In the same speech, Sir Edward Grey made important. announcements
in regard to our relations with France, both concerning Siam and Africa. The Siamese Blue-book, he pointed out, brought out clearly that the British Govern- ment had never wavered from the position that our interests• were bound up with the maintenance of the independence of Siam. So far, British interests had not been touched,. but " should a new phase of things arise in the rela. tions between Siam and the French Government," we might have to take up the negotiations at the point where they had been left, i.e., put our foot down. As regards Africa, " he would be the last to underestimate the danger, not active but latent, in the present condition of affairs, but he believed that a stage had been reached where there was a better pro- spect than there had been for some time past of the various questions being adjusted between the two nations, provided there were exercised a little good will and a moderate amount of give and take on both sides." We hope this means, as we suggested last week, that there is to be a real attempt to come to an understanding with France, on all the Colonial African questions. There is no reason why these should no be kept entirely separate from the Egyptian question, which stands on a perfectly different footing.
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