The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-21
ANTI.GAMBLING
WARFARE In SIAM
United States and England to Be
Asked to Aid in the
Fight. .~...

New York, March 21.-That the
United States and England, with other
Christian nations, will soon be asked
to help the king of Siam put and end
to legalized gambling in his country, is
the assertion made today by Rev. Dr..
Arthur j: Brown, secretary of the
strength of advices just received by him
from SIAM
Gambling in Siam has been licensed
and encouraged by the government, the
monopoly Of conducting the gambling
establishments of the cities and towns
being auctioned off to the highest bid
ders. Effort has long been making to
get the king to put an end to, the gov
eminent patronage of the evil, and he
has Just issued a decree to that effect.
In large part of the country gambling
is to be stopped on April LIST next, in
other country districts a year from
April, and in Bangkok, the principal
city, in April Of 1907. But for the full
fillment Of the plan the Christian ma
tions of the world must help.
Rev. DR.. Brown, explaining the part
which this country and England will
said today:
Gambling is the national vice Of
Siam, where, licensed by the govern
ment, it is conducted> without attempt
at concealment. Every village has it's
gambling hall; the cities many of them:
The vice has been vigorously combated
by the missionaries of the Presbyterian
Protestant organization having work
in the country, and their efforts have
been strengthened by the influence of
Hamilton King, American minister to
Siam. It has been represented to the
king that the gambling business was
a detriment to his country, and the
monarch, who, for an Asiatic ruler, is
enlightened and progressive, has come
to see that this is true.
"But the king has difficulty to face
| because large part of the revenue of
Siam is now derived from the gambling
concessions. To meet the loss occa-
stoned by their abolition in the country
districts it has been decided to increase
the land tax, and this will lay on the
people burden dc as heavy as they can n
be. expected to bear. Large revenue is
gained from the city gambling houses
and the king Of Siam proposes that its
loss be met by raising the import dues
a little. To do this will require the
consent of the other nations, and so
say that on them, especially on the
United States and England, depends
the question whether the gambling in
Bangkok shall or shall not be stopped
y,
by treaties the import dues are fixed
at 3 per cent, and they cannot be raised
without the permission of the nations
"There are l03 gambling places il
the interior of Siam. By the kings de
cree eighty Of them will be abolished
next April. The remainder of these in
terror places will be abolished in April
1906, and those in the city of Bang
l1ok will be closed the following yea
if the matter of revenues can be ad
iusted. In this way the change will b.
a gradual one, and in a little over E
year tho whole Of the evil will be cen
tered in Bangkok, where is to be fount
the country. This population will, it i i
hoped, help in getting the import dues
legislation from their governments
| This movement on the part of the
Siamese government is a tremendous
= step in advance and one which merits
the approval of the whole world. II
will be the fault Of Europe and America
if legalized gambling is not abolished
in Siam in the very near future.'