This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[42934]
No. 1.
683
[December 9.]
SECTION 1
C.0
47047
REC"
x.
RE: 23 DEC 08
Consul Carlisle to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received December 9.)
(No. 14.) Sir,
Hanoi, October 30, 1908,
I HAVE the honour to inform you that M. Klobukowski, the new Governor-General of French Indo-China, arrived at Hanoi on the 19th instant. Immediately after his arrival he held a reception which I attended and at which the civil officials and officers of the army were presented to him.
M. Klobukowski was in Tonquin twenty-two years ago as the "Chef du Cabinet" of Paul Bert, the first civilian Governor-General—or rather, as the post was then, Resident-General of Annam and Tonquin—who, arriving in Hanoi in April 1886, died there in October of the same year. Paul Bert, although his short period of office was passed in a very troubled time, when the whole country was still in a state of warfare or rebellion, acquired a reputation here superior to that of any of the Governors who have succeeded him. It is a commonplace to say that Paul Bert would have done great things for the country had he lived, and almost every French town in Indo-China has a street or a public place named after him. He is said also to have made a very favourable impression upon the Annamites, and especially upon the Ministers and Court functionaries at Hue, and it is believed that his memory is still held in esteem by them. M. Klobukowski married his chief's daughter (who has now accompanied him to Indo-China), and much is hoped from the prestige, both as the immediate assistant and as the son-in-law of the great Paul Bert, which he brings with him to his new post.
M. Klobukowski broke his journey from Saigon for the purpose of visiting Hue and the young King of Annam. While there he issued a Proclamation addressed to the inhabitants of Annam and Tonquin which is being distributed and posted up throughout the country. In it the Governor-General promises to carry out many reforms in the Administration. His programme includes a more equitable distribution of taxes; a control over the number of days of corvée labour demanded, with permission to redeem them by a cash payment; improvement in the method of the exploitation of market-places, such as, for instance, the eventual restitution of such exploitation to the villages themselves; more careful selection of "mandarins," and at the same time more respect for their authority and prerogatives, and an improvement in their pecuniary condition; increased admission of natives to certain offices; the immediate execution of various hydraulic and irrigation works; the immediate study of reforms in the salt and alcohol monopolies; the development of medical assistance; and the suppression of the responsibility of villages in questions of contraband. "All that," says the Governor-General, "I pledge myself to carry out. I assure you besides that no new tax will be created, no existing tax will be increased; that the Government is quite resolved to maintain the régime of the Protectorate, improving it if necessary, but without modifying its principle. I will personally watch over the respect due to your rites, your customs, and your national traditions, the safeguarding of your individual interests, whether of mandarins and learned men or the common people of the towns and country, and the establishment between French and native functionaries of cordial relations based on sentiments of esteem and of mutual deference."
"On your side," he says, "you will refuse to listen to those who seek to cast among you the seeds of discord, hatred, and revolt. Do not place confidence in those ambitious persons who, eager to play a rôle, affirm that it is your well-being which they have in view; it is on the contrary to the worst disasters that their selfish incitements would lead you.
I am firmly resolved that, in order to assure the internal security of the country, I will repress with rigour any act of a nature to disturb public tranquillity and every infraction of law and order, the guardianship of which is in my hands."
M. Klobukowski, having undertaken not to increase taxation and at the same
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