ain. ENTRANCE TO KING S PALACE, BANGKOK Anniversary Series $ Siam and Laos Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Columbia University Libraries https://archive.org/details/siamlaosOOunse Seventy-fifth Anniversary Series $ Siam and Laos The Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City May, 1912 Price 2c. L The Coronation^ a King IL A Governor’s Palace III. The Influence of Noble Lives IV. A Year of Great Ingathering in the Laos Mission I. The Coronation of a King Dr. C. C. Walker Siam celebrated with great pomp and royal splendor the coronation of her young King. His Siamese Majesty and the Princes of the realm have spared neither pains nor money in preparing Bangkok for the many European Princes and Special Envoys who came as guests of His Majesty during the coronation festivities. Bangkok, lin many parts, was turned into fairyland. The streets were re- gravelled, rolled and prettily decorated with flags, banners and lanterns. The illumina- tions along the river and on the streets of the capital city were gorgeous. The cere- monies in connection with the coronation lasted ten days. The program was one con- tinuous round of festivities in connection with the coronation, such as royal dinners, the- atre parties, fair, military review, river pageant. Lord Mayor’s ball, until finally His Majesty appeared in a triumphal procession in full royal robes with all the gorgeous pomp and glory befitting a monarch of Siam. England was represented by T. S. H., the Prince and Princes of Teck; Japan by Prince Fushimi, Russia by Grand Duke Boris, Den- mark by Prince Waldemar and his three sons, Sweden by Prince Wilhelm and his Princess. Spain, which cannot boast of one Spanish citizen in Siam, was, however, represented by a special envoy. The United States Govern- ment appointed the Hon. Hamilton King, at present Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court 3 of Siam, as special Ambassador to represent the President at the coronation. All the lead- ing courts of Europe were represented on this occasion, which was by far the greatest cor- onation Siam has ever planned. The people of Siam are loyal to their young King and all entered fully into the holiday spirit of coro- nation week. During the first week of November Bang- kok welcomed back the Prince of Pitsanuloke, the present heir to the throne, and his family, who represented the King of Siam at the coronation of King George V. last summer. During the same week a unique and novel ceremony was witnessed by the residents of Bangkok upon the arrival of a young white elephant from the North. White elephants become the property of the King and are kept at the palace because of the good luck they bring with them. At the same time a small white monkey, caught in the jungles of the North, was also presented to His Majesty. His Majesty gave the sum of $190 as a gift to the owner of this strange little monkey. The little fellow is full of life and mischief and is now on exhibition, together with the j'oung elephant, in a beautiful, large pavillion especially built for them. On the sixth of May last the young King of Siam succeeded in organizing his many thousands of young Siamese in the service of the Government into regiments and companies for daily drill and discipline. These men wear a black, loose fitting uniform, trimmed in yellow, and call themselves “The Royal Tigers.” Similar companies have been organized at all the pro- vincial capitals throughout the Kingdom, and number over 4,000 men. The King is young and in vigorous health, and wishes in this way to build up a strong, robust physique, develop a spirit of national unity, and incul- cate ideas of chivalry among his many thou- sands of Siamese in the employ of the Gov- 4 eminent. The organization is growing in popularity, and has a worthy object. The movement has also gripped the boys in all of the Government schools, and over 4,000 are already enrolled. Each school has its uni- formed “Boys Scout” company out for daily drill and discipline. The movement com- mends itself to all, and we wish it success and long life. 11. A Governor’s Palace Rev. J. H. Freeman The Governor (Chow Luang or Great Prince), has just completed his beautiful resi- dence at Nan. He has been nearly ten years in building it. It is situated near the centre of the city, built of brick, the walls and out- side plastered with cement with a hard finish. It is two stories high. The main part is about 40 X 120 feet, with two wings 40 x 50 each. The lower floor is intended for business offices and store rooms. Besides the inner stair- ways, two commodious stairways upon the outside give ascent to the ante-chamber 40 X 40. Opening from this is the Hall of Audience 40 x 60 with a spacious portico be- yond. The sleeping apartments occupy the two wings. Heavy awnings projecting over the windows are ornamental and protect from our tropical sun. Great attention is given to the finishing of the gables. As the Ox is recognized as the tutelar spirit of Nan, it is depicted in the center with two dragons on either side. Other gables are finished with fine scroll work in teak. The roof is in native style of tiered roofs, with the customary huge gilded horn 5 rising above each gable, the effect being very pleasing. November 1st and 2d were given to the dedication of the palace. A high brick wall encloses the grounds. The cost has been about $ 37 , 000 . The Governor is eighty-one years of age, and though still erect is quite feeble. Sight and hearing are both gradually failing him. Could he have enjoyed his new home earlier in life it would have given him more pleas- ure. He is surrounded