New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

most cosmopolitan streets in the
Far East, a street upon which one
can see sixty or seventy different
nationalities and can hear as many
differing tongues and dialects
spoken.
And word of this old Chakkri
Palace, and of its occupant, for
this is the workshop of the king
known to the foreigners as King
Rama VI and to his people as Sem
det Phra Paramindr Maha Vajira-
vudh Mongkut Krao, Somdct Phra
Rama Thibodi vi.
The First Bachelor King
His majesty is one of the most
interesting monarchs. The first
bachelor that ever sat upon the
Siamese throne, he is said to be
waiting for an American girl to
share his throne. The kings grand
father, Maha Mongkut, used to say
that he desired-and had-a men,
ber of every family Of note in his
kingdom in his household" No
outsider ever knew just how many
wives he did have. His son, Maha
Chulalongkorn, the father Of the
present king, had three wives on
the day before he was made crown
prince. On that day he married
ninety-seven more to make up the
complement Of one hundred, which
was the proper number Of wives for
the crown prince 10 have. When
he died-ten years ago-he had
between 1000 and 5000. When his
son, the then crown prince, re-
turned from his long stay in Eu-
rope-he had spent a third Of
his life in England, France, Ger
many and Russia, and had made
frequent visits to Belgium, Italy and
Spain, Norway, Sweden and the
Netherlands-his father presented
him with a collection of Siamese
beauties, saying:
"My son, here are something over
a hundred Of the beauties Of the
court for you to start light house
keeping with and to these you may
add as you see flt."
But the young prince, much to the
discomfort Of his royal father, told
the monarch that he would have
none of this wholesale marriage
business, and added that when he
was ready he would marry zone
wife, and she shall be the queen of
my heart as we'll as the queen Of my
realm" His father took the de-
cision of his son very much to heart.
and some have gone so far as to say
that his boys stubborn adherence
to his word helped to end his royal
fathers life. When his majesty
Maha Vajiravudh-known there
after as Rama VI-came to the
throne, as there was no queen and
no heir a crown prince, or, as they
say in Siam, an heir presumptive
had to be chosen, and the lot nat
urally fell to the late Prince Phit-
sanulok, who was a brother of the
king by the same mother. And here
is another curious phase of Siamese
royalty law.
Many years ago Siamese
monarch found himself among a
people without woman Of high
enough rank for him to make his
queen. So he married his own sis
ter. Since that time the custom has
prevailed that the ruling monarch
must marry at least one of his half
sisters, for the heir must be pos
sessed Of royal blood on both sides
The queen mother, who, by the
way, died last November and was
cremated last month, was the half
sister of his majesty, Maha Chula-
longkorn. Her sons, therefore, were
eligible to kingship. The late prince
was the next in age to the king,
and, in every way, was the rightful
heir to the throne. Educated in
England and France and having
lived for a long time in Russia,
where he was captain Of the guard
to the czar, it was but natural that
he follow In the footsteps of many
of the other members of the nobility
and the royal family Of the Siamese
court and marry q foreigner. His
choice was a Russian lady, not Of
royal birth, but of good lineage, who
became Princess Catherine Of the
Siamese court. The new princess
was a vivacious young woman, hand
some, clever, a good linguist and an
all-around worthy wife Of the bril-
liant man she had captured.
Wore Native Costume
She was quick to pick up the
Siamese tongue and spoke it flu
ently-so fuently that she became
the go-bctween and Interpreter for