Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-07-28
". h. BISHOP, Island Pond, VI.
FRANCES ULTIMATUM
May Involve England and Rus
sia as Well as Siam.
Comparative Strength of the Several
Armies and Savies.

A dispatch 10 the Paris Temps from Saigon
says: "A telegram from Stungtreng announ-
ced that Capt. Vilhers. commanding the
French force at khOng, re-Opened fire upon
the Siamese, ON the morning OF the 18th inst
In the course Of the day the French captured
forts DOngua, DUngo. and Donhan, thus con
hning the enemy TO for DOnsom. The last
named stronghold though protected by three
series OF well constructed forttncations, was
captured on the following day without loss
to the French.
The indications grow stronger that France
Will not be permitted to carry out her full pur-
pose against Siam. There has been no pub
lie change in the situation beyond demands
Of the little kingdom for more time TO consider
the eXhorbitant demands made upon her and
a "urt refusal from France. Two days is
short time in which to negotiate an alliance
between such distant points as Bangkok, Pc
kin and CeylOn, for the telegraphic facilities
are not good.
The promise given unofficially, OF def
mite announcement Of Chinas position today
has not been fulfilled. The Chinese minister
here continues in active correspondence with
his government. The siam affair Is closely
complicated with the situation in Pamir. and
the latter matter IL regarded by China and by
some English diplomats a. more alarming
than the bullying Of siam by France. There
Is full confirmation that China has masS'.d
large force on the Turkestan frontier and IL
hurrving mUrr troops forward. England
experience in Pamir with Russia year ago
destroyed all confidence in the bona tides OF
that country.
Ii Is safe TO assume that siam will perforce
grant all Frances demands except the terri
torial ones. II she gets definite assurance
Of Chinese or English support, she will refuse
these. II compelled 10 give an answer before
this point is settled, she will seek to gatn
-. ,fl IN
claim. II aid is refused by all the powers.
she has no choice but to submit. English
public sentiment, IS unanimously against
France on this point 1t is pointed out that
the trade with the country which France prar-
tiraLy proposes 10 annex amounts 10 nearly
so 900 annually with France and sl2 900 900
annually with Britain. The number of Brit
ish subjects in the rUutry is Is, 500 and French
80.
From military standpoint, conflict OF
arms between France and siam would re-
Semble an encounter between u trained pugi-
list and u thret-year-old child. 1t would
naturally he initiated by naval demonstra-
ton on the part of France, and the navies Of
the two countries present contrast little
l,sa than ludirrous. The Siamese navy con-
slsts Of two corvettes carrying eight guns
each, seven small gunboats and couple OF
ruval yachts. There is being built a deck
protected cruiser of $500 tons displacement
and between II and IS knots speed, armed
with four l. 72-inch and 10 six-pounder rapid
iirr guns This is really the only YES
sci siam possesses which is worthy Of serious
consideration IN an engagement with modern
French men-Of-war, and she Is less powerful
than the United States cruisers OF the Detroit
class although slightly larger.
France on the other hand has the second
navy IN the world, England alone SURPRISING
/ her in power On the sea. She can with ease
without apprrciably weakening her forces Oh
| other stations. send a fleet to Siam more than
| sufficient TO blockade the entire coast and re
| duce the maritime towns. She has about 70
! armored and 100 unarmored vessels OF war
/ nearly all Of which are either already ayaia.
| bic or may be made SO in short time. She
| constantly maintains Il strong squadron in
! the East Indies, and thus has ready near at
! hand quite sufficient force 10 compel acqui.
| escence in any demand she may make upon
| Siam. Participation in the imbroglio by
| Russia and England, however, would lend
! different aspect TO affairs. Russia has the
third navy in the world in point OF size and
efficiency, and with this to aid France therr
| would thus be pitted the nation possessing
! the strongest navy against the two having
| the second and third in strength in
the world 1t would without doubt be the
greatest naval war the world has ever seen.
EnGland's recognized naval policy has
been to maintain "a feet equal in strength
t. the combined navies Of any two other
nations. To this end she is lending every
| effort, and 1t is with this in view that she
is constantly adding to her already enor-
nous naval establishment Still, she falls
| somewhat below this standard she has set
for herself. Russia and France, whose re-
lations Of friendship are we'll known, at pres
ent have, combined, "a more powerful naval
force than has England, and this fact, recog-
niZed by the best authorities, is source OF
no little uneasiness to the latter country.
Matched on the sea, England's imperial in
tegrity would be decidedly menaced. and the
present example Of the possibility of noun
tain developing out Of u mole hill can hardly
fail to stimulate English naval construction,
even if the whole affair be amcably settled
A war between the great nations named,
| ii such be impending, would surely be q
battle of giants, and sure to decide, by the
test of practice, the innumerable mooted
questions OF modern naval architecture and
armament. Slams army IL little better than
her navy. 1t consists of but few thousand
men. not over 20 .000 who are no match for
the highly trained, splendidly organized and
thoroughly equipped troops of the French
army. France, in addition to her armies has
plenty Of transports, TO which could readily
be added the large steamers of the Messa-
geries Martimes and other lines. in which
to convey to Siam military force ample to
subdue and occupy the country. The dis
parity in force between France and Siam is
even greater than that between England and
| Portugal.