29th Now, Mr. Michie's article in the October issue of the Asiatic Quarterly Review on " The Alliance of China and India" has so many doubtful points in it, that it may possibly not attract the attention the subject deserves, Mr. Michie shows that both China and India "are being rapidly hemmed in by two aggressive Powers, Russia on the north and France on the south; and these two Powers, whether in official alliance or not, are drawn towards common action by what they conceive to be common interests." This, however, must not be taken too seriously, as if, indeed, France and Russia are anxious to divide Asia between them. Russia has been constantly coming nearer the northern frontier of India, and France by her attack on Siam has become almost conterminous with Burma; but this is hardly what would be _understood by the expression that India is being hemmed in by France and Russia, On the other hand, Russia, except in the Pamirs, where China's control is little more than nominal, has not of late being menacing China's possessions, and so far as we know it is only an irresponsible French Indo-Chivese journalist, who has suggested that a portion of Yunnan should be added to longking. It is almost an exaggeration to say, as Mr. Michie does, that "India and China occupy the same position between the upper and nether millstone, and the question which of them shall, at any given time, feel the pressure, will depend solely on the amount of resistance which may be expected from them respectively." Itisquiteconceivablethat the French made their recent aggression in the fear that if they were not beforehand with England, the latter would sooner or later annex under the form of protecting the whole of Siam, when France would have no chance of pushing the frontier of Aunam to the Mekong, It is neither judicious nor dignitied of English writers to show such apprehension of the designs of France and Russia as some of them so often do.
Meanwhile, there is no reason why India and China should not form the defensive alliance recommended by Mr. Michie, as a counterpoise to " the offend sive alliance, or whatever it may be called, between France and Russia." For ourselves, however, we doubt the existence of anything beyond a friendly
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.