The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-07-24
Little Hope That She May Be Even a
Buffer State.
ENGLAND AND FRANCE AND
THEIR AMBITIONS.
In France the Siamese Trouble is Relied
Upon by the Government to Divert At
tention From the Panama Scandals
Germany Declares a Strict Neutrality
and Sends Warship to the Scene. aasa

and sends Warsh1p to the Scene. .a,1xa
LONDON, July 23.--Lord Dufferin has
gone to Paris charged with definite in
structions and to insist upon being in
formed of the exact extent of the French
claims in Siam. His reply is expected
to be announced in Parliament on
Monday. The Marquis of Salisbury, it is
said, three years ago made an agree
ment with MI Waddington, French am
bassador in London, by which India
should occupy the states between Bur-
NAH and the northeast. frontier of Siam,
although claimed by Siam, while France
was to have all the left bank on the Me-
kong.
If this is so the question as affecting
England will resolve itself into delim-
itation of frontiers by boundary COM
mission. That France expected such
iuxtaposition of English and French ter
ritory is shown by an important article
in the Paris Temps, which declares that
the theory of s'buffer'' states has had it's
day, and is proved by the mixing up of
English and French possessions in Asia,
Africa. Oceanica and America. England
herself has been the first to destroy
buffer states, and common frontier
is better calculated to preserve peace
han the existence of buffer states,
which generally are mere fields for the
intrigues of oyer-zealous functiOnaries.
The is little doubt that the French
government is looking forward to the
general elections, and is glad of pre-
text to divert the attention of the cleo
tors from internal troubles, the memor-
les of Panama, etc. 1t is pushed on by
official and unofficial pioneers in the far
East, who have done everything pcssi-
BILE to precipitate crisis by a strong COL
onial party of more than 100 deputies,
under the craftsmanship of M. Etienne at
home, which only "a week or two ago
issued a manifesto including among 9TH
er things the advocacy of vigorous ac-
tion at Bangkok to make French rights
respected.
It enormously depended upon Glad
stonian cabinet being in Office as reason
why England wouldpursue timid policy
Lord Rosebery, however, has firro ideas
and such strong approval from both Lib
eral and Conservatives that the few Rad
icals who are inclined to cavil are ST.
fenced by the overwhelming volume of
opinion in5fayor of energetic action.
1t is believed that the principal object
of the ultimatum was to obtain posses
sion of the provinces bordering on the
Cambodia. Governor General Lanessan
has publicly advocated the reputation
of the treaty by which France recognized
the Siamese ownership of these prov
inces. British subjects possess. conces-
sions there for sapphire and ruby mines,
and it may be taken for granted that
France will not be allowed to gain her
object. The French ministry will go to
Marty on Tuesday to enable M. Carnot to
preside over their deliberations on the
expected reply from Siam.
So far the German press has main
tanned a strange silence, considering Ger
many's large interest in Bangkok. This
silence is broken by semi-oficia1 state
ment in the North German Gazette en-
phasizng Germany's complete disinter-
estedness in the whole question. The
article, in fact, appears to show very
friendly neutrality towards France. The
news that German gunboats have been
ordered to Siam may, however, beget
suspicion in French minds that this ex-
treme friendship may cover the cloven
hoof, and that Germany only desires to
see France embarked in further cOmpli-
Gated colonial adventures.
The latest news from Bangkok states
that the British gunboat Daphne is daily
expected.