the Burmese, but about
people in general, and about Ko
Tun Oo in particular., What he
thinks of us and what is the
Impression of them all concern
ing America may change during
their several months' tour, but
to date Ko Tun Oo has found
rural America "friendly and
hard working."
Everyplace they, went, the
Americans showed a serious in
terest in everything about their
homeland, asking many ques
tions on every conceiveable
subject. We discovered that
Burma is equal to most coun
tries in almost every respect,
for she has great natural re
sources, such as timber and oil,
and almost every type of vege
table, grain and fruit is grown
someplace in Burma.
Many Automobiles
America was found to be
quite different in at least one
respect, for all four Burmese
commented on the automobiles,
which were inevitable and in
great numbers everywhere they
stopped. The super-markets also
were new, but business for the
most part is carried on in Burma
as in the United States, we were
told.
Ko Tun Oo enjoyed a Sunday
afternoon baseball game (Burma
has a similar game of "round
ers" played by children) and
both he and Maung Thein Nyun
were enthusiastic over the hard
J3p races, although they shivered
under coats and blankets in the
"cold" night air.
Television has not arrived in
Burma, but most homes have
radios and telephones. Electrici
ty still is not in general use in
small towns, although there is
enough for lighting, and an ex
tensive government power pro
gram should bring much more
in the near future, he said. Res
idents in the small towns
worked free and for long hours
to bring electricity to their
homes, according to Ko Tun Oo.
It took little time for us to
realize that Ko Tun Oo was not
identical to every other Burman,
any more than we could be de
scribed as like every other
American family. But having
been born and raised in My
aungmya, Lower Burma, he was
Burmese and represented a way
cf life very different from ours
in many respects, although
exactly like ours in most others.
Independence Recently Won
Burma, a moderately popu
lated country which the lead
ers feel is full of promise, has
not yet recovered from the ex
citement of its recently won in
dependence from Great Britain.
Much of Ko Tun Oo's discussions
cn his homeland was related to
the fight of the young Burmese
leaders who first chased the
British, and then the Japanese
from Burma. Ko Tun Oo and
Maung Nyi Nyi were leaders in
Burma's famed guerilla fighters
and Maung Thein Nyun worked
with army intelligence.
It was a thrill hearing their
personal stories of the struggle
to win freedom from imperial
ism. Twice Ko Tun Oo escaped
the enemy with bullet tears in
his clothing, and many times
took part in underground opera
tions preparing for Burma's fight
for freedom.
In Myaungmya, a town of
about 20,000 population, Ko Tun
Oo lives with his wife and four
children, two sisters, and his
mother. Most Burmese families
remain together, even after mar
riage, with one householder
often assuming responsibility for
many relatives. The Burmese
names, which first sounded
strange and unpronounceable,
became household words, and
we were soon telling friends of
his children, Maung Chit Swe,
Maung Myint Swe, Ma Nyein
Swe, and Maung Tint Swe.
The Burmese have no family
names, as do most of the world,
so each child receives a name
entirely his own. Each person
also has a title, the males from
birth to age 25 being called
Maung and past 35 Ko. The
term "U" is used for men of
great age or distinction. Women
are addressed as Ma until of an
older age, when Daw is used.
Ko Tun Oo, who often made
comments revealing his individ
ualism, said that he chose to
name all four of his offspring
similarly, adding "Swe" to each
name and relating it to his own
legal name of Ko Tun Swe. He
adopted the name Ko Tun Oo
when leaving on the present trip
explaining that he would then
Know by the name he was
called just where he had met the
friend. In his home he is called
Ko Tun Thoung, a name which
stuck while fighting the Japa
nese and British,
We told him that in America
he would be called an "activity
man" and a "rugged individual
ist," to say nothing of "enre
preneur," for he is president of
the district farm association,
leader of the town militia, pres
ident of the local gymnasium
and bazaar union, and also takes
part in many sporting activities
traveling to many parts of the
country.
Built Hospital
He joined with a friend, who
is a doctor, to build a 200-bed
private hospital (Burma has
socialized medicine, also), and
then he established a pharmacy
He and his wife, whose exotic
name of Ma Khin Tint intrigued
many Americans he met, operate
the "Duwun" book and station
ery supply shop in Myaungmya.
