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THE FAILURE OF THE PLOT.
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He did not hesitate—he betrayed them both. Within an hour the Secret Treaty was in possession of the British Resident. Action was taken with splendid promptitude. M. de Freycinet, when pressed on the subject, repudiated any intention of acquiring for France a political predominance in Burma. An immediate pretext was found to place Theebaw in a dilemma; eleven days later the British troops had crossed the frontier, and Upper Burma was another province of our Indian Empire."[1]
- ↑ The whole of these details are omitted from the account of the annexation given in the 'Gazetteer of Upper Burma'; but they are undoubtedly correct. An interesting side-light is thrown upon the matter by Major E. C. Browne in a volume entitled 'The Coming of the Great Queen,' published in 1888. "Writing of the French intrigues which led to the action of Great Britain, he says: "Strangely enough, I think I know the source from which this wild enterprise sprang." He then describes how, when in Paris in 1880, he attended a meeting of "La Société de Cochin-Chine." The meeting took place in the private apartments of a nobleman, and a paper was read upon Indo-Chinese affairs, followed by a somewhat constrained discussion. The Society appeared to be "a sort of private Intelligence Department" which watched French interests in Indo-China, and "kept the Government coached up on the subject." The conclusion which he drew from his inquiries is summed up as follows: "I have often thought since that the feebly supported attempt to establish French influence at Mandalay was the outcome of this Society's investigations. The Government not improbably said to this body, 'If you can get a footing in Upper Burma without bringing us into conflict with England, we shall say you deserve well of your country.'"
