Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-07-25
FRANco-sIAMEsE COMPLICATIONS.
England May Yet Have to Take Hand in
the Trouble.

England May Yet Have to Take a Hand in
the Trouble.
LONDON, July 25.-The Franco-Siamese
complications are the one absorbing topic
in the lobbies of the house of commons.
The situation Is regarded with apprehcn-
sion by all parties, and the last news from
Bangkok and Paris is read with as much
anxiety as eagerness. On all sides regret
is expressed that the British warships in
Siamese waters were not reinforced q
month ago, rs the British interests in Siam
outnumber the French hundred to one.
During the afternool a council of minis
ters w;s summoned at the instance of l. Il
ROseberry secretary of state fer foreign
affairs, to meet in the prime minister's
room of the house of commons The only
subject discussed was the situation at
Bangkok.
The Times and other papers declare that
Englnnd's chief object should be to pre-
vent English and French possessions in
Asia from becoming coterminore The
Standard says: "The terms that France is
trying to impose on Siam would be unde-
fendable in any court of international
morality. The remarkable experience
which we gained from the occupation of
Tunis of the IL ethods OF French diplonl-
acy forbids Us to accept too confidingly the
published programme of the @ IA IL Or
say 1t is the Earl Of Rosebery's duty to
tell France plainly that she is pledged to
respect the independence of this buffer
state. We cannot remain inactive in the
face nf Frances preparations for contrary
action"
In the meantime the French minister
resident at Bangkok las lowered the flag
over his Office and has notified the Siamese
government that he viii leave the city
to go aboard the French warship Incon-
stante tomorrow. lie has requested the
government TO provide pilots to conduct
the Lutin and Comete down the river.
French subjects in Bangkok will be placed
under the protection of the Dutch consul.
France is only awaiting the steps pre-
scribed by international law fore declar-
ing a blockade of Bangkok and other ST
amese ports. This will entail ten times
the loss on England that it will on France
for the trade is nearly wholly British
This feature of the matter is one that
adds to the difficulty of England's position
in the crises. British residents of Siam
are intensely irritated at England's SEEM
ing apathy, and a Liberal government is
always notably cautious in matters of in
ternational policy The French press-that
of Paris-is full of warnings to England to
keep her hands off Lord Dufferin, one of
England's most astute diplomatists, is in
Paris in communication with the French
government on the matter.
The Paris Liberte talks of destroying the
Siamese forts on the Mekong river and
bombarding Bangkok, sa.ing that some
painful measure is necessary for the pre-
servation of French prestige. There is no
doubt that the relations of England and
France are strained severely by this
Siamese trouble. The French papers are
especially hot in the collar, and reproach
England with supporting the Siamese in
their opposition to Frances just demands
and with planning to give the Siamese
secret aid when hostilities begin.
To an outsider it looks a good deal like
case of unwarranted aggression of a
strong nation on weak one. A French
military official led peaceful party into
Siamese territory and was, SO the French
claim, murdered by the Siamese. A apeace-
full military expedition into, another ma