All this was in addition to op
erating a oo-acre rice farm a
short distance from the city.
The way in which Ko Tun Oo
fitted immediately into the Ous
terhout mode of living amazed
us! His short height of five feet,
three inches, and his dark color
were quite different from the six
feet, four inches of his host, and
the skirt-like longyi and velvet
sandals were quite new to a
blue-jean and work-shoe house
hold. But he appeared greatly at
east from the time of his arrival
Our three meals per day were
different from Burma's for they
eat only at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m
l
Father's Day June 19, 1955
MEDFORD'S FINEST MEN'S STORE
MAIN AT CENTRAL
with the exception of tea and
toast early in the morning and
at about 2 o'clock in the after
noon. Ko Tun Oo, however, did
not miss the tea, for unlike most
Burmese he did not "take the
tea," and drank milk with his
meals.
Preparing food for our Bur
man presented its problems, not
because Ko Tun Oo was diffi
cult to please, but because we
wanted to learn exactly how the
Burmese cook a meal. Curry
with meat, with vegetables, and
with eggs, is a Burmese standby.
And chili powder also is a
favorite spice, although Ko Tun
Oo admitted the "world is upside-down"
when people in the
hot climate of Burma prefer a
highly-seasoned diet while those
in a moderate zone cook their
food with little spices. Out of
deference to his American ac
quaintances, Ko Tun Oo directed
the amount of curry to be added
to a chicken dish be less than
that in Myaungmya. The end of
more than one meal, however,
found a number of strong Amer
ican males asking for water and
wiping away the perspiration!
That the children in ' their
hosts' homes were "a great con
solation" to the somewhat home
sick Burmese was a happy relief
to their hostesses, for so inter
esting and exciting a houseguest
as each Burman was, brought
much running and shouting and
theatrics by the youngsters.
On a particiularly trying eve
ning, after the third attempt to
"clamp" the two and four-year
old in bed, I threw up my hands
and exclaimed to .Ko Tun Oo,
"Are your children EVER . like
this?" "Yes, yes," he laughed,
"Just the same."
We discovered that family
recreation in Burma is very
much the same as here, without
the automobile, which is mostly
a luxury in his country. The chil
dren are read stories in the eve
ning before bed, are taken to
ball games and picnics, and Ko
Tun Oo's four are most for
tunate in having a city park
across the street. To picnic, he
said, his family often goes by
ox-car or bicycle.
Burma- also has national
Debbie, Eddie Fisher
In Week End Rendezvous
Hollywood (U.R) Debbie
Reynolds admitted today she
and Eddie Fisher had a secret
week end rendezvous and "we
still plan to be married."
Fisher slipped into town un
noticed Friday night. The pair
spent the week end at her uncle's
desert home' in Palm Springs.
"There's been no change in
plans. Everything is the same,"
Debbie declared.-"I love Eddie
and he loves me and we're going
to be married. We still haven't
set the date."
recreation program which pro
motes all sports, from badmin
ton to boxing, and the govern
ment provides gymnasiums and
instructors throughout the coun
try. As president of Myaun-
gmya's gym, Ko Tun Oo over
sees the sporting program and
construction and improvement
of facilities. He travels over
many parts of Burma during the
year at his own expense partici
pating in or watching the exten
sive sporting activities.
Plan San Francisco Meeting '
When Ko Tun Oo left, we
were reluctant, as were the
other host families, to see the
Burman go, for the four weeks
in our home had brought us a
close and treasured friend. We
have plans to see him again in
December, after the American
visit is over and he is in San
Francisco en route by air to
Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok,
and home. By then we should
understand each other with little
trouble, and Ko Tun Oo should
have a sound and studied view
of America.
Whether or not we actually
meet again, the newly-found
friendship will always remain
and we cannot erase the feeling
that men really, are brothers, as
the philosophers say, no matter
how. different the outward ap
pearance and background.
For what could look more dis
similar than the short, dark man
in the green-plaid longyi, travel
ing by steamer up the Irrawad
dy, compared with the tall,
sandy-haired jean-clad American
speeding to town in the station
wagon? But we discovered that
they are so much alike, the dif
ferences are mere "conversation
pieces" and - what remains is a
fine comradeship and' respect
for each other which will last a
lifetime.
