New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-12
prrnLuTION IN TIBET.

Tho British mission 10 Tibet which has oeeh
a. - +-,cic enisode 10 look something
like m invasion. has attracted much aI1ehuon'
- &c dorh+less important especially as coun-
,orbo,onca 70 the Russian intrigues which have
long been IN progress in that country. nut -
e far less important than the CIRCUMSTANCES
which made It necessary, for these amount 10
nothing less than double reVoiuuon III IlOe'
aiming ut the independence Of the country ana
a substantial change in the form or, AT leas''
the administration OF government The inde-
rondenca means. OF course, a remuneration or
Chinese suzeraintv. This has practically been
effected unless It shall be undone as result
Of the British Visitor the British recognize
,ba Chinese suzerainty as still in fuI force
and are sending In this strenuous mission only
after securing China's sanction
The change OF government Is more interest
ing matter. It involves the retention OF
mature Dalai Lama upon the throne and the
CONSEQUENT abolition Of tho regency. For many
wears there has been no adult Dalai Lama.
The throne has been filed by one child after
another. the real power being exercised by
regent Eight years has been the average span
OF life of the Dalai Lamas Then they have-
been removed. Assassination Is an unpleasant
word but Il has been commonly used to de-
scribe the method BY which the regency has
been again and again renewed. Thus. three
great Lamaseries, ruled by a few influential
families, have for many years almost absolute
" dominated the whole land Moreover. ms
Chinese approval is necessary TO the choice OF
q regent this system has been great puiWerk
oe the Chinese suZerainty.
The present Dalai Lama was chosen in 1874,
being then an infant. In the usual order of
things he should have disappeared twenty
wears ago. and should by this time have had
two or three successors. But he has been
spared, until now he is a mature man, reigning
in his own right and power. and dispensing
with a regent This state OF affairs is due
chiefly to the growth Of a national party, which
has aimed to throw off the Chinese suzerainty
and 10 give Tibet a place among the inde-
pendent sovereign powers OF the world. To ac-
complish these things It was obviously neces-
sary to have n sovereign and not mere regent.
II was in 1888 that the Dalai Lama came TO
his throne lie was not yet mature man, but
he was old enough legally TO exercise the rights
and powers which had been conferred upon
him years before. There is no doubt that plans
were laid to dispose Of him, even then, q his
predecessors had been disposed Of But Tibet
was Just then involved IN a controversy with
British India, and for that and other reasons
he was spared. But from that time Chinese in
fuence in Tibet waned toward the vanishing
point.
NOW lHe Dhlal IaLIh anu his COuIl seSiu III
clined TO go their ways regardless of the in
ternational obligations assumed in former years
under Chinese suzeranty and the regency.
Their theory seems TO be that domestic revo-
luton wipes clean the slate Of all foreign af-
fairs. That is a dangerous and inadmissible
theory, and the British government does not
mean to acquesce IN It. There is no objection
to the abolition OF the regency. Indeed, ii IS
far preferable TO have n Dalai Lama on the
throne who rules well regns. But that
sovereign must respect the things that have
been done and maintain the treaties that have
been made. That is what Great Britain de
mands. There is really no good reason why
Tibet should not grant It, and we may assume
that If she does she will be permitted to take
her place among the Independent nations.