The San Francisco call., 1905-06-28

The white mans monopoly on civil:za-
ton no longer exists. Japan is wide
awake, China is restless and now comes
from the Orient a champion for Siam, a
herald who announces that the ruler OF
that little known kingdom is one OF the
worlds progressive monarchs Hamilton
King, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America in Bangkok. Siam, who arrived
here yesterday on the liner Manchuria,
tells an interesting story of Siam, Its
King and the growth in that sun-baked
land of the germ Civilization"
Minister King has been at Bangkok for
seven years. i'll health has brought him
home for a vacation and during his alb
sence Montgomery Schuyler Jr., former
secretary of the legation at st. Peters
burg. is acting as Charge d'Affaires.
Slams foreign trade last year. says
Minister King, amounted to nearly $780,,
009,0o0. England once enjoyed almost
monopoly, but Germany, by more pro-
gressive methods, is rapidly displacing
Great Britain in that market. There is
business there for America if she goes
after 1t properly and her opportunity was
never better than now, for Z. H. Strobell,
professor of international law at Har-
ward University, under whose direction
the Franco-Siamese treaty was drawn
up, has been appointed adviser to the
Siamese Government.
ABOLISHES SLAVERY.
The King of Siam, although an abso-
lutte ruler, responsible only TO himself.
has within the last few years, of his own
initiative, abolished slavery. He is now
trying to stamp out gambling and Min
lister King says tnat by 1906 there will be
no such thing in Siam. His Majesty of
Siam is letting the gamblers down easily.
He started in last year and declared
gambling illegal in one-third of his king
dom. This year he placed the royal ban
on games of chance in the second third
and next year the remaining fraction will
come under the anti-gambling law. And
laws in Siam, according to Mr.. King, are
observed in spirit and to the letter.
There is much cholera in Bangkok at
certain seasons Smallpox also is pre-
valent in the land. Three months ago
the Government established at Bangkok
a well equipped meteorological laboratory
and shortly before Mr.. King left 1900
people had been vaccinated. The cholera
problem is also receiving attention.
Bangkok's water supply is not very good,
but within a few months this will be
remedied. Artesian water, free from all
impurity, has been found in unlimited
quantity and before long the people of
Bangkok win be able to slake their thirst
without necessity of swallowing cholera
and other microbes.
Siam borrowed s5.000,000 a little while
ago. The whole amount was subscribed
eight times over in thirty minutes. These
bonds constitute the country's sole In
debtedness.
COUNTRY is RICH.
In the harbor at Bangkok there is an
average depth of seventy-five feet and
the largest liners find no difficulty in GO
ing up the gulf sixty miles farther from
the sea. Slams resources are chiefly
agricultural, but sne is rich in minerals.
Sixty per cent of the worlds tin supply
comes from Siam and the greatest part of
her mineral lands has not been scratched
by the prospector's pick.
In her social life the Siamese are set
tirg high standard and the old polyga-
nous days, says Minister King, are pass
ing away.
twenty-five years ago." concluded Mr.
King as he started down the Manchurias
gangplank, within the borders of Siam
were eighteen Independent and bitterly
hostile kingdoms. The present King has
united these unruly elements into one
harmonious whole and in the process not
one drop of human blood was shed. And
/ guess the man that can do that is all
right. He'd be worth his weight in gold
TO the Equitable right now"
Other passengers of note on the Man
churia were: E. c. Bellows. who has
been American Consul at lokohoma for
five years and who has retired from the
consular service to go into business here
or at Los Angeles. and Count Hikerichi
.Autsu who is going to London as secre-
tary TO the Japanese legation. Count
Muts,s father. who oIed a few years ago,
was Minister of Foreign Affairs and one
OF Japan's most progressive statesmen.
Count Mutsu has many friends in this
city. where he once was stationed as
japanese Consul. He is accompanied by
his wife
A number OF navy officers from the
Asiatic station returned on the Nam
churia. as well as large number of busi-
ness men and people well known in local
society