CIVILISATION IN SIAM

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 144, 21 June 1922, Page 5

CIVILISATION IN SIAM

Siam, of all the Far Eastern countries, is considered to have progressed most rapidly, especially in comparison with Japan. Professor Crampton, of Columbia College, states that the people of Siam were influenced by the spread of Western civilisation. "Japan has progressed," Professor Crampton declares, "but Siam has ma3e still greater advances. The natives are intelligent and very moral.' Buddhism is the accepted religion, and the natives so strictly oarry out their religious principles that they refuse to kill animals of even the lowest order. "The interesting part of it is that they do indulge in fishing. Then, in order to excuse themselves for doing so, they declare that they really do not take the life of the fish but merely take it out of the water.; incidentally, the creature dies, and happens to be good for food. "This is just an example of their intensely religious attitude. All males are required to live in a convent at least for three months, during which they must go begging for funds to support the church. Even the King has- lived eleven months in such a convent and wore the simple clothes associated with such a life."

It is worthy of nots that the King of Siam has graduated from two colleges of Western culture, as have most of the other officials of Siam. Not only do all nobles of Siam win their high rank through sheer merit, but even the King's son is placed in the next lowest rank unless he distinguishes himself. It is for that reason,: agrees Professor Crampton, if for no other, that a great future is predicted for this small Asiatio nation.