The Holbrook news., 1912-04-12


 tending the ascension of the
 throne of his majesty, Mass
 Vajiravudh, Phra Mongkui
 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 sphone service, in fact all of the best features of modern civilization.
 ''The new monarch, who has ascend cd the throne under the most favor able circumstances, takes up his reign tn the year 130, according to the reck- oning of the Siamese, who reckon the years from the establishment of Ehe national capital of Bangkok Their New Years day falls on April 1 of the Gregorian calendar. Among the special ambassadors sent to Siam tor the coronation were: His serene highness Prince Alexander of Teck. and his suite, representing Great Brit ain; his imperial highnesB the Grand Duke Boris and suite, Russia; his royal highness Prince Waldemar and hia three sons, Denmark; his royal highness Prince William, duke of Sud der Mamie, and suite, Sweden; his hiRhness 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 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 share of the work in modernizing the kingdom according to western ideas.
 The government of Siam is a 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 Rs the foreign office, the department of the interior, the war department, the department of justice, are intrust- d to members of the ministry, who are selected by the king with great care
 While Siam is properly called des- potism and the authority of the king Is 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 a nob1eman. No title descends from father to son, except in the royal family. The son of a nobleman must prove himself worthy of nobility be- fore he attains that rank. And mo- 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 their fathers, but are one degree lower ln 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 rest of the people. There are five ranks of nobility.
 The population of Siam has been estimated at about 5000, ,00O, Sad the area of the country is about the same