FRANCE AND CHINA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 305, 27 November 1883, Page 2

FRANCE AND CHINA.

■;, The,)Paj:is correspondent of the Times declares, the following be substantially jjb-ejreply of Oliiua to th^ demands of Jlran.ee ;— ** We cannot agiN^t tp~h'a#e 1 .yoa- , ; as : immediate neighbours.', Our safety an^ wouifl ' bbtlx 'fie threatened. We shall never .agyee, to ii^, ; unless .we are forced, ( i.f yon make war on us you might possibly band us to.ypxir will, but the > 'quesjiipii 'fa whefchejc i:i rarease of w,ar f it' \vpuld" Ibo against us alone you would make it. Tliereioi^'jf you wish it itb be wli6, under 4\}p, cloak of Anam^ oc^upVllie neutral zone, .we shall nob agree to' tile neutral zpnje, and it is only after a .war with % ,us.jbha4 you will keep Xnam and Tonquiu. Tho neutral zone as marked ou^fepograj^iqally.^.alino^t all Tcjn,q.«in, , X^^ere better to 'divide"Anam m t\vo, Anam on the one side and Tonquitr on the"6tliel'7^^hey naturaHy form two. prrtyinceß Anara, which "admirably completes Cochin China. We do not ask you to leave Hanoi or Haiphong 1 . You are by virtue of the treafj^bf 1874, as you are at Shanghai by the treaty of 1858. If you jy.ou can establish yourself el«ewh6|Bf6n the same conditions. Youf'caif^sk us' every concession m favour of freedom of trade ; we will grant tfeem to^ you) not only m Tonquin, but even beyond it — even m China. You would- :vJ extend your Cochin Chink .cojaijy, ybu/)Vould open up to the trade of^tke. world, the Red Riyels t afncL ;) Uier^anks J ..of the river m ChinaJifcsel£ We should disturb ,eaduotl»ev ;no further,, ,and all without , striking . r» b)qw.. r -But we shall not without a fight give up the delta -of the, Red Biyeiy, our-shortjpmo--tioai-route,t^> the Bea, to )ii n .g^ou/V)f iV.ftaiP.j ;W,|i ; icl] kjV-'IW ; hie another nameTfQr France..;: Aak, whetbei? : sjKe tuir vis.es iUS to .do :Bft,'/ ,