Back Stairs: Many White House Dishes
By MERRIMAN SMITH
United Press While House Writer
Washington (U.R) Back
stairs at the W'hite House:
Lo the busy White House dish
washer. The last inventory at the
executive mansion showed 2,427
items of glassware, 10,114 dishes
and 6,201 pieces of silver.
Although automatic dishwash
ers do most of the work, a num
ber of the White House glass,
crystal and Chinaware items are
too fragile and valuable to trust
to a machine. These pieces must
be done carefully and by hand.
. In Mrs. Eisenhower's cupboard
also ' are 2,200 tablecloths and
napkins.
Mr. Eisenhower's snappy new
summer hat caused a lot of com
ment recently at West Point. The
hat is cut along Homburg lines
in charcoal straw with a wide
white band. . . : . .
When the President first ap
peared in his new skimmer,
some of the staff thought it was
a class reunion hat as the old
grads sometimes love to wear.
This, however, turned out to be
decidedly not the case.
Mr. Eisenhower was quite
proud of his new hat, and more
important, Mrs. E i s e n hower
thought he looked fine in it.
Probably the most anonymous
member of the White House staff
is the mild mannered house
keeper, Mrs. Mable Walker. She
has been in this post since the
Truman administration and she
shuns publicity like the plague.
Her-attitude toward publicity
has the full approval of the Eis
enhowers. The less their per
sonal life is exposed to public
view, the better they like it. And
they consider the work of their
housekeeper to be their private
affairs; not the subject of maga
zine articles and radio interviews.
Mr. Eisenhower's shoulder
bursitis must " be better. He
waved his right arm a good bit
during his recent three-day visit
to the U.S. Military Academy.
In previous weeks, he favored
his ailing right arm noticably
and did most of his waving with
his left arm. -
Notes from Gettysburg:
The President insists on re
taining the ancient, rusty and
creaking windmill on his farm
He says it reminds him of his
boyhood.
At last count there were 21
ducks on the Eisenhower pond,
these are not to be confused
with the two mallards that took
up temporary residence in the
White House . fountain. There
would have been more ducks on
the farm this spring if it had
not been for marauding rac
coons which ate the duck eggs.
Secret Service guard booths
around the farm house look like
sidewalk telephone booths. The
framework of each booth is
painted a brilliant green, but
most of the booths consist largely
of glass panels to give the agents
warmth at night and freedom of
vision in all directions.
Washington U.R)
Eisenhower will not hold a news
conference this week because he
will participate in Operation
Alert, the three-day Civil. De
fense exercise.
Dead line for Sunday Classified la
at noon Saturday
o) d cz
iiimv
AUTOMATIC inOrJERX
All Pcrctfein
Inside & Outt
Pushbutton
Controls!
' flow Rfas!
1955 model LR-6
AUTOMATIC MM
f YOURS FREE OF ADDED COST
WITH THE PURCHASE OF A
ADTODnTIC
(I
PAY AS LITTLE AS .... . $2.83 A WEEK
ity talflM V
"Medford's Exclusive 'HOTPOINT' Dealer"
127 North Central - Across from Penney's-PhOne 3-5743
hm
OPEN WEDNESDAY UNTI L 9 P.M.
ja
' ' '
Putting up new lines to serve you is
a big part of this construction truck's
work. A special hoisting boom is among
its 400-plus pieces of equipment.
Materials are stock-piled at key loca
tions to enable the crews to carry on the
day-to-day job or meet any emergency.
Tour telephone system brings you good
service 'round the clock because we're
continually looking' ahead . . . planning to
meet any problem that might arise.
Tool chest on wheels"" -part of good telephone serv
ice. Fast, reliable telephone service takes A-to-Z planning. A good
example of this is the construction truck above, which, as you can
see, is like a rolling workshop. It's fitted out with every item that
could possibly help its crew work more rapidly, safely, and efficiently.
And, of course, it's operated by men who've had the very best train
ing possible. Providing good equipment for people who know their
jobs is one sure way to bring you dependable, low-cost telephone
service. And this is the constant aim of telephone men and women
all along the line, Pacific Telephone.
The telephone people
of Medford
work to make your
telephone a bigger value
every day
tmu kwifitu tffict: 131 N. tartlet St Tel. 2-6101