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Show .Contrasts Siam i ,w j j - , N4r - r - x is. -ft J ' , - v . v 'rTff mi Vini l-.-,'ir' ---- --T-'-'IVyjaAW vti .Vn... ...in. fiVnl. .immir--.--"0' 'v"' ,MV" A Quaint Siamese Cart. Prepared by National Geographic Society, Washington, I. C.-WMU Service. SIAM still is oriental in spirit, but possesses modern occidental occiden-tal appointments of great variety. va-riety. In assimilating things western, west-ern, Siam has maintained its distinctive distinc-tive Individuality. Few countries offer more startling contrasts. It is not unusual in Siamese cities to see policemen halting motor and street car trafiic to make way for some kaleidoscopic medieval pageant. pa-geant. With modern hospitals and dispensaries available, many people still' prefer medicinal concoctions made from rhinoceros horns, snake galls, and strange herbs. Slow-moving Slow-moving oxcarts and shuffling elephants ele-phants vie with motorcars for the right of way on many country roads. Siamese Rebeccas in Bangkok Bang-kok fill their jars (or oil tins) with water at sanitary street hydrants. In some parts of north Siam tiger whiskers are considered much more effective In punishing an enemy than is a police court. Yet, on the visit of the king and queen of Siam to the United States in 1931, when King Prajadhipok revealed re-vealed his keen interest In athletics, ath-letics, radio, and motion pictures, and discussed in excellent English with newspaper correspondents and business leaders such things as free press and democracy, while the queen played golf, many people were amazed to discover how modern mod-ern the royal family really was. Again, through the forthcoming visit of the king for further optical opti-cal treatment, the "Land of the Free" In Asia will meet our United States and mutual appreciation will be increased. Siam a Land of the Free? Such is the meaning of Muang Thai, the name by which the Siamese have always known their country. Superficially, Super-ficially, It might seem somewhat of an anomaly ; for, until less than two years ago, when a constitution was born, Siam was the sole remaining re-maining absolute monarchy in the Family of Nations. Yet the name Muang Thai has significance. Of all the numerous races and tribal groups who in successive suc-cessive migrations have swept down across southern Asia, only the Siamese have emerged victorious. Against many vicissitudes they have maintained their complete independence independ-ence and forged themselves a modern mod-ern state. Now Quite Accessible. Today we can step aboard the magic carpets provided by Imperial Airways, IC L. M., and Air-France at London, Amsterdam, or Marseilles Mar-seilles and be whisked away to this interesting oriental land in a little over a week, for Siam lies at the aerial crossroads of the Far East. Or we can go by boat and drop off at Penang, Singapore, or Hong Kong, as Bangkok Is linked to Penang by train, to Hong Kong by local steamer, and to Singapore by both. In the long curving sweep of Bangkok's river highway, the Me Nam Chao Bhraya, Is revealed the pageant of Siam's commercial activity. ac-tivity. Many of Bangkok's 80 rice mills line the water front Chinese junks and lighters clutter their wharves, with endless queues of perspiring, bare-backed coolies dumping baskets of rice In their holds. Other boats lift their rough matting sails and slip downstream to the off-coast island of Koh Si Chang, where deep-draft steamers take on cargo. Nearly 90 per cent of all Siam's foreign trade moves up and down this waterway, accompanied by all the strange smells and cries peculiar pecu-liar to an oriental port. As a tapital city, Bangkok is not old. It is but a few years senior to Washington, on the Potomac. The New Rama I bridge, Its enormous spans etched sharply against a background of colorful temples and water-front shops, gives the city Its date line. This 475-foot structure, first to link the two portions of the city, was dedicated In April, 1932, in commemoration of the one hundred hun-dred fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Bangkok and the reign of the present Chakkri dynasty. American Influence. America has touched Siam In many ways. Through American missionaries mission-aries modern medicine was first practiced and progressive schools developed In the country. Americans Amer-icans brought the first printing presses and also adapted the 4-1 consonants and 20 vowel and tonal marks of the Siamese written language lan-guage