The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1912-05-10

VT was only last December that
Ch.)wfa Maha Vajiravuth succeed
ed to the throne of the land of the
wLite elephant, and now news
ccnes of q revolutionary move
ment which has for its purpose his
abdica1ion and the establishment of
a republic in Siam. 1t Is said that the
Malays Of the south and the Laotians
Of the north are at the bottom Of the
preseUt discomfort. but 1t Is possible
that the natives are being used mere
ly as instruments in bringing about
the change in Slams government, that
the real inspiration m from the
thanking Europeans. Today Siam Is
the one surviving Independent king
dom In southern Asia, and In the light
Of recent events England's e%ncroach-
ment on the west and French aggres-
sion On the east arc suggestive OF
Slams peril.
King Vajiravuth Is said to have pro-
voked i'll will by the adoption of an
anti-foreign policy, but this seems I'M
likely when one recalls his education
In England and the debt which his ia
Their owed and acknowledged to his
European and foreign advisers. The
unrest in China and it's influence
among the Monaghan inhabitants Of
Siam has caused anxiety In the past
and probably provides now a fruitful
soil for an agitator.
Siam exists today as an Independent
kingdom principally because OF the
course pursued by the late King Chu-
ualongkorn l., who did everything In
his power to elevate his people to a
modern stardard, and the burden OF
this policy now rests upon the shout
ders OF a young man whose European
education has fitted him to carry on
the task undertaken by his father
back In 1868. In fact, It was with this
idea In mind that the late king sent
the crown prince to England In his
youth.
Descendants Of Hardy Race.
The Siamese people are the descend
ants of the hardy Shans OF the north.
their way to the coast, following the
sacred Menam southwark toward the
sea. Capital after capital was built
and abandoned as step by step they
halted and then moved forward again.
This went on until the f%orebears of
the present nation reached Bangkok
and established themselves a short
way off from that long sought sea
The years of battling and toll gave
way to a life of cas- and Incidence,
and the humid heat OF the lowlands
sapped the martial vigor of that noun
tan race.
Both the court and the official life
generally lapsed into an e~asy-going
luxury. Denied a salary, offialdom
fourished by virtue Of graft. Such
was the situation when King Chula-
longkorn 1. came to the throne forty
odd years ago.
He recognized the need of radical
reforms, and had force OF character
enough to override the ancient prac-
tees. He stripped the governors Of
provinces Of most Of their feudal
power. Claims long standing were
settled, and thousands of prisoners
held untried in jail were brought to
bar, while guilty judges were sent to
the vacated cells. King C%hulalong-
korn's path Of progress was not an
easy one, and his achievements would
probably have been quite impossible
without the aid Of capable foreign
counsellors.
The kingdom of Siam numbers a
population Of probably ten millions, IL
not more, and Of these only about one
third are Siamese. The country Is
rich In natural resources. Apart from
its rice fields, its ivory, its rubies md
it's sapphires, its teakwood forests are
q source of ~incalculable wealth. The
introduction Of the telegraph, the tele-
phone. electric lights, railways and
other commercial improvements has
already worked wonders in revolution
fling the spirit OF Siam. In helping
the native to reap more abundantly
from tina. rich soil American farming
implements have been potent. For
years, American typewriters with SIAM
csc characters have clicked away in
dustriously helping to promote the
business correspondence OF the coun-
try; and American facilities and meth
/ DDS in other directions have helped
along the revitalizing OF the nation.
Bangkok, the capital. lies on the
Menam-"The Mother of Waters" as
the natives put Fifteen miles up
from the Gulf Of Siam. Situated out
of the beaten track Of the tourist,
Bangkok has been little visited by
globe trotters. Apart from this,
physical conditions have helped to
keep the sightseeing foreigner away,
the outlying bar 1t the rivers mouth