Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-17

1890. but you have not begun to touch it's
possibilities. You should sell all sorts of
machinery and almost every kind of Ameri
can notions Siam is an agricultural cOun-
try. 1t has also enormous areas of forests.
OF teak and other hardwoods and American
saws and axes should be in demand Rus
STA surpasses you in its shipment of coal
oil. and to all kinds of cotton goods
England has the lead. Indeed. about ninety
per cent of the foreign trade of Siam is
with England, although the Germans are
trying hard to introduce their "manufac
lures.
Both Germans and English have bust
ness houses IN Bangkok and other Siamese
cities and the Americans should establish
similar institutions. Your manufacturers
Should send out their agents and do bust
ness with the country direct instead of
selling through Hong Kong and Singapore
as You now do
Along what lines could Americans make
money in Siam. Mr.. Loftus?' said 1.
There are many openings for capital al
lied To good business brains the re-
ply. The trade in teakwood is largely done
by foreign syndicates. There is one Eng
lish company far in the interior which has
a capital of $lo.ODO.UOo. 1t ships its timber
to ALI parts of the world. There is no wood
so good as teak for certain kinds of ship
building. for railroad ties and other things.
The wood does not rot when in the water
and at the same time it is easy to handle.
We have some of the largest teak forests
of the world and our shipments of teak
amount to thousands of tons annually. The
$50 per ton. We have a forest department
administered by British officials and so far
about half the forest areas are being held
in reserve.
Money in lockwood.
Tell me more about the teakwood for
ests. Mr. LOTUS. Is not the same kind of
timber found in the Philippines?''
II doubt it, was the reply. Il believe
that the chief teak forests are restricted TO
Siam. Burmah and Cochin China. 1 know
they are planting out trees in Java, but
such as grow wild there are not of the su-
perior quality of our teak 1t takes about
sixty years to grow tree so that II is
large enough for lumber, and whether the
trees could be grown in the Philippines or
not / cannot tell. 1t is not right to speak
OF teak forest There are no woods which
are all teak. but the trees are found scat
tered through the other woods. They are
gotten out by means of elephants and the
work is very expensive, and very hard.
The elephants are costly. They have to be
trained to the work, and they can work
only certain number of hours of the day,
and only so many days in the year.
In what part Of the country are the best
forests?' l asked
They are in the upper provinces. The
wood is cut and brought to the river and
fioated down to Bangkok, from where Ii Is
shipped 10 all parts of the world. The gov
eminent has certain taxes that have to be
paid for telling and shipping. and altogether
the expenses are great. For this reason a
large capital IS required. Nevertheless the
business pays very well and fortunes have
been made in it,
Slams New Railroads.
How about your new railroads." 1 asked.
They have opened up many parts which
until now have been comparatively inacces-
sible," said Mr.. LOTUS. THE railroad
from Bangkok to Korat has been completed
and 1t is doing a good business. This road
began it's construction in 1892, when his
majesty the king dug the first spadeful OF
earth. He used spade made of silver and
ivory and put the earth into a Wheelbarrow
of ebony and silver. The spade was of a
New England pattern and the wheelbarrow
was of American design. At the same time
the crown prince took the wheelbarrow and
Wheeled 1t about twenty-five yards along