!
February 15, 1902.]
SIAM.
[FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]
Bangkok, 4th Fobruary. GOVERNMENT AND THE FOREIGN ADVISERS,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
on
119
railways constitute an independent branch of the service and are not subject to his review. Possibly the Dationalities of the disputants may not infinence their official course, but the coincidence is to be noted that in the opinion of the Financial Adviser, the Germans baro managed with as little discretion the posts and telegraphs as they have the railways, with the result that the loss in posts and telegraphs bas progressed in the last three years from £17,222. to £38,305, to $44.354. He says that although it cannot be expected that such work should be doue at a profit for some years, the extension of the telegraph system without regard to its political or commercial advantages is quite in- defensible. He thinks a commission should be appointed to consider this subject, and another to investigate railway management, in order that the Government may understand and con-
Foreign policy in Siam is distinguished by the variety of European talent which it has placed in the public service. As if appreciating its inability to cope with contending political | interests, the government long since decided to propitiate Europe by parcalling out to foreign holders large favours of patronage. Siam professes to wish to be regarded as in the modern world-movement abreast of Europo in political management; but this provision of prop and shield was doubtloss regarded in inmost native thought as a clever expedient whereby, without any loss of roal authority, it might forestall designs of conquest.high-luded and illegal proceeding, but Dr.sider the headlong course that the managers
may
beer has
lost
Adviser
as
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the contract if he could not be reim- bursed for the outlay of about £26,000 account of it for which he had made himself responsible. The Foreign Adviser declared that bo might surrender the contract if he close, but he could have no rimbursement. Appeal to an European tribunal resulted in an award of This penally, which £161,000 to Campbell. Siam promptly paid, plus the cost of the arbi- tration, so affected the national budget for the current year that unless trade returns may un- expectedly favour Siam, expenditures will for the first time in many years outstrip revenues. The Foreign Adviser would give no countenance to the claims of the estate of Dr. M. A. Check, the American medical missionary, whoso timber contracts were annulled and whose property was seized by the Siamese officials in the northern province of Chengmai. It was manifestly a Cheek had died and, in the official view, there seemed no reasou to pay heed to the rights of his heirs. Even when the claim went to arbitration, the Foreign Adviser seemed to think that he could blow it away by and the Attorney-General, argument, whom he deputed to defend it, did not think a defence worth while except by argument. The other side bad witnesses, and made out a
case.
There was absolutely no evidence before the arbitrator except that furnished by the claimant. By the time of fiual settlement, Siam will have been mulcted for at least £60,000. When the decision came in this case, the government concluded that a Foreign Adviser had become too much of a luxury, and that it would be money saved to relieve him of active duty here and keep him on high pension in Europe. Germans have the management of the railways. posts, and telegraphs. They manage them in Ger- man fashion and, as far as possible, in German interest. Coutracts for railway material have naturally been going to Germany. Demand for open tenders was pushed before the last letting by the British and American Ministers, who apparently won their point, after a hard effort. The principle of open tender is established, but the Germans walked off with the contracts, as the managers intended that they should. Now the English Financial Adviser has taken railway man agement under review, and urges the discontinu- ance of the present system. Construction funds have heretofore been provided out of revenue. The main line in operation, 160 miles long, has cos approximately £1,320,00. Estimates of the management place revenues for the current fiscal yoar ut £60.00) and expeditures at £39,000. The Financial Adviser adds the cost of railway police. £7,200, to expeditures, reduc- ing net income to £13,800, or about one per cent, on the outlay. Should revenues fall 25 per cent, short of estimates, as he thinks likely, the net income would be wiped out, that unless railways can be constructed much more cheaply, and be more economically man- aged, it would be preferable for the government to find some other means, such as irrigation, for the development of the country,
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Territory
of iu spite it. Yet the kingdom remains. Every de- partment of the government except one has a nativo chief. În supreme councils only native voices are heard. The one European chief lends his presence to such conferences only when specially invited, and now that he is about to withdraw from active service. no break is threatened in traditional practices in this respect. Financial conditions have been measurably prosperous, and commercial growth makes a fair exhibit. The government carries no duit, and it shows improving revenues and prospects. Details in every line. of substantial progress have the benefit of foreign advice and supervision, while the credit of accomplishment accrues to Siam. Were Siam strong enough to stand alone the selection of supervisors of its estate from Europe, imply- ing that it meant to have the pick of the world in its government, might go on to advantage indefinitely. But the policy has betrayed native weakness as well as its resources, it has engendered criticism, which a little pass for jealousy. and not bitterness. At least one important foreign assignment has proved so costly as to have sent its beneficiary back to Europe. discreditod both there and here. Another has been clearly managed in a partial interest, and is officially condemned by the Financial extravagant and badly managed. The manage- ment of a third is in dispute between European holders and aspirants. Danger of further territorial loss is imminent, with no sign that European influence will oppose it. The policy It has clearly taken too much for granted. may now exact the penalties of over-confidence. The King could not assume the initiative in abandoning it. That course would involve ad- justments beyond his individual power, and he cannot afford to risk offence. Native councils furnish him little help. Everybody bears a blood relationship to everybody else, and the meetings are too much like family affairs to conduce to harmonious or well directed energy. With foreigners bickering on one side of him, and his betel-mouthed relatives cowed and impotent on the other, he may well feel that no one can be
