File 1202/1912 'Arabia:- Travellers. Capt. F. F Hunter. Herr Runkiar (Danish Expedition). Capt Shakespear.' [‎175r] (354/358)

jTfais Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
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SIAM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
r- i
[January 9.]
Section 2.
[1040] No.L
Mr. Beckett to Sir Edward Grey.—{Received January 9, 1909.)
(No. 94. Confidential.)
gj r Bangkok, December 4, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to report that, amongst numerous other visitors to Bangkok
on the occasion of the recent Jubilee of the King of Siam, was Vice-Admiral
du P. de Richelieu.
A short sketch of Admiral de Richelieu’s career and of the various interests,
chiefly commercial, which connect him with Siam, is given in section 13 of the
General Report for 1906. As a Director of the East Asiatic Company (Limited), and as
a large shareholder in Siamese Railway and Tramway Concessions, he has accumulated
considerable wealth. He now resides in Denmark. He owns a large country house
which was once the property of the King of Greece, and also a mansion in Copenhagen.
As one of the Directors of the Landsmanns Bank, and Chamberlain to the King of
Denmark, and a personal friend of Prince Waldemar’s, he exercises considerable
influence at the Danish Court and in Danish political circles, so much so that, as he
informed me during his recent visit here, he was instrumental in preventing t e
proposed cession of the Danish West Indian Islands, and more recently, during < the
Alberti scandals, he was consulted by the Cabinet and oflered the portloho of Minis er
of Commerce and Agriculture. This offer he refused, as he preferred commercial to
^ That so busy a man as Admiral de Richelieu should find it convenient to take the
long journey to Siam for the purpose merely of paying his respects to the King on t e
occasion of His Majesty’s Jubilee raised some curiosity in my mind as to whether the
visit was not really connected with some other objects. , m n .
It had already occurred to me that opposition to the proposed Treaty with Great
Britain on the ground that the cession of Trengannu and Kelantan or general arrange
ments regarding the Malay Peninsula would affect the interests of the East Asiatic
Company^(Limited), in that region might possibly be the cause of the visit If such
were P the case, there was in my mind considerable fear les t. the Admiral ta ^
advantage of the intimate relations which exist between himseif and the K g
poison His Majesty’s mind against the Treaty as to change His Majesty s rather
wavering attitude into one of direct antagonism. , , .. .
I was considering how best to sound the Admiral on this rather delicate su ij ,
when Mr. Westengard expressed to me a fear on his part also ot such a contingency
arising, and consulted me as to the advisability of taking some steps to prevent it 1
told him that, unless Admiral Richelieu broached the subje| to me '^^tal t o rai“
yet done, it was out of the question for me, intimately as I knew the Admiral, to raise
th6 q Some 0 few days after my conversation with Mr. Westengard, the latter informed me
that the Admiraf had beei? to see him, and directly alluded to the Treaty m such a
manner as evinced a total misunderstanding of the main T 1 ?. r rob v erv . °
negotiations have taken place. For instance, he made use of the word robbeiy in
connection with the proposed cession of territory, and was loud ln l l 1S , c^uVtlnces 3,
policy of spoliation on the part of Great Britain against Siam Under the circumstances,
Mr Westengard thought it wise to inform him frankly of the main features ot t e
negotiationsfand too® pains more especially to impress upon him that there was no
Question of any “robbery” of Siamese territory by Great Britain, but that tbe
cession of territory was suggested by Mr. Strobel in the best interests of Siam.
As a result of this and other conversations that took place between Mr. Westengard
and tt Admiral, the former was satisfied that he had removed for the present at least
the danger of direct hostility against the Treaty on the part of the Admira
The latter called on me last week previous to his departure, and foi the hist time
alluded to the Treaty. Whilst being careful to give him no further mformation than
that which Mr Westengard, as I knew, had already given to him, I was able to
from him categorical assurances that he did not now view the cession of terr.tory as an act
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