The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1917-09-14

as much as they might Siam is not
altogether a bit of picturesque scenery.
In the fiscal year of 1915-l916, she ex-
ported more than 1,250,000 tons of rice
valued at more than So 449, 000-yes,
she is as solid as all that and this
must mean something in the days when
food-simple, primitive nonfanctful
food is the most fashionable topic of
conversations in all the ehancellories Of
all the great powers of the earth.
To be sure Siam cannot make much
impression en- the war finance of the
entente allies. Her revenue for the
fiscal year 191G-17 is estimated at
$26, 600, 900; the entire amount does not
cover just one days war expenditure
of Great Britain alone.
When the Siumese army is mentioned
the good people of Europe and Amer
lea somehow let their fancieS wander
to Il comic opera Before the Russian
war they were wont to do precisely
this very thing about the Japanese
army. And they should be reminded
of this fact in the most unkindly man
ner possible. And just to rub it in.
the good American friends should be
reminded of an undeniabe fact that
Siam was ahead of the proud and very
up-to-date United States In the matter
of compulsory military service-ahead
of her by about thirteen years. Incred-
ibe, of course, but true.
Old Fighting Methods Gone.
OF course the old style army of Siam
had its share of entertaining traditions
to make a tremendous demOnstra
ton of overwhelming force to scare
the enemy. always at n good safe dis
lance from him-waS one of them, and
when an accidental blunder placed the
opposing forces within reach of hui
man voice. then to hurl Mt the enemy
a terrific stream of heroic epithets and
vile yituperations, and If the matter
came to the worst, then under no ir-
cumstances whatever let the men lose
their heads to the extent of launching
a bayonet charge. but let their spokes-
man challenge the other side to put up
warrior-the champion warrior--to
deadly duel with the hero of their
own camp, and let the two warrior rep
resentatives decide the fate of the
war; My own heroic countrymen in
Japan have not the slightest excuse to
make merry over this procedure Not
so many centuries ago their own brave
ancestors We're wont to resort to this
method of economical warfare, espe-
cially in many interclan brawls.
This sort of thing is now but
quaint memory with the modern army
of Siam, however. In 1904 the law Of
universal military service went into eff
feet. Years before that number of
the sons of the Siamese nobility had
been trained in the military schools
of Europe and of the United States.
! They had returned home literally
kindling with enthusiasm for the new
order of things. They had seen that IL
modern army and navy had good
deal to do with the dignity of mod
ern state and with her very moral
standing. They could not quite make
out the logic of the thing. But they
! just knew that it was right Back
home In Siam they lost no time in be-
coming at once the prophets and
preachers of this new doctrine of ma
tional prestige.
What they have accomplished up to
the present writing is not likely to
turn the tide of the world war in Eu-
rope, as has been limited But they
have made something of beginning.
! OF that there is not n ghost nf 81 doubf
And the development Of the Siamese
army and navy should be more inter
esting to the British statesmen than to
the militarists of Germany--if truth
were told.