Early in 1939 Siam witnessed an unsuccessful attempt to restore the former King Prajadhipok. A number of officers who took part in the plot were 'retired' without pension, one of them was shot by the police, and one committed suicide. By Jan. 30, the matter was considered closed. The object of the attempt was to overthrow the new Premier, Luang Pibul Songgram, who was unpopular with many Siamese owing to the belief that he intended to make himself dictator during the minority of the young King Ananda. Three attempts have been made on Luang Pibul's life recently, the last one on Dec. 3, 1938. The Premier, who took office late in December 1938, is one of the young men who planned the revolution of 1932, which established a constitutional regime, and is a member of the revolutionary group now in control. Many members of this group are unpopular and there seems little doubt that if the country at large had its way, few of them would stay in office. There was much friction between this governing revolutionary group and the People's Assembly, which since its inauguration has shown surprising independence, having demanded the right to organize political parties as well as freedom of the press, both of which measures the Government has so far successfully defeated. In 1943, according to the Constitution, decision must be made as to whether the People's Assembly shall be entirely elective, or whether the revolutionary government faction shall be maintained. By that time it is feared Luang will have made himself dictator.
On June 5, 1939, by Government order, the name of Siam was changed to Thailand. Thai was the ancient name of the Siamese people and meant the 'free.'
Apprehensions in China that some sort of 'mutual support' agreement between Thailand and Japan had been reached were strengthened in August when Siamese school books, sent to Chinese officials, showed 'Greater Thailand' as taking in China's Southwest Provinces as far as Szechuan. This territory was once part of ancient Thailand. Despite denials by Bangkok, these fears were not allayed.
Undoubtedly both France and Great Britain have also been dismayed over reports that Thailand was being drawn into the Japanese orbit. France feared that Thailand might launch a land attack on Indo-China, while Japan attacked it by sea, thus giving Thailand the opportunity to get back ancient territory. Britain was afraid because of the possibility, somewhat remote, that a canal might be built through the Malay Peninsula at Kra, and also because of a possible land attack on Burma and the Northern Malay States. It is to be remembered, however, that while very friendly relations exist between Japan and Thailand, the latter's economic system is closely integrated with that of Great Britain. Furthermore, a very powerful factor militating against an outright alliance between Japan and Thailand is that the financial life of the latter is completely in the hands of the Chinese, who number more than 5,000,000, or a little less than one-fourth of the population. Rice, the chief export, and the rice industry are entirely in the hands of the Chinese; and the same is true of the tin and rubber industries, her second and third largest exports, respectively. Small retail business, as well as the trades and crafts, is also overwhelmingly dominated by Chinese.
Tension, which had developed between China and Thailand early in 1939 over reports that Siam was about to take drastic measures against the Chinese living in the country, was eased in December when in an answer to an inquiry from the Chinese Government, the Premier of Thailand telegraphed to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek that his country would agree 'to accord adequate protection to the lives and property of Chinese, and guarantee to Chinese the right to engage in local pursuits throughout the nation.'
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