Troubles

Much too busy to worry about the fall of the Government in China last week (see p. 15) were the Chinese merchants in Bangkok's Chinese business quarter. Nobody knew how it started, but fire broke out. In an hour black oily clouds rolled over the Me Nam River, flames leaped from shop to shop. Grilled balconies, Chinese lanterns, streamers, swinging signs, thatch roofs, telephone poles, all blazed up in the greatest fire Bangkok has ever known. Siamese firemen squirted ineffective streams. Five hundred buildings (chiefly Chinese) including the Bank of Canton were destroyed, for a total loss of over $2,000,000. Two thousand Chinese were left homeless. None died.

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