with many kind chil- dren who share responsibility with him. The dedication was a great event in Nan. All re- gretted that Prince Ooperat — the Governor’s brother and second in power — was ordered to attend the Coronation of the King in Bang- kok and could not be present. Thousands of people gathered to see the ceremony and join in the festivities. The missionaries all had written invitations and attended in a body. The Governor was escorted to his new man- sion by all high officials and friends, where many congratulations were given him. The afternoon was given up to sports. One that was heartily enjoyed was a tug of war be- tween the Governor’s big elephant and eighty men. It was a pretty even pull but the men finally took the prize. Food alone, for the banquet, cost $ 600 . Spirit worship was not observed in any of the ceremonies, which is very unusual. The Gov- ernor abandoned the practice himself several years ago, and has lately issued a proclamation forbidding spirit worship. A great step in the right direction. No drunkenness was seen, nor rough lan- guage heard during all the ceremonies, which speaks well for the Laos people. 6 III. The Influence of Noble Lives Rev. E. P. Dunlap, D.D. The first Christian funeral ever held in the region of Tap Teang — the newest station of the Siam Mission — was that of Col. Kohls, who gave twenty-two years of faithful ser- vice to Siam in the survey department, the army, and of late years most efficient service in the Gendarmes. He was the friend of the missionary and was brought to them in his last illness. They ministered to him and tried their best to save his life, but he quietly passed away. The funeral was attended by the High Commissioner, the Governor of the Province, a guard of honor from the Gen- darmes, many local officials and people from the neighborhood. All listened attentively to the teachings of Christianity concerning the future life. The High Commissioner in- structed the missionaries to select a suitable plot for a cemetery and there, on the slope of a pretty green hill, is the first grave of our Christian cemetery at Tap Teang. The King of Siam sent a monument to mark the spot. Col. Kohls, during a trip when passing through Tap Teang, not long before his death, stopped long enough to make a cheerful gift to the work. In former years he had shown substantial interest in the work of the Mis- sion. We honor these brave men who endure hardships of the jungles, as several about there are doing, and as did our departed friend, for the development of Siam. Our homes at Tap Teang are ever open to them, and we are always glad to have them come and break bread with us, and hear them, so cheerfully, relate their experiences. We have their sympathy and help in the good that we 7 are trying to do for Siam. Should there be a great gulf between the missionaries and the men who, like us, have come to help Siam? Many of them have come from Christian homes. Some of them with Christ’s love in their hearts. They need us. We need them. If we stand aloof they are sure to stand aloof. We shall not make a mistake if we approach such men on the true plane of Christian friendship. All over the East it is possible to gain their help in mission work. In Siam, for thirty years or more, we have approached them in behalf of the Master’s work, and we have never appealed in vain. I believe that it fs possible to enlist their co-operation all over the East. It is due these men that we cheerfully offer them induce- ments to invest in the Master’s work. The writer recalls the words of a German natur- alist who years ago made his way away up to Chieng Mai and was welcomed to the home of the great, warm-hearted Christian friend of everybody, our beloved Dr. Jonathan Wil- son, so recently gone above. Dr. Wilson loved the trees and all plant life, and told the naturalist much about them. There was soon a strong bond between the two men. Al- though he was a Rationalist and the other a Christian missionary, there was a love in the home of the missionary that won. The weeks passed altogether too quickly for the Ger- man naturalist. Who that ever walked with Jonathan Wil- son can forget his manly, musical words about Jesus. When the naturalist came down to Bangkok he said in the German Club : “You think me to be a skeptic, a Ration- alist. But I have read the Bible enough to know considerable about the person of Jesus Christ. And I want to tell you that the good old missionary with whom I lodged in Chieng Mai is more like Jesus than any other man that I have seen on this earth.” 8 Yes, the late Jonathan Wilson, beloved by- all who knew him, had learned the true way to approach a fellow man- — Laos or foreign. He got the secret from daily converse with Jesus. Forty-seven men and women have sought to join the little company of disciples of Jesus here. Twenty-two of them were bap- tized and four children, all gladly received, and the remaining persons were enrolled in the class of catechumens. At least fifteen of the number were won by the first Siamese Christians of this region who for many years lived and testified for Jesus. The spirit of aggressive testimony for Jesus seems to be taking hold of the Christians here. We are hopeful that many shall be won for the Master. IV. A Year 0/ Great Ingathering in the Laos Mission Rev. Hugh Taylor, D.D. The year that has just closed for the Laos Mission has been one of marked growth and much promise for the future. If one may single out a few things as specially worthy of note, four facts stand out with promi- nence : the recognition with more definiteness, and wider knowledge of our field, first by