Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-20
THIBET's CLOSED DooRs
They Will BE Forced Open IN the u>>e
Future by England OF RussiA

Hutufe Dy England or huoaiA
Prom the New York Times
In Thibet the doors still closed 10 Sos-
eigners, and as yet only three travellers have
penetrated this strange country. These xhrss
persons were Prince Henri OF Orleans and oom-
panion and W. W. Rockhill, late United snsss
charge affaires at the legation ct Pskin. Ivsn
these visits were ephemeral, 90 danesssu
and SO unsanctioned that it may still be "A
with fair degree Of accuracy that the forbid
den frontiers Of Tibet remain 90 yet uncrosssA
by civilized man.
With Russia pressing from the north and
west. each year extending her boundaries ana
as gradually bringing her traders nearer 10 the
cities of Tibet and with Great Britain press-
ing equally hard for the establishment Of cara
vans from India across the Himalays mountains
to Lhassa, the end of this reign of foreign az
clusion 10 drawing near, and soon may look
for an oyerturning OF ancient prejudioss
against foreigners similar TO that which has re-
Gently taken place in Corea- The only serious
objection to the accomplishment Of this de-
sirable state OF affairs lis the overthrow OF the
suZerainty ciaimed by China over Thibet and
there even now appears TO be fair chance Of
the clerical vassal at Lhassa proclaiming his
independence Of China with the same abrupt
ness and success as was done. by the secular
ruler at Seoul The United States was instru-
u
Corea and In opening its markets 10 the trsds
of the world, and il seems that Russia and
Great Britain--though actuated by entirely
different motives-will perform the same rols
with Thibet.
For many years China has opposed any move
ment Of outside nations toward gaining foot
hold in Thibet and she is now continuing this
policy, but her troubles at present with France
on the south, Great Britain on the coast, Russia
on the north and various other civilized nations
81 inc md h.zr nU. - 49,
recent summer riots against foreigners have
proved too much for her and she sees u 3
Ihibet, like Corea, il 10 be opened by foreign
Intervention at the expense Of the western
Chinese provinces.
The young Lama Qking) Of Tibet d men
tally and physically strong man and fully
able to contend with the Vaccinations of tho
Chinese. The national feeling 10 being thor
oughly aroused and urged 10 . crisis Ths
Thibetans hate the Chinese and are determined
to put stop to further Chinese interferenos in
the affairs of the country. Every effort hereto
fore made by foreigners tending TO estsblish
friendly relations with Thibet have bean
thwarted by Chinese Representatives sent from
Pekin with this avowed purpose, and who have
at times even gone TO such extremes - driving
out the foreign ENJOYS through the aid q
Chinese soldiers To all this the lama and
people Of Thibet have for centuries tacitly
submitted until now, with the assistance and
advice Of Russia and Great Britain, they are
AOoag w tADS oho tnfOh hhl0e tue YOKE OF CIlLA-
With the opening Of 1hibet the boundaries
OF India and the Siberian possessions Of Russia
will be brought nearer together, and . weak
country like the government Of the lama will noe
be of sufficient power TO maintain its authority
against the forces of these two powerful nations
for Aslatic dominionA Hence
Thibet will soon fall prey 10 one or the other
of them Thus, instead Of being blessing and.
Q benefit to the world through its opening 70
commerce. Thibet will prove another Afghanis-
tan, and will be another bone, and an import
ant one, for great Britain and Russia 10 vrangis
over.
The future can be plainly seen, and 70 may -
briefly summarized ms follows: Russia, having
overrun Turkestan. finds only the closed king
dom Of Thibet between her new posssssaons
and the gates 10 India These gates muss 10
approached and her troops ready stsny mo0so1
20 advance over the Indian border. She forces
China to acknowledge Thibetan autonomy, sad
in short while will find occasion for msddhnG
in the Affairs of the new kingdom The result
will be that IL viii fade from the realms a she
earth and become part Of the vast central
Asian possessions o, kussia. Great Britain v1n
protest and perhaps make . demonstrataoa q
force but Russia will have achieved bsr ob5ece
and viii rest on her new lAursls and tell John
Bull TO do what he may, which viii result IN ~
acouiescinc in the new state Of affairs and m
easily awaiting the next Russi~n advance -
ward the gel Of her ambition-ths In1iaa
empire