, 1925-01-01

Rama VI. an Oxford man. and the
first ksiatic 'potentate to be edu-
Gated In the occident.
IT imagine we saw nearly as
much during u one day in Siam as
many visitors see In a week. The
representatives OF King Rama. tho
officers OF tho Siamese royal air
force. and our own c~ountrymen
escorted US about the city. First
they took us to the internationally
famous palace OF tho monarch of
the golden elephants at tho outer
this tropic realm. As we passed
portal the troops. OF the king Of
Siam were there to welcome us.
Up the elarble staircase. and
through great carved doors of teak
We entered a yestibule with a forty
foot ceiling whose teak walls were
hung with tho coats OF mail of
apcient Siam. From there we were
ushered into the council room where
tho kings. OF Siam reclIne on a
golden couch to receive advisers and
ENJOYS. Behind this combination
throne and diyan hangs a portrait of
a half naked Buddhist pontin who.
with shaver head and half closed
eyes. looks down. upon the as
semblaEe.
Although We pass Javanese. Bur.
mese, Cambodians. Malays, Chinese,
Shaps. Was, Karens. and Japanese
on the canals and tamarisk lined
streets Of. Bangkok, the state re-
ligion of the Siamese is Buddhism.
Every youth in Siam is obliged to
become a monk for a time just as
the boys in European countries are
compelled to serve in the army.
or the 5000. 900 people In the coun.
try moro than 10000 are Buddhist
10000 Buddhist temples. golden
monks. In fact, there arc nearly
spired pagodas, and fantastic teak
mona5teries.
Palace Impressive Sight.
From the council room the gen
erals. admirals. ex-prime ministers
and other d.sa.taries whe- were
shaving the sights OF slam took If
INFO another chamber, where We
saN two huge and eXquisiteiy cary
ed elephant tusks. and then us .
final climax they marched US into
the t~hroneroonI, with It's lofty cell
ms Of inlaid glass, its frescoed wills
Of g~littering gold leaf. its dazzling
crystal ca%ndelabra. its marble mo.
sale floor. and the king OF Slams
throne underneath - min story,
pagodaiiko structure covered with
gold. The oriental magnificence OF
this palace, and the fact that We.
like the heroes of the Arabian
nights, had flown hero through tho
Sky, made US feel like modern Alad.
dins, and we had to pinch each other
TO mako sure We were awake.
although The King business is
getting TO he one OF the most diff
cult and hazardous Jobs in the world
perhaps only I trf,le less dangerous
than a Job in the United States ar
service AZ n test pilot at Dayton, be-
ing king OF siam has its compensa-
tons. For instanees every woman
IN tho country belongs to him, ac.
cordlng to the custom OF the coun.
try. In fact, all OF his subjects are
hts slaves. But IN reality Siam is
Musng Thai which. translated.
means Land Of the Free The 81.
nmese are modest. however. and do
not call their country the home OF
the brave
White E1epharfs Too Costly.
From the kings palace with Its
golden tiled roof We wsre taken to
the stables OF the royal white ele-
plants. As matter OF fact. we were
IS Interested in seeing tho kings
flock OF white elephants As anything
else IN Slam. But this was our one
disappointment IN Bangkok. They
We're not white at all-msreiy q sort
OF sickiy pinkish. In other words,
albino pachyderms.
The white elephant 80 strl the
royal animal OF the country, but
ever since the present Oxonian mon.
arch sscended the throne, took unto
himself only n wife instead Of 50,
Introducing typewritsrs, phono,
graphs, American automobiles, air.
plunes, and expert advisors from
tho United States and Europo. tho