The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-11-14


travel returned home to take up the
serious study of his fathers kingdom it was
thought that a matter of course he would FOL
low the custom of the royal house to which he
belonged and marry But, greatly to the aston
ishment of the entire realm this he fatty refused
to do, and not even his fathers kingly requests
could change his decision Now, marriage by
Siamese monarch means not the simple taking
of one wife, but the complicated and wholesome
absorption of a hundred. His late majesty King
Chulalongkorn had three wives when he was
crown prince and added 81 others to his house
hold before ascending the throne, and his father,
the great Mongkut claimed many hundreds OF
wives So when young Prince Vaiiravudh turned
his back upon the beauties of the court and
would have none of them he established prece-
dent of celibaey unheard of in his domain since
before time was.
There was never a suspicion of scandal con-
nected with the prince, either while he was at
Sandhurst or at Christ college, Oxford; nor dur
ing his many visits to Berlin, Paris, Madrid,
Vienna or London-covering many years Of his
most impressonable age-not even word during
his flying trip through the states and If he went
back to his Asiatic throne leaving his heart here
or in Europe the world has never been notlned
of the matter nor has any particular caretaker
been singled out as the possible happy custodian
of the royal gift
But. should this rumor have more than the
usual claim for credence-should his majesty
Maha Vajravudh, the supreme ruler OF all SIAM
marry an American"-what then? There is no
ROYAL family in this democratic country from
which the young man could or should make MS
choice and by so doing cement the bonds that
already hold his little kingdom in far away Asia
verv close to Uncle Sans heart But there are
American ladies a-plenty that are fair to look
mon rightminded and talented enough to be any
monarchs queen and if this be culture quest
as we'll as longing of the heart-there can pc
no question of money in the affair, no bargain
Of gold for title for Siam is one of the richest
of the little kingdoms of the world and her SOW
ereign holds by the right of possession legal
title to about everything worth having in his
entire state-f this then be quest OF the royal
girl his majesty could make no better cnolce
than one of the true American nobility, many
of whose daughters are already serving IN similar
positions of trust and responsibility with rare
distinction and dignity. though as corulers over
smaller principalities
When the writer was child he remembers
being taken by the hand by King Mongkut, VAIL
rayudhs grandfather, and being led into the
kings fayorite room-his American room On
the walls were of portraits OF the presidents
If the United States. They were not good like
nesses-some of them-but they were the best
bis native artist could make from the photo
eraphs and other pictures his majesty had Sc
cured. They were all there however, and IN
order from Washington to the ruler at that time
Abraham Lincoln.
~ am very fond of America" said his majesty.
as he closed the door, very fond. And some
day we are to be united
was this prophecy. that uttered half CEN
tury ago is to be fulfilled by the marriage OF his
grandson to an American?
Old King Mongkut patterned his policy OF
"risbteous rule as closely after the principles
fonnd in the Declaration of Independence as he
dared and remain the throne Of his father,
His son, King Chulalongkorn, never ceased to
lament that he was not permitted to see the
nromised land of America. His multiplicity OF
wives and his desire to bring more than one
with him on his official visit caused GOODNESS
in washington diplomatic circles that damped
his ardor at the time-and he insisted upon his
con making a special effort ito visit the United
states and personally meet the president OF the
Great country of which your grandfather was SO
fond and which have been unable to see
There have always existed the most cordial
relations between these two Numerically OPP
nosed eoyernments-the most despctic and the
most democratic. France has buled her Aslatic
9thers. the descendant of line OF princes dat
no hack to a time when Egypt was in her IN
,ancy and before Greece was born; he the Nus
r;ous. the invincible, the divine master OF the
immortal souls has played football at Rugby,