It is quite useless to condense the long debate in
the French Chamber on the Anglo-French arrangement as to Siam which ended on Thursday in a unanimous vote ratifying the agree- ment. The Colonial party are not contented, but the im- portant point is the tone of the French Government, which may be frankly described thus. The Government will not pledge itself never to coerce Siam ; but it has no intention of doing so at present, and would rather for the next few years keep on good terms with the British in Asia. The central division of Siam, which "Empire" is to be treated throughout as a powerless entity, is therefore provisionally neutralised. As to the trade of Western China, England has made a treaty to her own advantage, and France will try to make one too. Nothing was said officially about Malaya, which, it seems evident from the recent ap- pointment of a Resident, or quasi-Lieutenant-Governor, will become an exclusively British Protectorate. The arrange- ment is clearly not final, but it is favourable to peace for ten or fifteen years, and is as advantageous to this country as under the circumstances could be expected. The Govern- ment of India, which understands the situation through and through, is quite contented. It is not, perhaps, quite so anxious as Jingoes at home to be responsible for all Southern Asia.
