The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1912-03-08

1 y LII wi OAdIlOu CST0QOHl6S III
tending the ascension of the
throne Of his majesty, Masa
| Vajiravudh, Phra Mongkut
Klao, king of Siam, which have
just been completed, set another mile
stone in the rapid march which Siam
Is making, and which has astonished
the nations Of the world The fact
that the great powers sent members
of their royal families to represent
them at the coronation 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 foreigner who journeys to
Bangkok, the capital of the nation,
will find there railways, street cars,
large electric light and gas plants, tel
ephone service, in fact all of the best
features of modern civilization.
| "The new monarch, who has ascend
ed the throne under the most favor
able circumstances, takes up his reign
in the year 1870, according to the reck-
the years from the establishment of
the national capital of Bangkok.
Their New Years day falls on April /
of the Gregorian calendar. Among
the special ambassadors sent to Siam
for the coronation were: His serene
highness Prince Alexander of Teck,
and his suite, representing Great Brit
ain; 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 Sud
der Mamie. and suite, Sweden; his
highness Prince Fuhimi and suite,
Japan, and his royal highness Prince
/ Nicholas, Greece.
| Much of the credit for the rapid
development Of Siam is due to the
late king, Chulalongkorn, Phra Chula
Chom Kloa, who was a man OF much
ability and who took the lead in the
adoption of the best features Of the
western civilization. One matter
which his late majesty insisted upon
was the education Of the people OF
Siam, and the new monarch is pro-
ceeding along the same line. In con-
sequence a system of public schools
has been established throughout the
kingdom and Is maintained on a high
! plane.
| 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 an English regiment. He
then studied at Christ's college, Ok
ford. For many years it has been the
practice of Siam to send 30 or 40
young men to European countries
and to the United States to be
educated. AS fast as they receive
an education they are recalled to
Siam and their places filled by others.
Upon these men is falling a large
fshare of the work in undermining the
kingdom according to western ideas.
The government OF Siam is be-
nevolent despotism. The steps which
have been taken for the benefit of the
people and for the development OF the
country have all originated with the
king and the nobility. The various
departments Of the government, such
as the foreign Office, the department
Of the interior, the war department,
the department Of justice, are intrust-
ed to members OF the ministry, who
are selected by the king with great
care.
While Siam IL properly called des-
potism and the authority Of the king
i Il absolute and is handed down from
| father to son In the royal family, the
unusual social system Of Siam may
Be said to be all born free and equal.
with the exception Of the members OF
| the royal family. There is, to be sure,
the nobility. But no man Is born q
nobleman. No title descends from
father to son, except in the royal
family. The son OF a nobleman must
proye himself worthy Of nobility be
j fore he attains that rank And no.
i bility Is won only because OF merit
and Of good work performed. In the
case OF the brothers of the king their
sons do not receive the same title as
I their fathers, but are one degree lower
IN rank, and their sons, In turn, are
one degree lower In rank than their
fathers, unless by merit they may
attain the higher rank. Thus the de-
scendants OF the royal princes may
ultimately become the same as the
I rest Of the people. There are I'VE
ranks Of nobility.
4 Tho population Of Siam has been
I estimated 1T about 3. 900 900. and the
aroa # the country Il about the same