The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-19
Why France Is Proud Of Indo-C China

Why France Is Proud OF Indo-China.
NJ HENRI RocHEFoRT and other
Frenchmen who would like to see their
Government throw its weight on Rus
sia's side in the present contest are pre-
dieting that, should the Russians be
driven from Manchuria, Japan will next
try to expel the French from Indo-
China, over which the Middle Kingdom
has claims Of suzerainty. The predic-
ton is well calculated to arouse national
susceptibilities, for the French people
have reason to regard with satisfaction
the actual condition and the prospects
of their Far Eastern dependency. The
reforms that have been carried out in
Indo-China within decade may, with
out exaggeration, be described as having
effected an administrative. fiscal and
commercial revolution. They consti-
tute one Of the most creditable chapters
in French colonial history.
The principal author Of the change
was NJ. PAUL DoUMER, who for five years
was Governor General of do-China,
and who is now one Of the most influ-
entail members of the Chamber of Depu-
ties, regarded, indeed, by many OBJ
servers as the coming man. Up to 1895,
when he was appointed to an office dis
ting,lishable only in name from that of
Viceroy, the record Of the colony had
been one OF uninterrupted drain upon
the mother country During the eight
preceding years France had been called
upon to cover deficits in the local budgets,
which had brought the total cost Of the
colony in the thirty-five years that had
elapsed since the capture Of Saigon to
the total Of $15O, 900, 900. So grievously
had the colony's affairs been misman-
aged that the people had lost confidence
in the administration of justice and had
practically ceased to submit disputes for
settlement by the courts.
In the year 1893 Tonquin was still in
state of disorder, and had to be patrolled
by military columns; in Anam and in
Cambodia no regular French admins
tration existed, the protectorate being
merely nominal; Laos had only just
been acquired; and Cochin-China, the
one province in which there was some
thing like an efficient civil government,
was beginning to agitate for separation
from the rest of the colony. What local
trade there was lay almost wholly in the
hands Of foreigners while the share of
France in the external commerce of the
dependency was less than fifth. Such
continued to be the state Of things up to
the close of 1895, when NJ. DoUMER en-
tered on his quinquennial term. The
programme announced by him COM
prised the paciication Of Tonquin, the
improvement of the financial situation
Of Indo- China 30 that the colony might
be no longer a burden on the mother
country, the institution Of organized
civil administration in all the protector
ates and the creation of general gov
eminent.
Every one Of these reforms has been
carried far toward completion. A leg
slative council now exists for the whole
dependency which passes a general
budget, together with five provincial
budgets, and advises the Governor
General with regard to local legisla-
ton. Money raised by indirect taxa
ton goes to the general budget, which in
1904 amounted to 65 ,O0O, 900 francs, while
the local budgets, which depend on di-
rect taxes, appropriate respectively TO
Cochin-Chna ten millions, to Tonquin
ten millions, to Cambodia and Anam
five millions each, and to Laos two mil
lions. The most radical changes have
been effected in the organization OF the
colony by the Doumer reforms. The
former independence of the local gov
ernments has been restricted and the
conflicting activities Of the five States
have been coordinated and unified. The
nominal protectorate over Cambodla,
Anam and Laos has been converted into
a genuine control; many grave abuses
have been removed; the administration
OF justice has been improved, and bot
ter tone prevails throughout the civil
service. The colony has been made self
supporting, the truth being that France,
far from having paid anything during
the past five years for its support, has
received from it upward of 40,OO0, 900
francs, or more than $S,0oo, 900, by way
of military contributions. The value
OF the colony's external commerce has
increased from 1872 ,OoO, 900 francs in 1893
to 400, ooo,0 900 francs in 1902. OF these
sums the share Of France has expanded
from less than fifth to more than
third. ' In the same period the value OF
the coastlng trade rose from $4,000, 900
francs TO l5e000,Ooo francs. 1t is i'm
portant TO note that this progress has
been attained although meanwhile the
rate of taxation has been kept consider
ably lower than it is in any British colony
in the tropics.
In view Of the actual achievement,