Morning journal and courier., 1884-09-19
Indo.Chfna.

lCOrreSpOndenCe or the London IlmeS.
 From the geographical point of view Indo- China divides itself naturally into three distinct regions. The first of these, open ing on the east of the Bay of Bengal, has three great rivers, the Irrawaddy, the Sit tang and the Salween. The second drains it's two great streams, the Menam and the Mekong, into the Gulf of Siam. The third basin has for it's main waterway the Song coi, and opens upon the Gulf of Tonquin and the China Sea- These three natural divisions correspond pretty accurately with the political situation. The rivers all come from the same neighborhood-the eastern Hinalayas. The most important of these are similar in their general physical char acter and fertility of their deltas, and the French contention is that they should belong to the same power. They are content to leave Burmah to us, it is true, chiefly per haps because it belongs to us already, but for the sake of logic; because the natural outlet of the country is the Bay of Bengal. The other two regions, however, so say the French, belong to the holders of Saigon. There are only two powers which could stand in the way of this Indo- Chinese empire. These are Anam and Siam The first has been rough 1y brought to knowledge of the fact that it is no longer even geographical expression. Not only has Anam been absorbed, but the new French possession is conterminous with China for a length of three hundred miles along it's southern border. Meanwhile, mat ters being in train to the eastward, the Sai- gon papers are discussing in the most cynical and matter-o of fact way how the theory is to be brought into operation on the western side The fact that Siam must be annexed or protected is not supposed to be open to question at all. Still modern European squeamishness stipulates that frontiers, how ever absurdly drawn, should be respected. It is, therefore, necessary to find some excuse for virtuous ambition. The project is no more new than the conveying of Tonquin, or the final acquisition of Cambodia. A trap was laid years ago, but Siam too timid or too wary to fall into it. Cambodia was once as much Siamese dependency as Ton quin was lately Anamese In 1863 Norodom was the very humble vassal of Siam. In 1868 the country was quietly taken under the French without objection from Bangkok. It is this meek submission of Siam which so ir- ritates the Saigonese. There ought to have been resistance and intervention by Siam on behalf of it's vassal. But King Norodom of Cambodia was only too glad to get anyone to keep him on a throne from which he would otherwise certainly have been ex- pelled. He was, therefore, most complai- sant in the matter of 0 treaty. Siam had no army and no arms at the time, the in- terior condition of the country critical, and, therefore, perforce, acquiesced peaceably in the spoliation of her own territory, to the no small irritation of France. Cochin China, however, now comforts itself with the refec tion that Siam is it's natural enemy and that conflict must come some day. The favorite scheme for bringing about the desired colli- sion is through the medium of the Shan States, or rectifcation of the Siam Cambodia frontier