The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-01
BRITISH MAKE
WAR UPON TIBET
Slaughter Of the Natives by
YOunghuSband'S Command.
NEGOTIATIONS AT AN END
ARMS BEARING THE RUSSIAN
STAMP FOUND.

= UNA, British India, March ST.
News has been received here OF
severe fighting. the Tibetans hav
ing attacked the British mission under
Colonel Younghusband. There were two
agements and the Tibetans were re-
pulsed with heavy loss. The British
captured the Tibetan camp at Guru.
While the British advance had prac-
tically been unopposed the expedition
suffered great hardship from the in
tense cold, and it was sometimes found
impossible to work the Maxim guns
and rifles owing to the congealing of the
oil. The country was of the bleakest
without a sign Of vegetation, and the
expedition had to face piercing winds
and clouds of dust, while there was a
heavy fall of snow last night.
Attack Threatened.
At S O'Clock this morning a flying
column started to reconnoiter the Tibe-
tan camp at Guru, whereupOn a general
from Lhassa with a quaint retinus,
came to interview Colonel Younghus-
band. The general asked the colonel to
retire with his mission to Yatung for
the purpose of carrying on negotiations.
threatening an attack if the mission
piled that negotiations had been pro-
ceeding fruitlessly for fifteen years
and that retirement was now impossi-
BILE.
The Tibetan general withdrew and
Colonel Younghusband ordered his
troops to endeavor 10 dispense the IT,
betan blocking the road without firing
upon them.
British Opened Fire.
For a time the tactics of the British
was successful but after a while the
attitude of the Tibetan leaders con-
WINGED Colonel Macdonald Of the neces-
sity Of disarming them.
The Tibetans numbered about 1.500
and their resistance of the effort to dis
arm them led TO a smart engagement
The situation for a few moments was
critical, Colonel Macdonald and Col
/ onel YOunghusband being only a few
yards from the advancing Tibetans.
Revolvers and bayonets were used ana
then a rifle fire was res0rted to. at
which the Tibetans fled, but not before
several casualties resulted in the Brit
! ish ranks.
The correspondent Of the Daily Mail
with the mission was Severely woun-
Slaughter of Tibetans.
The Tfbetans lost heavily. owing TO
/ the inferiority Of their weapons. which
were matchbox rifles, but they dis
played the greatest courage. many of
] them coming on even after they had
I been seriously wounded. After the ac-
1 ton there were heaps of dead. a long
| train of dead and wounded extending
/ 10 the rear. After a short halt the
/ advance continued. Nearing the III
/ betan camp at Guru a second action
! took place in which the artillery played
! the largest part.
Finally the Tibetans retreated over
| the hills, with the exception of about
sixty, who obstinately held the vii
4 lage. which was finally taken by a
mounted bayonet charge.
Enclosed in Circle.
While the forces were face to face
! on the opposite sides of the walls
/ which the Tibetans had built across
| the highway To oppose the advance,
/ the Indian troops quietly deplOyed
/ their TANKS and effectively enclosed
! 1.5O0 Tibetans in a circle, like herding
| sheep. The members of the mission.
! the press correspondents and the gen
! eral staff rode up TO inspect the cap
1 ture, and were laughing and talking.
/ They were unaware of the impending
/ tragedy. being evidently needless OF
/ the sullen demeanOr of the Tibetans.
The latter presently began TO hustle
some Sikhs, who replied with the butt
| ends of their rifles. Then the Tibetans
! fired a pistol, wOunding a sikh. and
this was the signal for all the Tib-
| etans to draw their swords and rush
/ at their captOrs. who opened fire on
the surging mob The officers emptied
| their reviewers. The Tibetans found
I themselves unable 10 climb the wall
. which they themselves had built Fin
I ally about half OF them were able 20
! break away to the rear. where they
came under the fire. Of the artillery.
OF the entire Tibetan force only about
half escaped being either killed or
| wounded.
Native General Killed.
Among the Tibetans killed were the
i Lhassa general. the military command
ant Of Pahri and Lata and the repre-
sentative Of the Golden Monastery 10
whose influence and violent hostility
the existing difficulties were largely
due.
The Tibetan losses are believed TO be
over 400, while the British casualties
were about a dozen.
The British force returned TO Tuna
this evening and stated that rifles
bearing the Russian imperial stamp
and Russian ammunition were found
on the wounded Tibetan officers.
PETTIGREW W0BBLY.