the Mission, then by the Board, of the respon- sibility laid upon us as a mission and upon the Church we represent to give the Gospel to the whole Laos race, of whom the Laos in Siam are less than one-third; sec- ond, the marked interest everywhere shown in the preaching of the Gospel, evidenced by large accessions in every station and almost every out-station of the Mission, and by the large number of catechumens and enquirers reported from widely separated points; third, increasing interest in schools, not only our Mission schools, but in equal degree the Gov- ernment schools, have shared in this increase; fourth, the passing on to higher service of the two veterans who, during more than fifty years of service together in Siam, and nearly fifty of service among and for the Laos people (counting from their first exploring tour in 1863) have stood shoulder to shoulder until in the very midst of fruitful labor they were called to their reward. The average additions on confession the pre- ceding ten years had been about 250, the larg- est in any year about 400; this year 613 in our Laos churches have confessed Christ before men. One marked characteristic of this movement toward Christianity has been the large share in it of evangelistic medical work, both in our hospitals and in out-stations. Sickness in almost all cases is attributed by the people to evil spirits; every epidemic of whatever sort is accompanied by multiplied offerings intended to appease these angry spir- its, and when these fail and all other hope is gone, then and only then, as a rule, non- Christian people come to the Christian physi- cian. The most serious epidemic of malarial fever most of us have ever seen has carried off thousands everywhere, and rendered a still larger number incapable for weeks of any real work. The result has been widespread distress and poverty, both among Christians and non-Christians; with this have come op- portunities for Christ-like ministry that have resulted in tearing down many a spirit-shrine and other signs of the old worship. But aside and beyond this everywhere is an unwonted willingness to listen and learn. The Government is placing added emphasis on its schools and steadily moving toward a higher standard and toward compulsory 10 school attendance. We must aim at least to keep pace with this movement, and make our schools no less efficient than those with which we must compete, with the added attraction of English which all desire, but the Government schools cannot as yet supply. If we cannot do this we cannot hold our own Christian pupils, much less draw in those we would win to Christ- The Government seems to be aiming to reach the standard of the Japanese school system, but here its situation is like that of the Japanese in Korea, amid a people kindred indeed to the Siamese, but using a different alphabet, and differing widely in speech and customs. We must hold their con- fidence as well as that of the Laos. If we start back at a time when they were not yet counting the converts by the hundreds and reckon up to date we find that the net increase per year for the last twenty-five years has been 180. To-day a native church, in the neighborhood of 4,500 members is daily adding to its strength. An increasing propor- tion is seeing the vision of the possibilities and is reaching out in earnest zeal to grasp every opportunity to further advance the cause of the Kingdom. Around them are three mil- lion of their own people and for these they are working with a zeal that only needs educa- tion and guidance. Consider for a moment the task the minister in the American church has on hand when some gracious outpouring has brought into his fold a dozen or score of young, zealous souls. They must be taught and led. Many times more necessary is it that the 4,500 converts from heathenism be taught in the faith. Add to this necessity that of giving their children all the education they will ever receive; and, in addition, the task of manning the only press that can scatter literature among the Laos reading tribes; and still more the task of manning the only hos- pitals and dispensaries in the land which in 11 any substantial way minister to the physical sufferings of three millions of people. Con- sider all this and you will conceive the task that rests upon the little band of missionaries working in Northern Siam. Brethren! read the Seventy-fifth Annual Report. It has a Laos section. Read into it all that has been left out by the reductor who was compelled to cut it down to the re- quired number of words; read into it what the authors were compelled to leave out to make the required number of pages; read into it the miracles that ministering hands have performed on the suffering bodies; read into it the froMjformed minds of the hundreds of youth in our schools ; read into it the re- formed lives of all the new-born souls; read into it the tears of joy and the heart-shouts of gladness that are drawn from each worker as each new incident attests the work of God’s spirit, the power of the Gospel, the assurance of victory. The Presbyterian Church is the One Denomination at Work in Siam and Laos The total number of American Presbyterian missionaries at work in Siam and Laos is 88. The native force, 161. There are 33 organ- ized churches with 5,519 communicants; Sab- bath-schools number 67, with 4,282 pupils; day and boarding-schools of all grades, 38, with an enrollment of 1,487 pupils. There is one print- ing press which last year had an output of 4,008,000 pages. Ten hospitals and nine dis- pensaries treated during the year just closed, 37,169 patients. 18 '• . vLf*. V, I C