THE SIAMESE QUESTION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12265, 11 October 1902, Page 2

THE SIAMESE QUESTION.

This Siamese are perhaps after tiw Japanese the meet interesting people of the Far East. Unfortunately their territory happens to be adjacent to the Indo-Chiaese.posseaeiona of France, and the latter power has gradually encroached on Siamese territory in a way which is not calculated to reassure the inhabitants, The French colonial patty, indeed, for the last ten years have made no secret of their desire to force their Government to annex the whole Siamese territory and so round off their Eastern empire. The French representatives in the East for many years have been in sympathy with the policy of the progressive partyjand they have not unfrequently lent themselves to high-handed proceedings, which are of

oourao not ancommon in this dealings of all European peoples with coloured races, but whioh were certainly calculated to force things to an issue. England had of course an interest in those proceedings, because Siam is contiguous to her Burmese possessions, and sbu has a very large stake in the future of Siam. This, indeed, is one of the matters on whioh the French have founded a complaint. At present there are some 200 Europeans in the employ of the Siamese Government. Of these only a dozen are French, while over a hundred ate English. Siam is a progressive country. Its rulers are men of education and enlightenment and ali'ro to the advantages of Western methods. It seems a pity that snoh a people should be absorbed, but it looks as if this would be their fata. It is in fact only England whioh stands between Siam and the French, and if anything should happen to make a partition desirable we are afraid that sentimental considerations would not bo allowed to stand in the way. In the meantime England no doubt honestly desires a maintenance of the stall's quo. It serve her interests very well, and if France would cease from troubling she would be perfectly willing to let things alone. It is satisfactory to learn that tbs representatives of the two States have been able to arrive at a settlement of the question at issue between them, Possibly their relations in the future will now be placed on a better footing. The matters in dispute date from the provisions of the FranooSiamesa Convention of 1893. By that instrument tho French frontier waa advanced to the left bank of the Mekong. At the same time Siam agreed not to maintain any armed force within a neutral zone, extending twenty-five kilometres along the right bank of the river. This provision has led to much of the trouble,. The neutral zone became a refuge for lawless tribes, and Siam was debarred from enforcing order. France took the occasion of this condition to seize Chentabun, an Important seaport, as a guarantee for a peaceful settlement of the difficulty. Fortunately in M, Deloassd Siam has found a foreign minister who is more concerned in the development of the territory already acquired than in a policy of further expansion. The result of the negotiations appears to be satisfactory to Jiam. France.it is true, gets an extension of territory on the right bank of the Mekong. This area is, however, occupied by tribes of Annamite and Cambodian descent, and is, perhaps, essentially a part of Frenoh-Cam-bodia. On the other hand ,Siam, once more, acquires full rights to the right side of the river and France retires from Chentabun and the ether territory occupied by her. This seems satisfactory to Siam. We may hope that she will be able to direct herself to the development of her territory and without further molestation from her eastern neighbour.