'Muscat Dhows Arbitration. In the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. Grant of the French Flag to Muscat Dhows. The case on behalf of the Government of His Britannic Majesty.' [‎35r] (78/208)

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[733] F
claimed to be, treated there as a British subject. Although,
therefore, this would be the correct rule of international
law, yet, as it has not hitherto been acted on in Persia, I
think it very inexpedient that it should now be made a
rule of English procedure there unless it is also made *
common to all other European nations, and especially
France and Eussia."
3. Great Britain doss not protect CMnese
subjects in Siam either with or without a con
dition as to three years' residence there. In the
year 1895 the question of such protection was
discussed between the British and Chinese
Governments at a time when it was supposed
that Japanese in Siam were to be protected by
France. But Japan abandoned the idea of
putting her subjects in Siam under French pro
tection ; and Great Britain never undertook the
protection of the Chinese, which, be it said, in the
absence of any Treaty between China and Siam
granting extra-territoriality, would, if undertaken,
not have ousted the jurisdiction of the Siamese
Courts. This disposes of the unfounded state
ment made at p. 24 of the French " Contre-
Memoire ":—
"Au Siam elle admet I'mscription a sa Legation de
Cbinois qui ne.sont pas nds sur un territoire britannique
ou plac^ sous le protectorat anglais, mais qui resident
depuis au moins trois ans 4 Bangkok. Ces Chinois sont
alors consid^rds comme prot^g^s britanniques, et ils ont
. ineme obtenu que la protection qu'ils jouissent au Siam
leur soit continu^e quand ils se rendent en Chine."
It will be, perhaps, more satisfactory to the
Tribunal to know exactly what persons Great
Britain does protect in Siam. The matter is
governed by the Anglo-Siamese Agreement of
the 29th November, 1899, which is in the fol
lowing terms :—
u Agreement between the United Kingdom and Siam
relative to the Registration of British Subjects
in Siam.
" Signed at Bangkok, November 29, 1899.
" The Governments of Her Majesty the Queen of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress
of India, and of His Majesty the King of Siam, recogni
zing the necessity of having a satisfactory arrangement
for the registration of British subjects in Siam, the