Honolulu Republican, Volume IV, Number 503, 22 Ianuali 1902 — POSSESSIONS OF FRANCE IN EASTERN ASIA [ARTICLE]

POSSESSIONS OF FRANCE IN EASTERN ASIA

The Comte de la Taille and His Wife Are On Their Way to French Capital. COLOKIU OFFICIAL OK SIERRA Will fisit Washington on Purpose to Sec President Roosevelt. Cochin China, the Granary of A»ta — French Puahjng Their Colonies — Tonkin To Be Made the Bread Basket o* China and Japan—Big Empire to Develop and Civilize. Monsieur le Comte de la Taille. a prominent Frenchman, who for the

last twite months has been connect «d with the government of the French possessions In Asia, passed through Honolulu yesterday on the Sierra with his wife. He was seen yesterday morning by a Republican reporter, to whom he • vpressed enthusiasm over the future ofethe French poss» sslons in far away Asia. "Cochin. China, where I have ro- - ' ledsaid Mr. de la Taille, "is the mallest of the French colonies of fat' her India, Still It is the most prosperous of our possessions out there and the center of French influence Just back of if Is Cambodia, and north of it is Annam. Altogether we have ov■ r 350,00*1 square miles of territory, which is 150.000 miles more than our possessions In Europe. Our country is one of the richest in in :r E.tsf It is Inhabited by ?». fOO,OOO people.

Metropolis of French Asia. Of course the French rule Saigon. Th* re are French signs over the stores. French buildings in the bustt « -s part of the town and French p pie everywhere. A dozen natty French girls meet you at the landing The customs officers are French, and there are scores of officials and m**r»bants dressed in white duck and white helne t who speak French as if in Paris. The natives all speak French and altogether everything Is French. "Saigon has some of the aspects of a French interior town You can vastly see that a Western natli n has th place well in hand. The streets are wide and so well macadamized that the red earth upon them Is as lard as iron and as smooth as a Hoor. Trees have been planted along the roadways and this French capital is a regular forest fn the tropics. !t is so hidden by trees that, as you ■ ome up the river, you can see only the roofs of the houses and the rose •olored spin's of the cathedrals shining out of the green The trees Me tr p «1 and make the town look I k.- a botanical garden Some have 1* aves like enormous fans, s me bear > >h oanuts and others are great masses of blossoms of the brightest color. Granary of Asia. ■ g n has French stores filled th French goods Th*re are many French soldi* rs in the streets and native soldiers in Fr nch uniforms. T he telegraph lines reach to all parts of Cochin China, and the colony is connect'd with Singapore and Hong-1-on- by cable The postal system nas been extended to all parts of the country, and there are subsidized mall steamers which take you into the interior. The town has a population of 49.000 people. $.OOO of whom are Fr« nch. "Cochin China is on? of the gran*r‘es of Asia. The ,-r.II is rich and vast quantities of rice are exported. Rice is the foundation of the wealth of the people It is Saigon’s chief expert, enough going out every year to g:v a pound cf rioe to every man, woman and child in the world And still less than two-thirds of the rice ■id is us-d Cochin Chiaa.has something like 1.700.000 acres in rice and •oh.ooo acres of ’and are available. W hope to make the countrv th» bread basket for China and Japan, and we are in a fair way to do so. Progression of th* Colonies. "We are now doing much to develop our colonies We are trying to ex-j tend th- rail read of Tonkin and China and claim the southern part of the Chinese empire as our sphere cf in fluence. One of the proposed roads will connect Tonkin with Canton, and the other will go Into the rich province cf Yunam "We hare a big empire to develop

tier*. Tonkin has rich mine* of copper iron. tin. zinc, silver and lead, as well as some of the richest coal deposits of Southern Asia. It ships something like 190.000 ton* of ccai annually to Hongkong and is now planning the development of copp?r ueposita. The Tonkin people are stronger and more intelligent than the Cochin Chinese

• Notwithstanding its small Europe an population Tonkin is a lively town. It has several French newspapers. a rare course, a band and a club. Many new streets have been laid out and planted with trees; they are lighted by electricity and most of the street* are drained. Present Governor General. The Governor General at present h Paul Doumer. He has his cabinet end a number of subordinate officials, and has more pow- r than the Governor of British India. He is commander of the local forces and of the war vessels stationed there. He is above the local courts and has absolute authority over the colony. "Just below Tonkin is the kingdom of Annam. which is also under the protection of the Governor General. The country is governed by a king, at present 25 years old, under the protection of France. He governs as he is directed. The capital is just about as large as Saigon, but through the influence of the French it is far advanced for an Asiatic town. The French have charge of the treasury, customs and the public w’orks, and under them the city has been drained and made sanitary.” The Corate and Comtesse de !a Taille are on their way to Paris. They have spent two months visiting Australia and expect to remain several weeks in the States before sailing for France. M. de la Taille is a personal friend of Jules Cambon. the French Ambassador at Washington, and expects, through him. to be introduced to President Roosevelt for whom he has a warm admiration.