1934-12-12 — Page 17

SIAM'S SYMPATHETIC AUTOCRAT

LOVE OF PEOPLE GIVES KING HIS POWER

By EDWARD E. BRODIE

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER ·· 12, 1934.

(FORMER · U.S. MINISTER TO SIAM) TTING Prajadhipek, who is freely admitted that when a sudden Kthreatening to abdicate un-drevelt shook the whole country, less the constitutional government the king quietly and graciously of Siam withdraws its plan to acquiesced in the now deal. While further curtali the royal preroga-it loat him the support and co- ilvos, is in a unique position. He oporation of the princos who were is probably the only man in the fitted by training and experience entire kingdom who holds the firm for ministerial posts, it enabled allegiance amounting almost to him to view the banishment of worship of the great majority of Paribatra with equanimity. the Siamese people, who until two!

Government positions are years ago had never heard of such a document as a constitution and longer princely pickings, it being a stipulation that are bol aware of its true political constitutional significance. It is this personal members of the royal household cabinet posts. admiration and respect of his are barred from

The wisdom of this inhibition may millions of subjects that streng thens the attulide of the monarch well be questioned as it relegated In his present effort to keep hinto private life such men as the cap-

jable and cultured Prince Damrang, royal rights.

Rajanubhab.

years.

REACTION

110

Reichepresident Hitler und Dr. Frick, Minister of the Interior, are here inspecting the work for Berlin's 1938

NATIONALISM

IN SCHOOLS

LEAGUE SEEKS TO PURGE BOOKS

CO-OPERATION

SOUGHT

Geneva.

It is quite conceivable that the abdication of King Prajadbipokį would precipitate a revolution in a

The counter revolution of the country that han exinted under an summer of 1933 was futile, al- absolute ruler for hundreds of though temporary occupation of Study of international relations This absolutlam has con- the central air-drome and plant at is a subject which is becoming of tinued until recently when Prajad-Donmuang caus considerable increasing interest to the world, hipok consented to the establish-

uneasiness. The movement re- it is stated in a report to the ment of a constitutional monarchy presented an undisguised attempt|League of Nations by the In- which he had himself hoped to regain for members of the royal | tellectual Co-operation Organisa- bring about in a more gradual and family the various prerogatives op. orderly fashion.

and benefits they had enjoyed for A programme for the coming.

system of year includes study for the forma The Siamese as a nation have a generations under deep and peculiar veneration for absolutism. The principal stab-ion of an intellectual elite, and

lizing factor was His Majesty | the origins of western civilisation. I their King. The abdication aft

A vast new field, that of social! King Praindhipok, who sincerely Prajadhipok would Inevitably meani

been the fall of the dynasty and the desires to lead his people along and political science, has election of n president or the na; the broad road of 'constitutional opened up to intellectual co- to reform the operation ISM # result of the sumption of power by a dictator, government and This would possibly mean chaos abuses that were common under Initiative taken in 1933 and 1934 by Prof. James T. Shotwell and to the same degree as followed by his immediate predecessor.

M. Edouard Herriot, chairman off the fall of the empire of China.

the governing body of the luter. national institute of Intellectual Co-operation,

.lar

Chakri dynasty.

21

and

Inter

There is slight comparison be Oriental mentality is quite simi.tween the Slamese Revolution and wherever found. And the those of some other countries, but

It is significant that army chief-| It is proposed; 1. · To draw up « prevalence of literacy in the Orient is one reason for autocracy which came as one of the govern-ganisations which engage, in the

talna resente.. salary decreases list of the Institutions and or-j The autocracy has been fairly ment economy, measures. More- different

countries benevolent under the away of toever, the germs of political unrest nationally, either in research or stirred in the breasts of a number teaching in the fuld of social and DATES BACK TO 1925 lof Slamese, who had been educated political science; 2. To Initinto abroad and who chafed under con- research into the principles and Transformation of the Govern-'ditions which restricted career ad-methods of the various subjects ment of Siam from an absolute to vancement,

into which they may be divided, A constitutional monarchy WAM] conceived by King Prajadh!pok A youth of Siam, after seeing and 3. To undertake a series of studien k certain specific prob- the very night he assumed the countless opportunities for individ throne un Nov. 26, 1925. Ils valism abrund, lound the denied lens. The first of these studies will cancern the effects. of brother, Rama Vi, who had ruled to him upon return to his antive mechanisation on modern elvilisa- the country since 1910, uiter their land. He could rise. but the top tion. father, the famous Chalalongkorn, positions in the Government were Another interesting proposal, in

Kenerally reserved for those born the educational sphere, in to the purple. Most of these which concerns the revision of, Rama Vi possessed great pur- young men had been trained in the school textbooks. The committee sonal charm, held the loyalty of United States and Englund where-intellectual co-operation-con-- the muses, played magnificently the accident of birth counts for templates suplementing the im and glamorously, but responsibili- little in the selection of governprovement schemes now in exist. ties of administration were direct ment leaders, and where merit nee by the preparation of 1 ed by favourites, aided by 200 recognized, no matter, how lowly standard draft bilateral agree- foreigners who served in technical the beginnings, capacities. It was the late Lord) Northcliffe who said that enter- tainment in the palace of Kuma

had no such modern views.

that

ment for the abolition of differ- ences in the interpretation of certain historien) events in the textbooks now in use.

