1934-12-12 — Page 3

SIAM'S SYMPATHETIC

AUTOCRAT

LOVE OF PEOPLE GIVES KING HIS POWER

By EDWARD E. BRODIE

(FORMER U.S. MINISTER TO SIAM)

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1934.

threatening to abdicafe un-rovalt shook the whole country, less the constitutional government the king quietly, and graciously of Slam withdraws its plan to acquiesced in the now deal. While further curtail the royal preroga- it lost him the support and co- tives, is in a unique position. He operation of the princes who were in 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 grout majority of Paribatra with. equanimity. the Siamese people, who until two

Government positions are по years ago had never heard of such a document as a constitution and longer princely pickings, it being a stipulation that are not aware of its true political constitutional significance. It in this personal members of the royal household admiration and respect of his are barred from cabinet poate, millions of subjecia that treng thens the attutide of the monarch in his present effort to keep his royal rights.

The wisdom of this inhibition may well be questioned as it relegated to private life such men as the cap able and cultured Prince Dumrong Rajanubhab.

REACTION

Reichspresident Hitler and Dr. Frick, Minister of the Interfor, are here inspecting the work for Berlin's 1936

NATIONALISM

`IN SCHOOLS

LEAGUE SEEKS TO PURGE BOOKS

CO-OPERATION SOUGHT

Geneva,

Study of international relations

I fa quite conceivable that the abdication of King Prnjadhipok would precipitate a revolution in a The counter revolution of the country that has existed under an summer of 1933 was futile, al- absolute ruler for hundreds of though temporary occupation of years. This absolutism has cun- the central air-drome and plant al is a subject which is becoming of tinued until recently when Praiad-Donmuang, caused 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 munareny 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 graduul and family the various prerogatives tion. 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 loop and peculiar veneration for absolutism. The principal stabtion of an intellectuni elite, and ilizing factor was His Majesty the origina of western civilisation, their King. The abdication of:

King Prajadhipok, who sincerely A vast new field, that of social Prajadhipak would inevitably mean desires to lead his people along and political science, has been the fall of the dynasty and the

to intellectual election of a president or the as the broad rond of constitutional opened up

government and to reform the operation វាន a result of the Aumption of power by a dictator. This would possibly mean chaus 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 of the governing body of the later national Institute of Intellectual Co-operation.

M

the full of the empire of China... There is alight comparison be Oriental mentality is quite aimi.tween the Sinmene Revolution and those of some other countries, but Jor wherever found. And, the

the ita significant that army chief- prevalence of illiteracy in

thing resented salary decreases Orient is one reason for autocracy which came as one of the govern The autocracy has been fairly benevolent under the sway of Chakri dynasty.

W

It is proposed: 1. To draw up a list of the institutions and or- canisations which engage, in the ment economy measures. More- different countries and Inter 1 neover, the germs of political unrest nationally, either in research or stirred in the breasts of a number teaching in the field of social and Jof Siamese, who had been educated political science; 2. To initiate fabroad and who chafed under con- research into the principles and ditions which restricted career ad- methods of the various subjects into which they may be divided, and 3. To undertake a series of studies of certain specific prob, lems. The first of these studies!

concern the effects of mechanisation on modern civilian-

vancement.

A youth

o

DATES BACK TO 1925 Transformation of the Govern- ment of Siam from an absolute to 24 constitutional monareny conceived by King Prajndhipok

of Slum, after seeing the very night he Assumed

the countiess opportunities for individ: throne on Nov. 20, 1925. la ualism abroad, found them denied brother, Rama VI, who had ruled to him upon return to his native the country since 1910, after their land. He could rise, but the top father, the famous Chulalongkorn, positions in the Government were

Another interesting proposal, in had no such modern views,

generally reserved for those born the educational sphere, in that to the purple. Most of, these which concerns

the revision of Ram VI possessed great per- young men had been trained in the school textbooks. The committee 3onal charm, held the royally of United States and England where an intellectual co-operation con- the masses, pinyed magnificently the arcident of birth counts for templates supplementing the im and glamorously, but responsibili little in the selection of govern- ties of administration were direct- ment leaders, and where merit is provement schemes now in exist once by the preparation of a ed by favourites, alded by 200 recognized, no matter how lowly standard draft bilateral agree foreigners who served in technical, the beginnings.

ment for the abolition of differ capacities. It was the late Lord

entes in the interpretation of Northcliffe who said that enter-

certain historien) events in the tainment in the palace of Rama

textbooks now in use, was more lavish than at the Court

of St. James's.

