Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/926

 874 FRANCE : — FRENCH INDO-CHINA

The chief exports from Pondichery are oil seeds. At the ports of Pondichery Karikal, and Mahe in 1919 the imports amounted to 22,529,747 francs, and the exports to 26,792,148 francs. At these three ports in 1919, 159 vessels of 36,856,198 kilos entered and cleared. Railway open, 43 miles, Pondichery to Villapuram, and Peralam to Karikal.

FRENCH INDOCHINA.

Central Government.

French Indo-China, with an area of about 256,000 square miles and a population in 1914 of 16,990,229, of whom 23,700 were European (excluding military forces), consists of 5 States : the Colony of Cochin-China, the Protectorates of Annam, Cambodia, Tonkingand Laos ; and Kwang-Chau-Wan leased from China as well as the territory around Battambang, which was ceded by Siam in 1907. The whole country is under a Governor-General, assisted by a Secretary-General, and each of the States has at its head a functionary bearing the title of Resident-Superior, except in the case of Cochin-China, which, being a direct French Colony while the others are only Protectorates, has a Governor at its head. There is a Superior Council for the whole of Indo-China and a Permanent Commission of the Council.

The white population are subject to French law. Throughout the country there are native tribunals from which there is an appeal to courts at Saigon and Hanoi. In these appeal courts European judges, in matters affecting natives, are assisted by Annamite mandarins.

There is a common budget for the whole of Indo-China, and also a separate budget for each of the States. The Provinces, about 120 in number, have also their budget, as have the municipalities. The general budget is supported by receipts from customs, Government monopolies, indirect con- tributions, posts, telegraphs, and railways in all the countries of the union, and besides maintaining these, provides for military and judicial services, public works, and other matters relating to the whole of the union. For 1920 the revenue and expenditure of the general budget balanced at 57,092,640 piastres. The outstanding debt of Indo-China on January 1, 1920, amounted to 403,000,000 francs.

The military force, totalling about 25,514. are commanded by the Commandant-Superior, a general of division with the same rank as army corps generals in France. The naval force comprises 2 gun-boats, 4 torpedo- boats, and 21 despatch vessels.

Indo-China is divided into three main economic areas :— (1) The territory tributary to Saigon (Cochin China, Cambodia, Southern Laos, and Annam South of Cape Varella), which, apart from the fisheries on the Coast and the interior lakes, is almost entirely agricultural, being one of the great rice regions of the world. (2) The region tributary to llaifong (Tonking and the three northern districts of Annam), which is devoted to agriculture, mining and manufacture. (3) Central Annam (the region between Porte d'Annam and Cape Varella), with Tonrane as the principal port, which is mainly agricultural, but is not a gTeat rice-growing district ; its main exports are cinnamon, sugar and tea. The minerals of Indo-China are coal (636,000 tons in 1918), lignite, antimony, tin (604 tons in 1918), wolfram and zinc (28,000 tons in 1918). In 1918, 218 mining concessions were granted.

In 1887 the French possessions in Indo-China, including Annam, Tonking and Cambodia, were united into a Customs Union. In 1918 the total im- ports amounted to 363,388,754 francs, and exports to 454,303,991 francs. The chief export is rice, forming about 70 per cent, of the total (1,475,775