Controversy over this recommendation has more alone in the political world than himself. When the King called to his service a General led to long discussion, not yet ended. The Adviser of the governme .t, he thought that he railway officials object to the Adviser's total, had provided himself, in M. Rolin-Jacquemins, because it includes the Campbell award. They with a counsellor who could keep Siam clear of dispute other items, protesting against charging the cost of railway police to expenses, and they foreign complications and direct its legal course wisely otherwise. This official lacked nothing institute comparisons to show that the line is the cheapest in the world and that profit from in academic equipment. He stood high as an exponent of international law in Belgium, operation should not be expected in advance of where there were only theories to expound. His the material, development which the railway studies, however, had not only made him dog must encourage. Whether in view of the government policy of avoiding debt, and pro. matic, but they had impressed him that it was the duty of a public official to resist overy riding for construction wholly out of revenues, claim upon his government as utterly without has been wasteful, is a question not to be determined off-band, The railway department merit or value. His counsel along this line
was organised with a fores able to look after cost the government its break with France in 1893, by which the eastern frontier of Siam a comprehensive scheme of construction. There
are no dates upon which to judge what might | was lost, 3,000,000 francs paid as the expense
have been accomplished had there been a large of the French expedition, and the condition created which has ever since left Siam power-ready supply of funds. A supervising force less to offset French plans for encroachment, costing annually more than £20,000 might which bare of late given cause for fresh *cou-have yielded better results in the eight years since construction of the present line was corn. When Georgo Murray Campbell, con- tractor for a portion of the Royal Siamese begun, had the money provision been ample Railway, found that his work was to be for the most expeditions work. supervised and inspected by German railway between the railway management and the officials, he protested that his contract called Financial Advisor is not lessened at present for no such oversight, and since he could by the refusal of the management to submit not submit to it, ho proposed to give up its accounts to him, on the ground that the
INTERNATIONAL FIVALRIES.
He urges
Friction
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come
have followed in both lines of service. The Germans imagine that the Financial Adviser is scheming to turn the managem nt of both de. partments over to English control. Naturally the German Minister takes up the cudgels on The Russian behalf of his countrymen.
compatriots in local Minister, haring no business or politics, and his chief function seeming to bexto look for trouble for others,
Enough of the sides with the Germans. controversy leaks out to excite comment and discussion among those interested in public affairs, the drift of which concerns less the wel- fare of Sium than the predominance of English or German influence in this government. The King wishes to be friendly with both sides and of course to get the best value for his money' as well. When he visited England, the Mar- quis of Salisbury advised him to cultivate the goodwill of both Germany and Russia. sibly neither of them dreamed that the first occasion for giving such advice practical effect would be provoked by a controversy whose acri- mony is but feebly revealed in official utterance, and which may strike at the root of Siswese foreign policy. In respect to the demands or expectations of the French for supervision the public works, the native habit procrastination seems of
to have of into play. It is doubtless recognised that when the French wish anything in Siam, they intend to have it, and the lesson of 1893, when France had Siam at its feet, proved sufficiently The native notion that delay is costly. continues persistent, however. that every con- cession, especially in the direction of France, should appear to be yielded through strain of favour; and that in the face of knowledge that demands thereby will not be lessened, and will probably increase, national pride will better be served by yielding much at the end than a little at the beginning. Apart from this motive, which seems characteristic, the experience of Siam with the French has led it to suspect that much more may be implied than is expressed in formal demands, and that under cover of public works. the French may not be content" with designing graceful architecture, but that they may wish to construct roads, to provide a seheme of general irrigation and waterways, and perhaps eventually to take over the rail- ways, posts and telegraphs, and whatever.else may appear promising and serviceable to themselvis. However in his heart the King may feel toward England and Gormany, it is hardly couceirable that he can attribute to either of them designs upon his territory; and He will it is as little conceivable that he can regard the French as his sincere well-wishers. yield finally, rather than risk a repetition of occurrences that can only humiliate him, and do it knowing that it must deepen the mire of foreign supervision over the affairs of his realm. It may be that he thinks that his own security can be in no way so well insured as through pickings of patronage by which he may hope to retain the guardianship of Europe. Current events may justify in his mind the original motive that actuated Siam in adopting the policy of foreign propitiation.
THE RESOURCEFUL KING. Complaisant as the King seeks to appear in foreign eyes, reports of his attitude among kis own exhibit him in quite a different light. With his native advisers he is lead, front, and antocrat. The so-called Legislative Council whose declared functions reach to the point of the assumption of supreme power, in the event
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