The Pensacola journal., 1920-02-17
SIAM OFFICER WRITES
OF POSTWAR CONDITIONS

OF postwar condition in Siam. the
smallest of the allied countries. Lieut.
colonel c. y. Springer tells in an in
teresting letter addressed to MS
brother. Carl Springer. of this city. AS
Is natural following a war of such
magnitude continuing for several
years, the areas affected are III A much
depleted condition, but little Siam. so
small that she has been scarcely
noticed, seems on the brink of starv
alton.
The II c. L. certainly seems not con-
fined TO America alone, as we some
times seem to think. In the course of
ms letter Lieut.-Colonel Springer saws:
L don not know for certain when T
am going home on leave, as I cannot
so very we'll afford it as long as eyerv-
thing is so frightfully expensive all
over the world. Also here in this coun-
try, where Bangkok already under
quite normal conditions before rhe
war, was recognized the most expen-
Sive place in the east, also here are
things very, very high now.
Ihe price of RICE, the breadcorn of
East Asia, is now a little more than
four times OF what it was in Decem-
Der, 1918, thanks to John Chinamsn i"
These chaps have been roaming about
all over the country and bought every
stick of old stocks for export IN
starving Europe. with the result that
this country itself will now have to
starve, at least until harvest time in
1920, in December. The present mar
vest has been a big failure: we have
not sufficient rice to feed the popuIa-
tion in Siam more than about seven
months; already more people have
died in my districts from want Of
food.
Another reason for me to stand by
here through the coming year, if nv
health will permit me to carry on.
My nerves have not been in the best
condition lctely, and if I cannot pick
up before the commencement of the
hot season, in March-April. may
have to take n short leave two or
three months to China or Japan. How
ever 1 hope it will not be necessary
for me to take leave before 1929.
as l shall then have completed %
years service in this country, and II
will be 25 years since became a sub
lieutenant in the Danish army. When
l go home on long leave, nine months.
l will let you know, and 1 might pos
sibly go by the way of America.
You write about saving. don't
understand how people on fixed SAL
aries can manage to save anything
nowadays. used to be able to before
the war and even during the first
three years of the war 1 managed to
save little, but since 1 have had to
send three children to the boarding
schools at Bangkok and moreover since
L was transferred from Nan to this.
place my expenditures have increased
so much that l have to be very care
ful to get my salary to cover ex-
penses.
Il came from a six weeks tour OF
inspection work on the 25th OF Novem-
Der and then got your letter, but had
to get. all my reports for the trip off
my hands before l could attend to
private matters, and on the 7th inst
1 am off again for about a month and
SO probably shall have to spend
Christmas somewhere enroute to the
jungle. AS an assistant to the the In
spector General Provincial Gendar-
merle (constabelary) ! have 10 visit
all Gendarmerie stations and prisons
and jaifs in my sphere once a year.
and as l have a big sphere in all ten