On July 22 1917 Siam declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. Enemy aliens were interned, and later sent to internment camps in India. A military mission was sent to Europe early in 1918, and a Siamese military contingent landed at Mar- seilles in Aug. of the same year. This contingent comprised motor ambulance transport, which rendered efficient service on the western front, and an aviation corps. The aviators were trained by French officers, and although many had gained pilot's certificates, hostilities ceased before the corps was pre- pared to commence operations. The contingent returned to Siam in 1919. Siam was represented at the Versailles Peace Conference by three delegates, who signed the general Peace Treaty on behalf of their country.
The main clauses affecting Siam are Articles 135, 136 and 137. In Article 135 Germany recognizes that all treaties, conventions and agreements between her and Siam, and all rights, titles and privi- leges derived therefrom, including all rights of extra-territorial juris- diction, terminated as from July 22 1917. In Article 136 all goods and property in Siam belonging to the German Empire or to any German State, with the exception of premises used as diplomatic or consular residences or offices, pass ipso facto and without compensa- tion' to the Siamese Government, while the goods, property and private rights of German nationals in Siam shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of Part X (Economic Clauses) of the Treaty. By Article 137 Germany waives all claims against the Si- amese Government on behalf of herself or her nationals arising out of the seizure or condemnation of German ships, the liquidation of German property, or the internment of German nationals in Siam, tiiis provision not to affect the rights of the parties interested in the proceeds of any such liquidation, as governed by the provisions of Part X (Economic Clauses) of the Treaty. Under the Treaty Siam became a member of the League of Nations, and took part in the first Assembly of the League at Geneva in 1920.
Agriculture. Owing to deficient rainfall in 1919, rice, the main agricultural crop of Siam, was barely sufficient to supply the needs of the population, and the price rose to five times pre-war rates. To meet the deficiency the export was prohibited, but was resumed in 1921. The question of extensive irrigation works, which had been considered in the previous reign, was again investigated in 1915, and important works were started. The difficulty of obtaining steel work from abroad during the war delayed their progress but work on the Prasak scheme, estimated to cost some 13,000,000 ticals, was afterwards vigorously pushed forward, and was expected to be com- pleted in 1922.
Army and Navy. The law of 1903 making military service com- pulsory was revised in 1917. Every able-bodied man of 21 to 22 years of age is liable to be called to military service for a period of two years with the colours, passing afterwards into the reserve, of which there are three classes according to age. There are various military schools for the training of officers, non-commissioned offi- cers, aviators, military engineers, etc., as well as a General Staff school. The arms and equipment are modern, and in 1914 a national cartridge factory was established. The navy is recruited from the maritime population under the military service law. There are some 5,000 men available for service afloat, with a reserve of 20,000. In 1920 a 35-knot destroyer was purchased from the British Admiral- ty and rechristened the " Phra Ruang."
Communications. On the declaration of war the northern and southern State railways were amalgamated under a Commissioner- General, H.R.H. Prince Purachatra of Kambaeng Bejra. The per- sonnel, which had included German engineers, became chiefly Sia- mese, with a few engineers of Allied nationality. A standard metre gauge was adopted for all lines. The southern line through the Malay Peninsula was originally constructed of metre gauge to permit of through connexion with the Federated Malay States railways. The work of converting the northern line, first built to the normal gauge of 4 ft. 8J in., was begun. A through service of trains from Penang to Bangkok was opened on the southern line in 1918, and in March 1920 railhead reached the Siam-Kelantan boundary. The northern line reached Chiengmai in 1920, and the Bandara-Swanka- lok branch was then under construction. The length of State lines in 1920 was: opened 2,215 km., under construction 211 km., and under survey 460 km. The average capital cost per km. of open line was tcs. 54,584.
Education. There were in 1920 over 380,000 pupils receiving pri- mary education, of whom 250,000 were being educated by priests in the Buddhist monasteries, 100,000 in local and private schools and 30,000 in schools directly under the Ministry of Education. Second- ary education, reaching a standard approximating to that of the London University Matriculation, is provided for by the Ministry of Education, with 120 schools attended by 8,500 pupils, by the two Royal Pages' schools and King's College, under the direct patron- age of the King, and by certain missionary schools. In 1917 the Chulalongkorn University was opened at Bangkok with four Facul- ties Medicine, Arts and Science, Engineering'and Political Science. It includes hostels for too resident undergraduates.