I

THE SIMPLE LIFE

Communism has had nô part in the Asiatic drama as played in "We believe," saya the report, Siami. The people are by nature that no work for international Prajadhipok Ex no visionary, conservative and there has been no urganisation in the world, for an Devoted to his country, notwith- oppression in their routine to ex-international order and, conse- standing his long absences abroad, cite them to rally around com- quently, for peace, will be durable. he felt that a limited constitutional munistie standards. Their needs or even possible. If not accom reginie should be established, but are few. The rice fields and fish-panied by a corresponding effort

in the intellectunt sphere." he then felt no reason for 'haate. Ing streams provide sustenance. He was the seventh king of a The problem of sufficient clothing 'dynasty which has functioned so does not exist.

land, where

successfully that Slam stood alone They are allowed to cultivate in southern Asis 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 supreme council of ice is the life-food of the country state composed of five senior and is a one-erop princes, and providing for a legis ngricultural conditions are sinar lative council of ministers which, to those of Japan, but where living with others, all named by the sovla easier and land is plentiful, it 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 u parliamentary de- were content, the new King was a ¡liberations.

Conservator of public revenites, and The only sizable_foreign_colony he seriously sut about the prepara is represented by 250,000 Chinese tion of a constitution which he be- in Bangkok, but the Siamese Gov- Heved 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 neighbouri and the alien population of the capital is not difficult to control. Foreign Eyes .༣

NOT USED TO REVOLTS.

Siam was not accustomed to re- volutionary

The disturbances. natives are good-natured and as Keenest interest in Siam's Inter- indolent the general run of "nal political affairs is naturally people who live in a tropien! evidenced by Great Britain and climate. So in 1931 Prajadhipok France. The reason is chiefly geo- came to the United States without graphical. Forty years ago the mlsgivings, lenving his half French cast covetona eyes on the brother, Prince Paribairn of Na- kingdom, and the invasion of 1891, garu Svarga, in the position of cost Sium all of her possessions on regent.

the left bank of the Mekhong. For 12 years. French troops ac It was during that comparatively cupled Siamese territory, evacuat brief period that this ambitious ing Chantabun in 1905. and reactionary royal personage

Olympiad.

The Grask statesman, M. Vanisalos, who has now retired from public life, it here seen with one of his oldest -war-time comrades.

"Mr. Pickwick”, one of the charme. tors in the Lord Mayor's Show in

London.

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

Pross photographers have been busy in Parla recently, a wing to the rapid polltick! changes. They are here soon)

awaiting M. Doumergus at the Elyson Palace,

The Cambodian provinces Wore worked. furiously to devise a con-iceded to France in 1907, and two. stitutional formula. that would years Inter the suzerainty of the: with one hand hold out to the Malay states of Trongganu, Kelan people a representative system of tan, Kedah and Porns was trans- the country. Whatever protection absolute government disappeared democracy? government, while maintaining in ferred to Great Britain. Siam, a charter membership in the to make way for an experiment The answer was not to be written the other complete control of the now with an area greater than that: Ledgue 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- Slam may become a problem of the wide interest.

lopments which have culminated bors of the reigning family. Hemains a buffer state 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 either of her whose knowledge of self govern- the King, indicate that Slam this path when the King returned. Burma, a situation particularly powerful neighbours.

mont is almost wholly lacking, stands, not at the end of a chapter, While the dotalis of what came antisfactory to British Intereste, With the opening of Siam's first meet the responsibility with a true but at the beginning or a now un- next are somewhat obscuro, it is which dominato the commerce of Parliament by King Prajadhipok, appreciation of the blessings of charted period,

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