Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-08
THE MISSION TO TIBET
Great Britain and China in
Accord.
TO KEEP RUSSIA OUT
POLITICAL RESULTS OF COLONEL
YoUNGHUsBAND's EXPEDITION.
High Commissioner Sent to Confer
With Lord Curzon, the Vice
roy of India.
TO KEEP RUSSIA OUT
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
Tong Shonyi, who has recently been APP
pointed by the Chinese government as chief
high commissioner for Tibet is one of the
original 100 young Chinese gentlemen who
We're brought over by Yung Wing to the
United States to be educated in 1874. He
spent two years at Andover and then en-
tered Sheffield Scientific School at Yale.
graduating in 1880 with Sir Cheng-tung, the
present Chinese minister at Washington;
LANG Tun-yen who succeeds him as Gus
toms taotai at Tientsn, and other men who
have made their impression upon Chinese
civilization.
Mr.. Tong, upon his return to China, was
engaged for several years with Ii Hung
Chang at Tientsin. and was then sent as
consul to Seoul, the capital of Korea. He
then returned to Tientsip and made himself
useful in the railway and customs service,
until he sent back to Korea again as
consul general and general commissioner.
In 1896 he was recalled to Tientsn and APP
pointed director of the Northern railway.
He held that position at the outbreak of the
Boxer trouble. and was living in the out
skirts of TientSin, Where he suffered severe
~ from both sides. His home was de-
stroyed, his wife was killed by a she'll from
one of the batteries of the allies while he
was condemned to death as a SOY, but was
rescued by Mr.. Drew. an American en-
ployed in the Chinese customs service, and
German customs commissioner who knew
him.
Restored Order After Outbreak.
After things quoted down Tong resumed
control Of the Northern railway but only
until Yuan Chi-tse, the present viceroy of
Tfentsin, was appointed governor of Chang
tung province which had been stirred UP by
the tho,
China. He needed the advice and assist
ance of somebody familiar with foreign af-
fairs, and sent for Mr.. Tong, who became
his secretary, and in his name and with his
authority went to Chi-nan-fu and reorgan-
lied the entire province He settled the
claims for damages, adjusted several con-
troverSieS with the Germans, who are rap
idly overrunning Chang-tung; made things
easy for the missionaries, established a sys-
tenn of public schools adopted a code of
laws for the regulation of prospectors and
mining operators, for that province is rich
III minerals, and restored order everywhere
Yuan Chi-tse got the credit for all these
reforms, but privately it became known
that Tong had made the plans and done the
work. When Yuan promoted to be
Vlceroy of Chile, the metropolitan province,
the office which Lii Hung Chang held so
long and which the Infamous Jung-lu held
during the Boxer troubles, he took Mr.
Tong with him to Tientsin and placed him
in charge of the revenues the most i'm
portant office under his Jurisdiction.
Chosen fer Tibet Mission.
When it became necessary to send an
able and fearless man to Lhassa the cap
ital of Tibet, to look after the interests of
China, Vieeroy Yuan recommended Tong
as one who could be trusted. It is very
important mission, and if Tong fulfils the
expectations of his friends he will become
one Of the great men of China. In order
that he may have precedence over all other
Chinese officials in Tibet he has been ele-
waited to the civil rank of metropolitan
taetai and to the military rank of lieuten-
ant general.
TengS father is a merchant at Shanghai
and has branch house at San Francisco.
He IS a man of great wealth, judged from
the Chinese standard, and is highly re-
spected.
Yuan Chi-tse, who is recognized as the
most powerful influence In the empire Is
still a young man-not more than forty-1ve
years old-and those most competent to
judge believe that he will succeed Prince
CHING, the present prime minister at
Picking, within a very short time.
Tong goes to Tibet by way of Calcutta
where he is to have conferences with Lord
CurZon anf other officials of the Indian
government concerning the future admin
istration of affairs in Tibet. He will re-
main in Lhassa Indefinitely, and while he
will not disp.ace the present amban, as The
representative OF China at the capital of
Tibet is called he outranks that gentleman
and will instruct him as to his duties, will
supervise the carrying out of the new
treaty between Great Britain and Tibet
and protect the interests of his government
which have been ignored by the Tibetans
since China was defeated by the Japanese
in the war OF 1895.