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

AMEBICAN ll!PLOMA'l'S lN SOUTHEAS'l' ASIA 91
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wronged by the Thai Government, and even held the Thai Government
directly responsible for his deatb.20I
Early in 1895 Barrett thought that the Cheek case was approaching
a critical stage, and in particular that Cheek's elephant herd was in
danger. Knowing that an American warship was due at Singapore; and
.saying he had no time to code messages and that any telegrams sent
from Bangkok; and even the American Legation records; were likely to
be'read by Thai agents, he left his post without authorization and rushed
to Singapore. From Singapore he sent a coded telegram to Secretary of
State Walter Gresham, asking that the American warship be ordered to
Bangkok. For some reason this message went astray,2'oz and conse~
quently Barrett's two subsequent telegrams to the Department of State
made little sense, and Washington concluded that Barrett wanted the
naval vessel in order to su'pport Siam in some confrontation with the
European powers. When no new orders were received the ship left for
Hongkong as scheduled; two days later Barrett received a curt cable
from Washington asking him to explain his unauthorized absence from
Bangkok. Barrett repHed briefly by cable, and in :a longer despatch
sent by inail (still under the misapprehension that Washington had
received all his communications and understood his intentions) said
that he saw thaHbe Department of State bad not approved hi's course,
and regretted that "distance and hence delayed methods ofcomri:lunication
prevented the Department from seeing the situation as it bas
appeared to me." He bad wanted the gunboat "for its mor'al effect
during a crisis in my negotiations'' and tQ save .Cheek's elephants from
ioi> SiamDeipatches, July -28, 1895. ·.Although un-well, Che~k had· felt competied
'to undertake an arduous trip to northern Siam in an effort to protect his
interests; and he died shortly thereafter. In the same despatch Barrett
enumerated Cheek's good qualities (along with the cryptic remark that, "He
,. _ had of course manyfauits';l and include(f the fact that cheek. always bought
. American goods, even when they were more ex.pen~ive.than compara~~e non··
. American prod~cts.. , . ·
202) In Septembe.r 1S95 Secretary of State Olney informed Barrett that his original
· telegram had finally been traced,,and attributed the delay to its'having been'
sent in naval code. See National Archives (Washington), Diplomatic Instructions
of the Department of State- (.microf.il m), Siam, 18.8 2·1906·l • - -