The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-29
CAN OFFER NO RESISTANCE.
The Siamese in Poor Condition to
Go to War.

speaking OF the prospects of the war be-
tween France and Siam and the condition
of Slams navy, gentleman now living in
San Francisco, who was at one time a
commander in the King of Slams navy,
ridlcules the idea of Siam ever seriously
contemplating an appeal to arms, and says:
what navy has Siam got TO resist
France with? Some half dozen wooden
gunbOats, and two wOrm-eateD, antiquated
wooden corvetteS built by Siamese at
Bangkok ages and ages ago, and which are
only dt TO break up for frewood. Their
artillery is antiQuated The best guns at
their disposal little time ago were a few.
Armstrong 64-pound breech- leaders. and
two or three French guns of a heavier
type. The best of their men-of-war were
armed with guns of the same kind as were
used at the battle of Trafalgar
They have 10 seameD, for exclusive of
the royal yachts there is OF usually more
than one ship in commission at time and
she is stationed at Tongka, or the west
coast of Siam, Indian Ocean side. The
largest naval display to my knowledge
that Siam has ever made was on the ca
sion of the Prince of Wales vsi it to India,
when the King went to India to be present
at the great meeting of native Princes.
Then there were actually two gunboats
and corvette escoIting the King, who
himself Travelled in chartered merchant
steamer. The only servieeable vessel they
had in my time was the Regent, small
iron gunboat. built by Wigram of London,
somewhere about 1872
1.-The Siamese war fleet generally lies
moored in the Menan River, abreast the
palaces of the first and second Kings, at
Bangkok. They only keep about dozen
seamen on board each vessel and, perhaps,
one officer or engineer.
The dockyard, In my time, was a re-
ceptable for odds and ends of all kinds
where all sorts of machinery and gun gear
lay scattered about partly overgrown with
grass and weeds. | once saw a large
eight-ton pivot gun landed from one of
their gunboa to fit her for an excursion
party. The carriage screw had to be
taken to pieces and some months after |
saw the parts Of the gun almost covered
with growing grass. This was the most
powerful piece of ordnance they had at
that time.
They act with their army and navy
the same as children do with their toys.
Anything new takes their fancy. They
some new fad srrikes them and their
former hobby is forsaken.
''Some five years ago the King took
fancy to have his body guards equipped
and mounted like the Queen of England's
life guards He sent to Australia, pr o.
cured 400 splendid chargers and engaged a
dozen good rough riders to instruct his
cavalry.
1.-The fine horses and equipment created
great interest at first, but gradually the
interest ceased, and two years ago the last
two of the rough riders returned to Aus
tralia disgusted with the service. the body
guards then being in about the same state
as they were before the chargers and in
structoTs came to Siam.
France has large military and naval
establishment in Tonqun and Cochin
China. She has number Of native troops,
we'll armed and equipped. who are used to
the country and climate, and could not
only march a large force overland from the
heads of the Sayon and Hanoi rivers, but
blockade all the Siamese ports with her
feet and capture the Kings capital city.
Bangkok, which has practically no de-
fenses. All that the Siamese navy would
do would be to sink their ships on the bar
and block the channel.
'The French have had an eye on Siam
for some time. A few years ago they tried
very bard to negotiate with Siam for cut
ting ship canal through the Isthmus of
Kra, in the Siamese- Malay provinces,
from the Indian Ocean into the Chinese
Sea. which they claimed would shorten the
distance to Siam, China aid Japan and
divert the trade from the Straits of
Malacca. With respect to the cause of
the difficulty there have always been dis
pUtes about the boundaries of Siam,
Cochin China and AMMAN. and now those
countries have been ceded to France she
appears to have taken up the old quarrel"
HE STILL LEADS.