GERMANY IN SIAM.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12683, 22 December 1906, Page 9

GERMANY IN SIAM.

TRYING TO OUST BRITISH INTERESTS. ' V-ittd Prets Ajinociation—By Electrio l-Jegrmph—Copyright LONDON, December 20. The Germans are now striving to obtain controlling interests in the Bangkok dock, the interest at present being mainly British, whilst the .shipping frequenting Bangkok is chiefly German. Some months ago the Berlin correspondent of tho "Standard" wrote:— Tbe irresponsible Pan-Germans are now pressing the German Government to follow up tiie interference iv Morocco by making a bold stand against the policy of Great Britain and France in Siani. Ilerr Adolf btoin, tlio editor ol the Pan-Gorman weekly review, "Dcr j Deuu-cho," publishes an article entitled "After Morocco eCouies Siam,' 1 in | which it is argued that Germany cannot recognise tho existing agreement between Great Britain and Franco defining their respective spheres of influence in Siam. After describing the ! continued efforts of Great Britain and '< France to acquire supreme influence in ; Siam, the writer points out that GerI many's commercial interests in Siam aro extremely important. During the ! year 1904, no fewer than 348 German ships, with an aggregate tonnage of 2t>0,000, touched at the ports of Siam, [ which were visited during tlio same I period by no moro than 137 British ships with an aggregate tonnage of 124,000, and 27 French ships, with an aggregate | tennage of 20,000. Germany has socured this preponderating commercial interest since 11)00, when the. North German Lloyd bought up tlie two British lines of which main* tamed communication oetween Hong Kong, Singapore, Borneo, and Bangkok. During 1004, Germany supplied Siam with 68 per oent. of all Siamese imports, while Great Britain only supplied 15 per oent. of the imports into Siam. On the other hand Gl por oent. of the exports from Siam went to Germany, as enompared with 16 per oent. to Great Britain. At the end of 190 ft there wore 204 foreigners belonging to eleven different countries in the servk» of Siam, and 4fr of these were Germans. Most of these Germane are employed in the Siamese .{Ministry of Publio Works, and the managing director of the Siamese railways ia Prussian Gebeimrat Gehrts. Germany supplied the engines and carriages for the Siamese railways, and German enterprise is oonstantly seeking fresh fields of ex psnsion in Siam. "Everyone must concede that the fate of Siam cannot be a matter of indifference to us," concludes the arfie'e. "We must therefore express the urgent desire that the German Government shall defend our commercial interests in Siam more vigorously and with less tendency to compromise than in the case of Morocco", for there are indisputable oroofs that other Powers, particularly France, are endeavouring to close the 'Open door' in Siam." The German Govwninent through it* Press (says the correspondent) organs frequently finds it convenient to refer slightingly to the Pan-Germans as irresponsible agitators whose demands need not be taken seriously. It must be remembered, however, that there have lieon occasions on which the PanGermans have sot the pace fer German policy; Pan-Germans clamoured for far terfereT.ee in Morocco long before the' German Government decided to interfere in North-West Africa. German efforts to strengthen German influence in Siam were noted recently by Dr .-Morrison, the Pekin correspondent of "The Times."