George Curzon

Another left bank problem arose.

Curzon, whose acquaintance we have already made in India and the Persian Gulf, pointed out the danger to India if France were allowed to appropriate Siam.

Had not Britain long endeavoured to prevent Russia or any other great power from coming into contact with India? Moreover, British commercial, mining, and railway interests in Siam would be endangered.

When France sent French gunboats to Bangkok, the capital of Siam, and presented an ultimatum to Siam demanding the whole left bank of the Mekong, British ships were posted at Bangkok too.

And there was a particular grievance.

In 1905 the brilliant but high-handed Lord Curzon, then Viceroy, had cut the huge province of Bengal into two provinces, largely for reasons of administrative efficiency, hardly realizing the dangers involved in the probability that the Bengalese, who might almost be said to possess a nationality of their own, would regard this as an outrageous violation of their unity, or that the Hindus of Eastern Bengal would resent being included in a new province with a Muslim majority when they had previously enjoyed the position of a majority in the whole province.

The division of Bengal aroused nothing short of fury.

Newspapers were loud in their complaints until the Press Act of 1908 muzzled them.

But when the British failed to act on this suggestion, the French began to push their claims westward to the left bank of the Mekong River.

Another left bank problem arose.

Curzon, whose acquaintance we have already made in India and the Persian Gulf, pointed out the danger to India if France were allowed to appropriate Siam.

Had not Britain long endeavored to prevent Russia or any other great power from coming into contact with India? Moreover, British commercial, mining and railway interests in Siam would be endangered.

[laughs]

Lord Curzon in the corner.

[laughs]

Yeah, what the hell? Not only did you pronounce them, you seem to be putting on the accent as well.

Another left bank problem arose.

Curzon, whose acquaintance we have already made in India and the Persian Gulf, pointed out the danger to India if France were allowed to appropriate Siam.

Had not Britain long endeavored to prevent Russia or any other great power from coming into contact with India? Moreover, British commercial, mining and railway interests in Siam would be endangered.

When France sent French gunboats to Bangkok, the capital of Siam, and presented an ultimatum to Siam demanding the whole left bank of the Mekong, British ships were posted at Bangkok too.

And there was a particular grievance.

In nineteen oh five, the brilliant but high-handed Lord Curzon, then Viceroy, had cut the huge province of Bengal into two provinces, largely for reasons of administrative efficiency, hardly realizing the dangers involved in the probability that the Bengalese, who might almost be said to possess a nationality of their own, would regard this as an outrageous violation of their unity, or that the Hindus of Eastern Bengal would resent being included in a new province with a Muslim majority when they had previously enjoyed the position of a majority in the whole province.

The division of Bengal aroused nothing short of fury.

Newspapers were loud in their complaints until the Press Act of nineteen oh eight muzzled them.

But when the British failed to act on this suggestion, the French began to push their claims westward to the left bank of the Mekong River.

Another left bank problem arose.

Curzon, whose acquaintance we have already made in India and the Persian Gulf, pointed out the danger to India if France were allowed to appropriate Siam.

Had not Britain long endeavored to prevent Russia or any other great power from coming into contact with India? Moreover, British commercial mining and railway interests in Siam would be endangered.