The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-19
Ill.

In the conduct OF the Mscaulay mission
| Mr.. Camden recognizes the beginning OF the
weak and abortive policy which cost Great
! Britain the respect OF the Tibetans and
| led TO the succession Of affronts and in
| dignties which rendered the recent eI-
| petition TO Lhasa inevitable 1t seems that
in 1885 the escort had already advanced into
Sikkim-a protected State adjoining Ben
gal and Immediately north of the Indian
frontier post Darjeerling Mr. Ma
caulay was about to join It when orders
were received from the British Govern
ment for its return. The withdrawal
was concession to the Chinese with whom
the British we're then engaged in the de-
| Limitation of the Burmese frontier This
| display Of weakness melted the Tibetans
TO such a pitch OF vanity and insolence
that they invaded the British sphere Of
! influence and established a military post
at Lingtu. In the protected State of Sikllm,
only seventy miles from Darjeeling. The
| invaders were allowed TO remain in Siik'm
two ve;-rs before ary reFri>al WIS at
tempted. In 1888, after several vain appeals
to China TO use her influence to cause the
withdrawal Of the Tibetan troops, the
British Government reluctantly decided
on military expedition The Tibetans
we're driven from their position at Lingtu
defeated in three separate engagements
and pursued over the frontier as far as
Chumbi, Tibetan town on the Ammo
Chu, or Torsa River, which flows into
Bengal. Our author thinks that his country
men ought to have concluded treaty with
the Tibetans on the spot when they were
in position TO enforce it, but they were
afraid of offending the susceptbilities OF
| China, whose suzeTainty over Tibet they
! still recognized, though she had ac-
knowledged her inability to restrain the
| Tibetans from invading the British sphere
Of influence. At the conclusion OF the
campaign, in which the Tibetans had shown
no military instincts whatever, the British
expedition returned to Gnatong. on the
Skkim frontier.
After two years OF discussion con-
vention was drawn up between Great Britain
and China by which Great Britain's eI-
elusive control over the internal administra-
ton and foreign relations of Sikldm was
recognized the Siklfm- Tibet boundary was
defined. and both Powers undertook to
prevent acts of aggression from their re-
| spective sides of the frontier. The ques-
| tons Of pasturage, however OF trade facili-
ties. and OF the methods in which official
| communications HuOull Dt COuhutbtb bp-
tween the Government Of India and the
authorities at Lhasa were deferred for
future discussion. Nearly three more years
elapsed before the trade regulations were
drawn up at DarjeelinR, in December
1899 The negotiations were characterized
throughout by the same shutting and
! eulivocation on the part Of the Chinese
and by the same weak kneed policy OF
| nd coppiiia Non m tha ~
OF the British Treaty and regulations
alike proved impotent, and the British
Governments concessions went so far
that it e1acted nothing rs the fruit Of its
victory over the Tibetans-not even
fraction of the cost OF the campaign.
Mr.. Gambler goes on to show that his
countrymen's ignorance Of the Tibetans
their government and their relations with
China was. in 1893, 80 profound that they
took their cue from the Chinese. who al
ways referred TO the Lhasa authorities as
the barbarians.' The misconoeption had
a serious outcome. As it happened, the
| Shata Shape, the most influential Of the
four members OF the Lhasa Council. at
tended the Darjeeling conference on behalf
of the Tibetans. He was officially ignored
by the British commissioners, and no one
thought Of asking him 10 attach his sigma
ture TO the treaty Had they realized that
Chinese authority was practically nom
| existent in Lhasa, and that the temporal
affairs OF Tibet were mainly directed by
the four Shapes and the Tsong -du, or species
OF national assembly (the very existence
OF which was then unknown to the BRITISH,
they might have secured a diplomatic
agent in the Shapa Shape who would have
proved invaluable to them in their future
relations with the country. Unfortunately,
during his stay in Darjeeling, the Shapes
feelings we're lacerated by III treatment,
as well as neglect. In an unlucky en-
counter with British youth, which Is said
to have arisen from his jostling a British
lady Of a path, he was taken by the scr11f
of the neck and ducked in public fountain.
So he returned to Lhasa with anything but
love for the English. and, after receiving
certain courteous overtures from the agents
of another Power he became CON-
Arned, though more or less accidental,
Russophile Though deposed from his
Ministerial Office by the Dalai Lama in
October. 1903. he has continued TO possess
a large following among the monks Of the
Gaden monastery. which, in conjunction
with the other great monasteries Of DepunR
and Sera. exercise a preponderating in
luence in the Tibetan national assembly.
Continuing the review Of the circum-
stances that rendered the Younghusband
expedition unavoidable. we observe that
in the regulations Of 1898 it was stipulated
that a trade mart should be established
at Yatung, a small hamlet in the Tibetan
province Of Chumbi, about six miles beyond
the Sikkim frontier. Our author, who has
passed through the place. describes it az
obviously unsuitable situated as it is In
narrow, pine clad ravine. where one can
throw a stone from cliff 70 cliff across the
valley. BE adds that no traders have ever
resorted there, and the Tibetans have studi-
ously boycotted the place To show, nore-