Finance. Annual revenue rose from tcs. 17,334,469 in B.E. 2437 (1894-5) to tcs. 86,494,066 in B.E. 2460 (1917-8). During this period the expenditure increased from tcs. 12,847,165 to tcs. 74,149,- 289. The national debt consisted in 1921 of two sterling loans both of 4^%, one for 1,000,000 floated in 1905, and one for 3,000,000 floated in 1907, both free of taxes present or future, levied by the Siamese Government and repayable by yearly drawings. The 1905 loan will be entirely paid off in 1945, and the 1907 loan in 1947. In 1909 a loan of 4,000,000, increased in 1913 to 4,750,000, was negotiated with the Federated Malay States Government. This loan is exclusively for constructing railways in the Malay Peninsula, the amount advanced is limited to 750,000 in any one year, and interest is at the rate of 4% on the money actually received. The amount actually advanced on this account to March 31 1921 was 3,880,000, when the total debt of the kingdom stood at 7,312,560.
The mint was closed to the free coinage of silver in 1902, and, supported by the Treasury, exchange had steadied to around tcs. 13 to the pound sterling by 1909. In 1917 and 1918 the rate was maintained at tcs. 13-02 to the pound sterling, but by 1918 the Treasury had sold to the banks tcs. 77,000,000, representing nearly 6,000,000 sterling. As a result of these sales a large proportion of Treasury funds was transmitted abroad. The rise in the price of silver nearly denuded the country of silver coinage, and in 1920 the exchange rose to tcs. 10 to the pound sterling and over. The gold standard reserve fund, established for the maintenance of the gold value of the tical, remained untouched on March 31 1918 at 1,222,146.
Trade. For 1917-8 the value of imports exceeded tcs. 97 million, including tcs. 3$ million of gold leaf and treasure. This shows an increase of some 10 millions over the previous vear and 22 millions over 1915-6. The exports amounted to tcs. 123! million, showing an increase over the previous year of tcs. 2 million and over 1915-6 of nearly tcs. 18 million. The value of rice exported was over tcs. 97^ million and of teak tcs. sJ million.
Justice. The Penal Code became law in 1908, and the preparation of other codes continues. All courts are under the Ministry of Jus- tice. The judiciary is composed of native or European-trained Siam- ese judges, assisted in cases where foreigners are concerned by Eu- ropean legal advisers. In commercial cases where there is no Siamese statute or precedent customary law is administered. Where precedents are wanting the Siamese courts are guided generally by English statutes and cases as circumstances admit. On the outbreak of war with Germany and Austria a prize court was established to deal with enemy ships seized "jure belli." Twenty-five enemy vessels were taken, and condemned as lawful prize by this court.
Public Health. Modern sanitation began in Siam in 1897 with the creation of a Public Health Department under a director-general, assisted by a medical officer of health and a city engineer. The principal developments have been the inspection of cattle and meat and the regulation of the public abattoirs under veterinary inspection, the establishment of infectious diseases ho pitals, medical treatment of the insane, quarantine, registration of births and deaths, compulsory notification of plague and cerebro-spinal diseases, and compulsory vaccination and revaccination against smallpox. An efficient public-health laboratory has been organized under the department. Bangkok is now efficiently drained and lighted. Pure filtered water is supplied from the Government water works. New roads have been cut through congested districts, and numerous bridges have been built over the canals which intersect the city. On the outskirts new residential quarters have been laid out, with broad roads lined with trees. (A. C. CA.)
SIBELIUS, JEAN JULIUS CHRISTIAN (1865–), Finnish musical composer, was born at Tavastehus, Finland, Dec. 1865. He was educated at Helsingfors, and later studied music at Berlin and Vienna. In 1916 he became a professor of literature at Helsingfors. His orchestral works include "Romance in C" (1890); Karelia (1893); Frühlingslied (1893); Finlandia (1905) and five symphonies (1897, 1901, 1905, 1910, 1915). He also composed many songs and pianoforte pieces. His music to the tragedy Kaolema (1904) contains the "Valse triste," which has gained wide popularity. In 1921 he visited England and produced his 5th symphony.
SIBERIA (see 25.10).—The name Siberia now generally excludes the Steppe provinces but includes Kamchatka and Russian Sakhalin.
Little progress has been made in the mapping of the wide tracts between the great rivers or the mountainous regions in the south. Even in the existing maps of southern Siberia little reliance can be placed on the detail except near the railway. There are no large scale maps of northern Siberia. The whole course of the Yenisei river has been mapped on a large scale, the shores of Lake Baikal have been surveyed and geological exploration in the Amur basin and some parts of the upper Lena basin has resulted in accurate maps.
