The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXIV, Part 1-2, 1976 - Khamkoo

24 Nicholas Tarling
Phya Abhibal agreed, but said the King was embittered by attacks on
him and on the royal family. •He then said that the King was surrounded
by evil counsellors (which is perfectly true), and that even if His Majesty
himself was left in ignorance that the rising was to take place, the Court
must have known about it .... ' Dormer concluded that the King's
position was 'shaken on all sides', suspected as he was by some of
connivance, by others of weakness. '1 am not so sure. that there is
nothing to be said in his defence'; his situation had been 'exceedingly
difficult'. Dormer thought abdication was likely. 78
Conflicting reports from Songkla in November suggested both that
the King was 'very depressed•79 and 'very cheerful'. Both came from
the vice-consul, the latter following a long conversation with the King
during the elections. Both were present at the election for the changwat
of Songkla. The King
commented on the fact that most of the Tam bon representatives
were village headmen and elders ... men of experience.
He said that be had had quite a fight to persuade the
Government to agree to as many as half of the members of
the Assembly being elected, since the Government wished
two-thirds to be appointed. But he had insisted that, with
half of the Assembly elected, the Government ought to be
able to maintain a working majority and that, if they could
not, they ought not to remain in power and he had had his
way.
Referring to the non-elected members, His Majesty
said that these would be chosen by the Government but the
list would be submitted to him and he would raise objections
to any whom he considered unsuitable. He hoped that, by a
certain amount of 'bargaining', he would be able to ensure
that the non-elected members would be fairly representative.
He bad warned the Government that, if they selected unsuitable
people and insisted on their appointment, there would
be a great deal of feeling against them throughout the country,
which might lead to further bloodshed, and he hoped that
they would take his warning to heart.
78) Dormer to Simon, 10 November 193 3, No. 195, F.O. 371/17176 (F792l/42/
40).
79) Ncwbou!Q to Dormer, 17 November 19 33 1
F.O. 371118206 (F21/21/40),