to the keyboard of a typewriter. Aided by American advisers of foreign affairs, Siam, in 1925, secured se-cured the abrogation of outgrown extraterritorial treaties and won her complete sovereignty. Originating in the mission schools, the physical-training idea has spread rapidly throughout the land. The late king himself was Scout Chief for the Wild Tiger corps. Although that organization has since ceased to function, its spirit is carried on In a Boy Scout organization known as the Wild Tiger Cubs. Education has become compulsory. More than SO per cent of local schools and 50 per cent of government govern-ment schools are situated In monasteries monas-teries or are modern outgrowths of the old temple schools. In Bangkok, Bang-kok, too, Is a well-functioning university uni-versity and medical school. In the east of Siam, bordering on French Indo-Chlna, Is a wide mountain-encircled plateau, 300 feet to 500 feet above sea level and tilted slightly to the east, so that It drains Into the mighty Mekong. During the six-months' dry season this territory is very arid, and during dur-ing the ralna It Is often heavily flooded; consequently It Is the poorest poor-est section of Siam. Until recently, when the railway was extended beyond Nagor Raja-sima Raja-sima (Korat) to Ubol Rajadhani, the people were severely handicapped handi-capped In getting their produce out to market centers. Considerable wealth, however, lies In he redwood red-wood and other forests lo-cated In the mountains. These and other resources re-sources will be developed because railroads and highways are being extended into the region. Chandaburi province, bordering the Gulf of Siam, finds prosperity In Its forested hills, In pepper, coffee, cof-fee, and In ruby, sapphire, and zircon zir-con mines. Minerals and Rice. South Siam embodies about one-half one-half of the elongated Malay peninsula, penin-sula, with its population gradually shading into almost pure Malay. Like lower Malaya, It Is rich In minerals, especially tin, and also produces considerable quantities of rubber. In normal times an average aver-age of nine million dollars' worth of" tin annually goes into foreign marts from these mines. Eastward, westward, and northward north-ward from Bangkok stretches the vast alluvial plain of central Siam, level as a table top the rice granary gran-ary of the country. It is the heart of the kingdom and the source of nine-tenths of its wealth. An area of roughly 50,000 square miles is enclosed between the high mountain moun-tain backbone that extends along the Burma border and the battlements battle-ments that face the Korat plateau. What the Nile is to Egypt the Me Nam Chao Bhraya Is to this fertile fer-tile valley. Every year during the summer rainy season tlie river overflows over-flows Its banks and stretches out through its network of canals and distributaries, depositing rich silt and providing the required water for the rice lands. Chlengmal, second city of Siam, was founded in the Eleventh century, cen-tury, and subsequently gained ascendancy as-cendancy over neighboring principalities. princi-palities. Because of its Importance, it long sat on the fence between Burma and Siam and was pulled first one way and then the other, according to which rival sought by force of arms to claim its allegiance. al-legiance. Cliiengmai Is attractively located on the Me Ping, one of the chief tributaries of the Me Nam Chao Bhraya. Beyond it stretches a rice plain backed by the imposing 5,500-foot 5,500-foot mountain of Doi Sutep. The staffs of several teali companies com-panies and of the missionary schools and hospitals comprise the principal princi-pal foreign population In Chlengmal. Chleng-mal. One of the outstanding missionary mis-sionary enterprises in the city Is the asylum for lepers. Many of these unfortunates are made comfortable com-fortable In the excellent cottages provided for them. They are treated treat-ed with the esters of chaulmoogra oil, and In many cases the disease Is arrested, if not completely cured. So effective has been this work that the government now grants an annual an-nual subsidy toward its upkeep. In the fastnesses of the northern forests axes ring, trees crash, logs thunder down mountain skldways, mahouts shout, and elephants trumpet the voices of a teaking camp. Each year approximately 100,000 teak logs go down the river to Bangkok, 23,000 are routed by the Salween river to Burma, and another an-other 8.0'X) ride the turbulent waters wa-ters of the Mekong to Indu-China. |