102
FRENCH AIMS IN SIAM.
[FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]
Bangkok, 22nd January.
RUSSIA AND FRANCE.
Russia's reputation as the bogey of the East is losing nothing just now in Siam. Such of the world as interests itself in the large political movements of Asia has long regarded France as the only possible interloper in the field. That is the declared view of the Nationalists in France until no one doubts that the ascendancy of that party, or its acquisition of control sufficient to enable it to swing the French colonial policy, would bring into the open tendencies toward expansion now but ill con- cealed. What the Foreign Offices know or think in this regard may be quite beyond reach, but if the lynxes that they notoriously employ to watch affairs in this part of the world have not gone blind, the guess may be ventured that they look upon France as the pawn of Russia; to be used as long as it may seem of servic: to the player, but to be neglected or put aside without a pang, if means better suited to the purpose in view may present themselves. A more to disturb the integrity of Siam would encounter vigorous English protest. Germany is too keen for trade and is getting too much of it to be lured at present by promise of fresh territory. The foreigners whose heads are supposed to be most frequently together over affairs Siamese are named Olarovsky and Klobukowsky. If it were Olarovsky and Tower, or Olarovsky and Von Salden, a glance would indicate that Russia and England or Russia and Germany wero hobnobbing. Klobukowsky' is the French Minister. Ono may surmise the mental workings in the French Foreign Office which led to the selection, as co-labourer with the Russian Minister, of a diplomat whose ancestral strain certifies that he is not to be lost in the maze of official politeness, and whose instinct and skill may detect unfailingly and at once deriations of his friend toward Tower, Von Saldern, or anyone else, should the game take that turn.
France and Russia, of course, will not fall out. bind them material interests Too many together. Their representatives may work in harmony and good faith until farther notice. While apparently callons to the opinion of others, Russia cannot conceivably ignore or de-pise it, and enough of it attends her opera- tions in the North to make quite safe the prediction that notice of intent to control the South will be long deferred.
France is the
handy whip to bring the South into line, or to prevent its falling out of line and into a procession led by some government not easily moulded to Russian ultimate aims. How the game will result need not be doubted if outside Powers will keep hands off. French colonial policy is bound to be racillating. In respect toe Indo-China at least, the venture has cost quit all it is worth, Should the Nationalist ware
sweep
seems over France, as
to be the diplomatic expectation here, it would naturally push forward not only plans for aggrandise ment in Siam, but those which were in dicated in the French bombardment of mission property near Swatow last year, which kept several gunboats in evidence for months in the streams of Kwangtung Province and which prompted fears for the safety of Canton. Again it is believed here that the Chinese con- cession obtained by Calvin S. Brice for his American syndicate, for a railway from Canton to Hankow, has fallen into Russian hands. If the line planned from Hankow to Peking is Russian, as common rumour has long asserted, a neat programme would seem to be scheduled by those whom Olarovsky and Klobukovski represent. The Yangtsze oyster may be left, but Man- churia above and Indo-China below will nearly have closed their jaws upon it.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[February 10, 1902.
private syndicate of the much heralded govern. immediately in tow, arranging a dinner in his ment project to penetrate Yunnan with a rail- honour, for which invitations were sent to the way, and thus divert to Saigon the trade from diplomatie body and to Siamese officials of high the interior of South China that now finds station.. The death of President McKinley, outlet at Hongkong, may not unfairly be occurring two days before the date set for the construed as evidence that the statistical bewil- dinner, induced several diplomats and some of derers in Paris have reached the limit of their the local officials to withdraw their acceptances. ingenuity to conceal the facts. Colonial develop. This calamity could not be permitted, however, ment must add to the public burdens, and te disturb the dinner plan. A Foreign Office increase the difficulty of concealing the weight reception to M. Klobakowsky was next arranged, of such burdens. Should they become manifest, from which the foreign representatives so and the French people learn that after forty car fully absented themselves that to this day years, the colony in Indo-China is still a fina ciul no Siameso offici will admit responsibility for With these lugubrious introduc.. drag instead of a benefit, a prophet would not the affair. be needed to foretell the fate of Nationalism. tions to diplomatic and court life, it seemed The tendency in which Russia is helping France fitting that M. Klobukowsky should next pay must inevitably impose increased cost upon his respects to M. Donmer, the French Governor France. If territorial possession were adequaty at Saigon. He stepped off at Chantaboon, return for fresh outlay, or if the record of the where a French garrison has for some years past promised for the future a valuable national occupied Siamese property, and is still fortify- asset, there might be room to speculate on the ing it, as evidence of peaceful intention. There effects of a public awakening; but if new be obtained an Aunanite gnard enlisted in the expenses roll up and cannot be hidden, and if French service, with which he proceeded to the official accountants employed to obscure them Battombong, where there are no French troops shall be put aside, in order that others employed and the control is whelly Siamese. On the way to get at the truth may explore the accounts, the there various Siamese officials whom he encoun a guard of soldirsa. disclosures any well starile a public given to tered protested against his going to impulsive demonstration. The issue then to be peaceful region with
who SAV thdn not soldiers -those presented to the French people will at least bei He declared to rach of them that the ma plain and intelligible, as it has never yet been were
The only in China when the allies marched on Peking upon colonial affairs hereabouts. danger of a falling ont with Russia would come will remember how like rivendières they lookem from an abiding decision by the Freuch people --but were merely a civil guard that he kept for that the control of South China, with Siam ' protection avaius: brigands. The Siamese did thrown in, will be worth the gamble, with the not carry their disbelief in this assertion beyond certainty that for some time the plays must be the point of verbal protest. Whether in taking If they decide that the glory of along a military gardh intended to provoke losing ones.
