Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-11-07


travel returned home to take up the
serious study of his fathers kingdom It was
thought that a matter Of course ne Woulo Iol-
low the custom of the royal house to Wnlcn ne
belonged and marry. But, greatly to the aston
ishnent of the entire realm, this he fatty refused
to do and not even his fathers kingly requests
could change hts decision. Now, marriage by
Siamese monarch means not the simple taxing
of one wife, bat the complicated and wholesome
ABSORPTION of hundred. His late majesty King
Chulalongkorn had three wives when ne was
crown prince and added 81 others to his house
held before ascending the throne and his father,
the great Mongkut claimed many hundreds OF
wives So when young Prince Vajiravudh turned
his back upon the beauties of the court and
would have none of them he established prece-
dent of celibacy 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 mountaineering many years OF MS
most impressiopable age-not even word during
his flying trip through the states and If he went
back to his Aslatic throne leaving his heart mere
or in Europe che world has never been notified
of the matter nor has any particular caretaker
been singled cut as the possible happy custodian
of the royal gift.
But, should this rumor have more than the
usual claim fpr credence-should his majesty,
Maha 'VajiraYh6h, the supreme TuloI VI dll oAoAh'
"marry an An4erican'-What then? There is no
roval family In this democratic country from
which tbs young man could or should make his
choice and by so doing cement the bonds that
already hold his little kingdom in far away Asia
very close to Uncle Sans heart. But there are
American ladies a-plenty that are fair to look
upon rightminded and talented enough to be any
monarch's queen, and if this be culture quest
rs we'll as a longing of the heart-there can De
no question u% 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 aboat everything worth having in his
entire stately this then be quest OF the royal
qirl his majesty could make no better choice
than one os the true American nobility, many
of whose daughters are already serving IN similar
positions of trust and responsibility with rare
distinction ard dignity, though as co-ruiers over
smaller princlpalities.
When the writer a child he remembers
being taken by the hand by King Mongkut, Vail
ravudh's grandfather. and being led into the
kings favCrite room-his American room On
the walls we've rows of portraits of the presidents
of the United States. They were not good like
nesses-some of them-but they we're the best
his native artist could make from the photo
graphs and other pictures his majesty mad Sc
cured They we're all there, however, and In
order from Washington to the ruler at that time
Abraham Lincoln.
81 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 GEN.
tury ago. is to be fulfilled by the marriage OF his
grandson to an American?
Old King Mongkut patterned his policy OF
righteous rule, as closely after the principles
found 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
promised 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
son making 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
posed governments-the most despotic and the
most democratic France has bullied' her Asiatic
others; the descendant of line Of princes dat
inc back to time when Egypt was in her in
fancy and before Greece was born; he, the Illus
trious the nvincible, the divine master Of the
Immortal souls, has played football at Rugby.