Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-30
SIAM OUTSTEPP|NG
AS|AT|C NE|GHBORS
Visit of Absolute Monarch
Recalls Progress His
Nation Is Making.

The arrival of King Prajadhipok Of
Siam and his court here marked
the first visit Of a reigning absolute
monarch to the United States. While
the King will spend most of his time
here incognito, official calls will be
made in Washington.
siam, one of the new nations where
o King IS absolute monarch-others are
Afghanistan and Ethiopia - outstepS
some European colonies that are its
Asiatic neighbors in the march of
progress" says bulletin from the Ma
tional Geographic Society.
Americans Are Advisers.
although the white elephant is still
revered in Siam, and IS used in state
ceremonies, the countrys airmail sys-
tenn has operated successfully for more
than eight years. Telegraph Offices
number more than 400, and the num-
Der of inland kilograms exceed the
foreign; while ASS post offices serve
every city aad rural center. Three
high-powered wireless stations are in
operation.
1.-TWO kinds Of American visitors,
one good, one bad, figure prominently
in the Kingdoms new property. Francis
BoweS S&yre, the late President VIII
sons Son-in-law, and DR.. Hugh M
Smith, former commissioner of the
United States Bureau CT Fisheries, are
Staunch aides to Siam. The former
headed commission which obtained
treaties from foreign nations that re-
moved extraterritorial rights and lifted
tariff restrictions; DR.. Smith directs the
development of Slams fishery resources.
THE unwelcome American visitor is
the lovely but malicious Florida weed
The blue water hyacinth Of Florida,
brought to the East Indies as a flower,
has become curse. Because the Queen
of Siam brought the first specimens for
her garden from Java, 1t Is often called
the Java weed, but out in the country
where it creates national problem by
clogging the irrigation canals it has
earned the name blue devil
Irrigation and Railways.
siam, jungles, and heavy rainfall are
three ideas closely associated Why,
then, must Siam build irrigation dams
and canals? The answer is that almost
all the rain falls at once, and must be
regulated to keep it from sweeping
away the central delta plain. Also be-
cause the Siamese grow rice they must
have wealth Of water; hence irriga-
ton. The Prasak project, with bar
rage type dam, completed in 1924, serves
$4,000 acres. The Subhan project,
scheduled for early completion, will have
three times the PraSak capacity. Other
vast works are under way or have been
planned
Railways show equal promise. Siam,
by Its position, Is natural railroad
center Of the worlds densest population
area. Bangkok, the capital and Siamese
metropolis, is the inevitable major rail-
road junction for all south and east
Asia. Karachi, India, to V1adivostok,
Siberia, is a 6,000-mile railroad which
Siam awaits. About two-thirds Of the
Eackage is complete.
The vital branch line, Bangkok to
Singapore, lib miles long, has been
finished, and puts Siam within three
days travel Of the great port. Eastern
Siamese lines reach the Indo- Chinese
border at two points. The north line
extends nearly to the Burma border.
Siam waits for these next door colonies
to catch up with her 1,749 miles Of
state railways.
"A hint of the Importance to Siam Of
ner railroads, all built since 1893, is
contained in the recent report Of an
American agricultural expert. I was
told he writes, that a trainload of
rice goes south daily for export to
Malaga, China, Japan and the Dutch
East Indies Rice is to Siam what
cotton Is to the South. Siam vies with
OoPoA All tIAIQ pldCS dLIlOtlB Tic LARGEST
producers Of rice in the world.
Come live in q palace Siam In
vites the tourist. The state railway
system operates hotels as well as trains.
The royal suites Of its Phya Thai Hotel
at Bangkok are, indeed, royal suites,
having been occupied by the late King
before the palace was given to the rail-
road system.
American Motors Popular.
"Ticals, or the Siames bahts, the
monetary units Of Siam, are one and
the same when they get to Detroit.
OF $40 new automobiles delivered in
Bangkok in one recent month a ma
jority were American. Siam has dis
covered the American cupboard motor,
too, Canals that make Bangkok a
tropical Amsterdam and the country
side an Oriental Holland prompt Siam
to become the United States ninth best
customer for detachable motors and
second best customer for other types of
boat engines.
The month Of May marks the be-
ginning of the all-important rice plant
Ing. King and court and thousands of
subjects turn out for the Rak Ma, or
ploughing, ceremony Before the vast
crowd the minister Of agriculture digni-
lied, with a hat like a Spire, and
gorgeous gown, guides a huge gilded