Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-17

Maha Vajravudh, Phra Mongkut Klao.
King of Siam.
| The coronation ceremonies attending
| the ascension to the throne of his ma
| jesty. Maha Vajiravudh, Phra Mongkut
! klao, King of Siam, which have just
| been completed. set another milestone in
| the rapid march which Siam is making,
and which has astonished the nations of
the world. The very fact that the great
powers sent members of their royal
families to represent them at the coro
| nation is an evidence of the interest and
| respect which they have for Siam.
Unostentatiously, without upheaval, but
| with amazing speed, the Siamese picked
up the progressive ideas and inventions of
the western powers, and today foreign
er who Journeys to Bangkok, the capital
OF the nation, will find there railways.
street cars large electric light and gas
plants. telephone service, in fact all of
the best features of modern civilization.
Young by Their Reckoning.
The neT monarch, who has assembled
| the throne under the most favorable
| circumstances, takes UP his reign in
of the Siamese, who reckon the years
from the establishment of the national
capital of Bangkok Their new years
day falls on April 1 of the Gregorian
calendar. Among the special ambassa-
doris sent to Siam for the coronation
Were: His serene hghness Prince
Alexander of Teck. and his suite. rep
resenting Great Britain, his imperial
highness the Grand Duke Boris and
suite, Russia; his royal highness Prince
| Waldemar and his three sons. Denmark:
| his royal highness Prince William, Duke
| of Sudder mamie. and suite. Sweden; his
highness Prince Fushin4 and suite, ia
pan. and his royal highness Prince Mich
olaS, Greece The United States was
represented by Hamilton King of Mich
igan. United States minister to Siam.
specially designated to represent the
United States at the coronation suite, in
Guiding Col. Lea Febger, L. S. A.
Much of the credit for the rapid de-
velopment of Siam is due to the late
king, ChualOngkOrn, Phra Chula ChOm
| klao who was man of much ability
and who took the lead in the adoption
| of the best features of the western civil
| Iization. One matter which his late
| majesty insisted upon was the education
of the people of Siam, and the new mon
arch is proceeding along the same line.
! In consequence a system of public schools
has been established throughout the
kingdom and is maintained on a high
plane.
Educated in England.
The late king sent his son. who is now
on the throne. to England. where he
went through the military academy at
Sandhurst and was attached for two
years to English regiment. He then
studied at Christ's College, oxford.
For many years it has been the practice
| of Siam TO send thirty or forty young
men TO European countries and to the
! United States to be educated. AS fast
! as they receive an education they are re-
| called to Siam and their places filled by
| others. Upon these men is falling large
| share of the work in undermining the
| kingdom according to western ideas.
| 1t is particularly interesting to note
| that for many years the chief office in
the Siamese government has been held
by an American. Prof. Edward H. Stro-
! bel was selected for this important Office
that of general adviser-by the late
| king, who made a careful search for a.
disinterested and capable man for the
position before making the appointment.
| University. Under his advice the prog
ress of Siam rapid and without fric-
ton of any kind.
American to Fill Place.
| When Prof. Strobel died several years
ago from blood poisoning due to the bite
of an insect. received in Egypt on his
way nome Tor vacation, another
American was selected to fill his place as
general adviser to the government. Jens
Ivens Westenyard, also an instructor at
| Harvard, and Mr. Westenyard's services
have been satisfactory that he has been
| continued in office by the new king. An
| evidence of the liberality and gratitude
of Siam is to be found in the pension
! which the government pays annually to
the aged mother of the late Prof Strobel,
who is living in South Carolina, more than
! eighty years of age. The government of
Siam pays her S1,7JO year for life
The SiameSe are very friendly to the
United States not only because of the
influence which has been eXerted by Prof.
Strobel and MIR. Westenyard, but also be-
cause of the feelings entertained for this
country by the Siamese who have visited
| America. particularly the present king,
who came to Washington during the ad-
niniStrarion of President Roosevelt and
received a cordial welcome at the White
House He visited many of the important
cities of the United States and of Can
ada during his journey. 1t must be said,
however, that Americans have been slow
10 awaken to the fact that big field for
trade with Siam exists. Although Siam
does a large export and import trade to-
day. practically none of 1t is with the
United States, and nearly all of it is with
European nations, especially Great Brit
ain and Germany.
A Benevolent Despotism.
The government OF Siam Is benevo-
Ilent deSpOtism, The stems which have