The Dolores star., 1920-08-13

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Enion.
llama VI knoYu his people uS S"mGet
Flr.a taramimdr Mahn vajravudh Mon@kut Krlo,
Sorndcc rhr1, Rama Thi!"di VI. is one Of the most
Interesting monarch writes Frederick Dean. NJ
A. in the New York Tribune. The first bachelor
that sat upon the Siamcse throne. II" Is Nhlu
to be waiting for an American girl to share his
Throne The kings grandfather. Maha Mongkut.
used to say that he deSirrd-and hnd-a member
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 ChuIa-
lm'ttort the father of the present king had three
wives the day before he was mad" crown
prince. On that day he married nn"ty-seven
more to nake up the complement of one hundred
which the proper number of wives for the
crown prince to have. When he died-ten years
agn-he had between 1000 and 5000. When his
son the then crown prince returned from his long
stay in EurOpe-he had spent third Of his life
In England. France, Germany and Russia. and had
made frequent visits TO Belgium. Italy and Spain.
Norway. Sweden and the NetherIands-his father
presented him with collection of Siamese
beauties. saying:
My son. here are something over hundred
of the beauties of the court for you start light
housekeeping WITH and to these you may add as
y0u see fit.
But the young prince much to trrr discomfort
of his royal father told the monarch that he would
have Of this wholesale marriage business.
and added that when he was ready he would marry
zone wife, and she shall Inc the queen of my heart
as well as the queen of my realm" His father
took he decision of his very much to heart
and some have gone far as to say that his boys
stubI Orn adherence TO his word helped to end his
royal fathers life. When his majesty Maha
yajiravudh--known thereafter Rama VI
came the throne. as there was no queen and
no heir. crown prince. or as they say in Siam,
an heir prestimptive. had to he chosen. and the
10. naturally fell to the late Prince Phitsanulck.
who a brother Of the king by the same
mother.
Siam is polyganous country. According to
Siurlese law a man may have as many wives
he can support. The households of royalty
into almost countless numbers. Old King Mong-
kut. the grandfath of the present monarch, used
TO
children"
Tie present king has something like twenty
half brothers and any quantity of hnlfsisters. In
doing away with the royal harem his majesty
struck blow ut one of the oldest and most funda-
mental customs of the country And if he
chooses to step out of the beaten track and marry
a foreigner he Will he carrying ont but one more
of his unexpected reforms for which he has been
noted ever since he came to the throne.
Rama VI is remarkable man in many re-
spects AT the age Of twelve he was sent to
England where he fitted into the foreign school
regime in less than six months He played foot
ball at Rugby. learned to fence. ride and swim;
entered tournaments of golf and tennis firt"d
and wrote love lyrics. Later he went to Heidel-
berg where he crossed swords with the daredevils
and drank and sang his way into the hearts OF his
fellow workers. Returning to England he entered
Christ college. Oxford where on graduation he
faok fhp first prize away from seven of the brain
sest az Britislers. and then went to Paris, where
ne wrote play that produced nt the Comedie
Franchise; he returned to Germany and wrote his
thesis for his doctors degree In German. and.
after visiting every court in Europe. returned
home by way Of America. where he stopped long
eoeush TO pay the president an extended visit and