THE SIMPLE LIFE

Communism has had no part in was more lavish than at the Court the Asiatic drama

as played z "We believe," says the report. of St. James's.

Siami. The people are by nature "that no work for internationni Prajadhipok in no visionary.conservative and there has been no organisation is the world, for an Devoted to his country, notwith- oppression in their routine to ex-international order and, conse standing his long absences abroad, este them to rally around com- ququtty, for peace, will be durable, ho felt that a limited constitutional munistic standards. Their needs or even possible, if not necom regime should be established, but are few. The rice Selds and fisk-panied by a corresponding effort he then felt no reuson for buste, ing streams provide sustenance.in the intellectual sphere." He was the seventh king of The problem of sufficient clothing www. dynasty which has functioned so does not exist. successfully that Siam atood alonej

They are allowed to cultivate,

in southern, Asia as the only free their paddy lands in peace and they' and independent nation. He made would be the first to resist any at- his plans carefully and gradually.tempt to socialize their belongings. appointing a supreme council of Rice is the life-food of the country state composed of five senior and in a one-crop land, where princes, and providing for a legis agricultural conditions are similar lative council of ministers which, to those of Japan, but where living with others, all named by the sov. is easier and land is plentiful, ereign, had a membership of 40. may be, expected that agrarian The country, with a balanced legislation will occupy an import- budget, was prosperous, the people ant place in parliamentary de- were content, the new King was a liberations. conservator of public revenues, and

The only sizable foreign colony

he seriously set about the prepara is represented by 250,000 Chinese tion of a constitution which he be- in Bangkok, but the Siamese 'Gov- lieved could be adapted to the ernment has been steadfast in its mentality of his partially literate refusal to discuss treaty relations followers.

with its huge northern neighbour. nad the alien population of the capital is not dificult to control. Foreign Eyes

Olympiad.

The Greek silatorman, M. Venizelos, who has now retired from public life, is here seen with one of his oldest

war-time contradas

"Mr. Pickwick", one of the charac- ters in the Lord Mayor's Show in

London.

The Crown Prince of Siam dancing with Lady Dalrymple Champneys at a ball at Grosvenor House in aid of the Ex-Service Men's

Welfare

Society.

NOT USED TO REVOLTS

Siam was not, accustomed to re-l volutionary disturbances. The natives are good-natured and as Keenest Interest in Slani's inter indolent as the general File of'nal' political affairs is naturally people who live in a tropical evidenced by Great Britain and climate. So in 1931 Prajadhipok France. The reason is chiefly ged came to the United States without graphical. Forty years ago the misgivings, leaving his half Franch east covetous eyes on the brother, Prince Paribatra of Na- kingdom, and the invasion of 189: gara Svarga. in the position of cost Stam all of her possessions un the left bank of the Mekhong. regent,

For 12 years French troops oc- It was during that comparatively cupied Siamese territory, evacuat brief period that this ambitious Ing Chantabun in 1905, and reactionary royal personage The Cambodian provinces were worked furiously to devise n con-jeeded to Franco in 1907, and twe stitutional formula that would years Inter the suzerainty of the with one hand hold out to the Malay stales of Trengganu, Kelati- people a representative system of inn, Kedah and Pers was trans-the country. Whatever protection absolute, government disappeared democracy? government, while maintaining in ferred to Great Britain. Siam, charter membership in the to make way for an experimenti The answer was not to be written the other complete control of the now with an area greater than that League of Nations guarantees to which naturally attracted world immediately. And the new deve- principal places of power for mem- of. Great Britain and Ireland, re- Siam may become a problem of the wide interest.

lopments which have culminated bers of the reigning family. Is mains a buffer stata between future; but there is no indication Could a people of ten millions, with the reported abdication of had travelled quite a distance on French Indo-China and British of interference by elther of her whose knowledge of self govern the King, Indicato that Slam this math when the King returned, Burman, a situation particularly powerful neighbours.

ment le almost wholly lacking, stands, not at the end of a chaptor, While the details of what came satisfactory to Britlah intorcats, With the opening of Slam's first meet the responsibility with a true but at the beginning of a new un- next are somewhat obscuro, it is which dominate the commerce of Parliament by King Prajadhipok, appreciation of the blessings of charted period;

Press photographers have been busy in Paris recently, owing to the rapid political changes. They are here seen

awalling M. Doumargus at the Elysee Palacio,

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