mplicate in some way a this acquisition will not pay, and that a doubt-resistanes or to ful venture should not be continued, in the po itical situ tion already strained, is quite as No one has dis overed what he could sve hope of making good losses already incurred, uncertain as his motive for making the visit at they may be thoroughly glad to turn over as- sets for which the two diplomats now appear or do at Battoning, except to provoke dis- to be scheming to a friendly government whose trast or make mishit. a disposition which policy of territorial gain never changes. That werded no new evidone to give it credibility. is why it is worth while for Russia to keep af¦ this court, where it has no subjects to protect and no commercial interests to serve, a Minister at £4.00 per year, mor- than double that of any other diplomatic representative, to main- tain a Lexation far and away the leader in official and social hospitality.
all.
CHANTABOON,
@
Governor
When the Minister and the Governor talked over the situation at Saizon, they decided that it would be a good thing for the Governor to come here and put himself in personal touch with The Minister the Court. Quarters sit, in the Palace grounds has already anticipated his dreams by building were placed at his serv.ee, and he fared like a a flag-staff which overtops everything in Bang-potestate. Snch treatment doubtless fitted his kok, and is so tall that it has to be trussed and station, but if it had the effect of softening the yard-armed like mainmus: to keep it in place. French programme, one must wonder what the Whatever the entertainment allowance in adriginal draft may have been. dition to salary, the prize in view is certainly Doumer lett the impression tha the French garrison there constituted merely an expensive worth the ontlay from the Russian standpoint. wished to withdraw from Chantaboon. for the guard over territory not requiring the protection Yet the garrison there has of foreigners. certainly not been weakened, nor have the means of defence; and the condition of original order in that district, but occupancy remains operative, that the Siamese must maintain
Since this condition cannot place troops or police there or exercise other control over it. cannot ran out until the Siamese shall demon- strate to the satisfaction of the French their ability to keep order over territory from which their agencies for order are excluded, the
FRENCH ENTERPRISE,
ward the end in view.
dom.
France is moving by rather rapid stages to
Hor consuls, having picketed the Siamese borders, are occupying points for diplomatic strategy within the king As agents for trade no objection can be made to their presence. The circumstance that other governments contrive to give trade ample attention from the capital can hardly be advanced as
an argument for discourag ing French enterprise. Since trade has not kept pace with such elaborate preparation to care for
Chantaboon defences were clearly not con- it, the new consuls are busying themselves with a registration scheme. The work is quite su g- gestive in that it embraces many persons to stracted and are not maintained for Siamese whom suspicion of French allegiance never benefit. Probably no one is expected to believe tatached. Chinese from Hainan are included that there is the slightest present notion of in it. At least 200,000 of them are believed abandoning them. On the other hand, disturb- to be in Siam. If the collection of their names ing rumours reach here continually of move- can serve at all French plans, the inference can ments which threaten French encroachment in hardly be escaped that France will help itself to various quarters, ostensibly in the interests of that island whenever exigencies in relation protégés, by one means or another adopted or with Siam may seem to require it. The ex-with prospect of adoption, but who need no territorial character of Siamese territory makes special care in the ordinary course of political
WHAT FRANCE WANTS, applicable what is known in diplomacy as the law
These are matters of French initiative which of protégés. If the number of French depen- dents were increased by the Hainan overflow which has settled in Siam, Minister Klobukowsky proceed without consulting Siam, and ap- might with technical plausibility make many parently heedless of the feelings or wishes of Since which consultation is necessary. demands upon this government that can now this government. There are affairs in regard properly be submitted only as matters forfavour to This prospect, so far as it concerns France, Modesty has not been one of the shining official France forced its boundary line in 1893 over may well drive Nationalist sentiment to cover. traits of M. Klobukowsky, with Hainan still a large area until then Siamese, native official Possibilities from that favour has not leaned in the French direction, Opposition to that sentiment is mainly sustained Chinese property. by the moral certainty that Chinese colonisa-quarter if rights were to pass from shadow to while persons of other nationalities have become fluence. France poses as an injured party, on ti on is a drain upon the common purse which the substance might well be limitless, so long as well entrenched in places of power and in- account of this fancied discrimination against dribblings of trade by no means offset. French anything coveted by France remained. accounts run a course so labyrinthine that no
her citizens. Consultations on the matter have one has presumed to write an intelligible balance- sheet for Indo-China. But the transfer to a
not tended to that harmony of spirit which is
THE EFFECT OF THEIR COLLABORATION.
M. KLOBUKOWSKY'S ARRIVAL,
The French Minister arrived here in September. Minister Olarovsky took him
relations.
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