New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-30
THE FILL or SLIM.

The announcement that Siam has uncon.
dit:onaly surrendered TO France need cause NJ
surprise. 1t has been expected ever since the
King made his digniiied but pathetic answer
to the French ultimatum. Chulalonkorn knew
as tho world knows, that the demands made
upon him were excessive and unjust. Being a
broad minded and intelligent statesman, he
also knew that effective resistance to French
arms was beyond his power. He could not de-
base himself so much as to ask for British 81
other protection. There was nothing to do,
then, but to state his case to France and to the
world, and await the result Perhaps he hoped
France would relent. Perhaps he imagined
England would intervene in his behalf. If
so, he was soon disappointed.
The extent to which Siam is. therefore, to
be despoiled is this The rights of -tnam''
in the MekOng Valley whatever they may be,
are to be granted. Those rights have never
been defined. Siam has had mchallengcd
ownership of the whole region for nearly a
century, and has possessed it most of the time
for four or five centuries. The man who dis
covered these rights" few years ago has,
however said that France should have the
whole Mekong basin, which means half Of
Siam. In the absence of other definition We
may as well accept that as telling what
rights France claims; or means eventually
to claim. Next Siam is to evacllate the whole
region thus taken from her within a month {;
a ply steal mpossbility. To attempt 10 en-
force that order will simply mean war, pillage
and devastation. Vast ndcmntieS in cash are
also required III advance of any equitable de
termination of the amount to which France is
entitled. And finally. until such indemnites
shall have been paid in full, France is to have
control of the revenues of two of the most
valuable provinces of Siam. II is noteworthy
that those two provinces are adjacent to Cam
boda, and that Franco Siamesc treaty for
bids their being claimed as part Of that coun
try. But to get control of their revenues, and
therefore Of their general administration,
would be a long step toward annexation.
Now it is said, probably with truth. that
Siam has yielded to these hard terms. At the
same time rulnors arise that England is not
altogether satisfied and may yet intervene.
The latter does not yet seem probable. TO
have the blockade of Bangkok pcaccably
raised and the commerce of that pOr-s0 odd
per cent Brtish-rcstorcd, is of more impOr-
lance just now than the ownership Of the
banks of the MekOng. Moreover to let France
grab half of Siam now will enable England
presently with better grace to grab the other
half besides giving her a most effective reply
to Frances camor against her continued oc-
cupatiOn of Egypt There will be some frc.
ton, doubtless, before boundaries are all final
ly adjusted, especially in the north, where the
three empires, British, French and Chinese
come into contact. Such matters however
belong to the future, and to the great Powers
llenccforh the name of Siam will have only
historical significance. But it is an unsurpassed
bit of the irony of fate that the wiscst and
best of Asiatic rulers should find his own and
his country's destruction at the hands of that
very civilization which he has so assiduously
cultivated