Précis of an article appearing in the Shéupao of 6th August, 1893.
Siam is a small country without any proper system of government and with no military organisation. She is a dependency of China but has for some thirty years neglected to send tribute and has moreover treated with scant courtesy the Chinese dwelling within her borders. The fact of her having entered into commercial relations with the nations of the West without first consulting China shows that she is more shortsighted and stupid than even Corea. The result has been that the French, who have long been watching her with the eyes of a tiger regarding its prey, have
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.