The sun., 1903-11-19
To Open Tibet.

There is no doubt now that the closed
door on the British side Of Tibet is about
to be broken open. This was fore
shadowed some weeks ago in THE SUN
when it was known that the first steps
to that end had been taken by the de-
spatch Of political mission. accom-
panied by strong escort, to point
we'll within the Tbetan border.
The refusal of the Dalai Lama to en-
ter into negotiations unless the mission
quilted Tibetan territory brought mat
ters to a climax, and, although late in
the season, an advance into the interior
with considerable force has been or
dered. The point to which the expedi-
tion will move is said to be Gyangtse,
a place on the right bank Of the PEN
anangchu River, which is tributary
of the great Brahmaputra, or Machang
Sangpo of the Tibetans. From Gy-
angtse, which will probably be made
a base OF the further operations, there
are two roads to Lhasa, one down the
valley of the Penanangchu, which
takes sweep to the westward toward
Shigatse an important town near it's
junction with the Brahmaputra; the other
trends to the eastward to point where
there is an iron chain bridge across
the Brahnaputra, at comparatively
short distance from Lhasa. There is
another iron chain bridge across the
I3rahmaputra, about fifty miles above
Shigatse, connecting with the route into
| Tibet.
What resistance the Tibetans are in a
position to make is, of course, not gen.
orally known, but there have been per-
sistent reports during the last three
years of supplies of arms and ammuni-
| ton having been sent to Ihasa from
Russian Turkestan and Of missions
passing between the two Governments.
Resistance will, of course, force the
British Government to carry the matter
through to the end and, as our London
correspondent points out, push on to
the capital of the Lamas.
Though a comparatively unknown
country, Tibet appears to be not with
out temptations to the exploiter. Col.
YoUNGHUsBAND, who is with the ex-
| pedition as political officer, assisted by
Mr.. H. II. GREEN of the Indian Public
Works Department, and Mr. NEY ELIAS
and others have at different times pene-
trated the country, and some very in
teresting information has been obtained
on a great variety Of subjects.
The ordinary articles of commerce
which Tibet supplies are we'll known,
but the country is rich in undeveloped
mineral treasures, and occasionally some
of the precious metals find their way
to market. In western Tibet gold is
found in paying quantities in num-
Der Of places. such as Sarthol, Thok
Jalung and Thok Daurakpa, whose
names will probably soon be well known
when the way to them has been opened.
At Thok Jalung the gold fields are said
TO be extensive. There are also valhl-
able salt mines at place called Chak-
chaka, in the same district as the two
other localities first named.
OF the political and other reasons
that have determined the British Gov
ernment to action in Tibet at this
particular time we are still ignorant.
According to Indian bazaar rumors
there are many Russians with the Tih-
etans; but this may be doubted, for it
was only last month that the Russo
Chinese Bank opened a branch in Cal
cutta and it is hardly likely to have
taken that step if the Russian Gov
ernment was disposed to be an active
ally of Tibet in the hostilities even then
plainly impending.
What we are witnessing is possibly
the execution Of arrangements already
made in connection with the parti.
tioning OF the interior of Asia. The
| character Of the resistance the Tibetans