New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-09

TRINCE IND ENGLAND ~ SIAM.
Although the conflict between France and
Siam may appear nj first sight 10 partaic of
tao nature Of one of those trivial quarre> when
seem to b. inherent To the possessions III ASA
and Africa Yet the news of the seizure by the
French of the island of SAINT in the Gulf OF
siam coupled with the announcement that the
Frcnci, feet is on is way To- Bangkok Whltncr
it i, 10 be followed Immediately by Il British
squadron j. calculated to cause apprehcn>lon>
that the so-callcd SiamcSo Question ma! de
vclop into an international problem. In order
to apprcciat" the popular excitement about the
matter which prevails at present IN London
and in Paris II is necessary to bean in mind
that the object which both tie French and the
Ergli,h have in view and toward the attain
mcnt Of which their actiyit! in that quarter
Of the globe is mainly directed. j. the trade
with the rich southwestern provinces of China
provinces which ma, be described rs being
As vet untouched by European commerce
There are two ways by which these districts
may be reached namely. by rail and by water.
The former method is still in an embryo state
and unavailable for present purposes, although
large sums have been devoted by the Calcutta
Government T. the survey and other indi,-
pcn>ablc prcmnarlos for the construction of
thi, ilc which. connecting with the railroad
system Of further India. Is 10 pass through
Bu.mah to the frontier of the Celestial En-
prc, whence. after tapping the western prov
mccS il might ultimately be continued 10
Fcliin. The water route. on the other hand
is ready for immediate Use. 1t consists of the
great Rive Mellong which, rising in south
western China skirts the British colony of Bur
NAH traverse, the Kingdom of Siam. and
rcachc, the sea through delta which is with
in the sphere of the influence of the French
The latter are bent on obtaining the control of
this river throughout its entire length 10 the
Chinese frontiers and with II the monopoly of
the Southern China trade. BY converting the
Kingdom of Cambodia into French protecto-
rate they have obtained possession Of the lower
portion Of the stream, and now they have
SIZED the vast tract of Siamesc territory lying
between the boundary line Of AMMAN and the
river. Prince Henri dOrcan> 50 well known
by reason Of his explorations in the far Orient.
having been the loudcSt in his demands that
the French Government should ADOPT this
course. The prctcNt under which this move
has been made is that the watershed in qucs-
ton formerly belonged to AMMAN now. like
Cambodia, under French protection But in
view Of the fact that the French official maps
Of 1881. and Of 1856 when they were last re-
viScd. represent khong. Strung Trcng and the
other places seized rs within the SiamcSc boz
der which is dclincated by the mountain range
running parallel to the AMMAN coast it look
rs if the claim had been concoctod in order 10
meet the requirements of Frances aggressive
policy in the far East.
Nor is the monopoly of the Southwestern
Chinese trade the only aim toward which the
efforts of the French are directed According
TO their own colonial press, they look forward
to the eventual absorption Of the Kingdom of
Siam, much in the same way as Tunis AMMAN
and Cambodla have been converted into what
is PRACTICAL; French territory and if any
doubts remain on the subject they must be re-
moved b. the militaI! occupation Of the island |
of SAINT which commands the mouth. not of |
the Nlckong, but of the River Mcnam on which |
Bangkok stands. Now that France is cStab- !
lishcd OH the eastern bank of the NIckong it is |
inevitable that she should cndcavor to obtain |
possession of the opposite bank as we'll nor |
text or other for extending her operations |
across the rich territor, which lies between the |
Mckong and the Mcnam by degrees possessing
herself of the entire kingdom.
Apart from the prospects of a monopolv of |
the Southern Chinese trade. and the acaui,i- :,
ton of the vast teak forests and other sources
of wealth of Siam, the acquisition of the latter
likewise offers considerable political adyon
tages to France, and could not fail TO enhance
the value of her friendship in Russian ewes.
With Siam under the control of France and
Russia threatening on the lIerat side Great
Britain would have some cause for onn,cbcn
,ions with regard to the safety of her great
Indian Empire, and under the circumstances
il is not unlikely that the English Government
NAV deem il necessary TO take stems In safe
puard her vast interests in the far Orient nv
some forciblc resistance to Frances ago,cssivo
oolicy. possibly by the hosting of her fac IT
bangkok and proclaiming siam as a British
much in the same manner ~ sbo
acted in the case of Burmah when Tbebaw was