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

sealed or confnmed, they SAID, by any
representative OF Tibet, and they had no
intention Of observing It,
Once more was enacted the solemn farce
of an appeal to China 70 use her influence
with the Lhasa authorities. Nor was II
until after repeated representations had
been made by the Vceroy OF India to
the Secretary of State that the home
Government realized the seriousness of
the situation and the hopelessness OF
making any progress through the agency
of China. We seem,T said Lord Curzon,
sin respect to our policy in Tibet to be
moving In vicious circle If we apply TO
Tibet. we either receive no answer or are
referred to the Chinese Resident IL we APP
ply TO the latter, he excuses his failure by
his inability to put any pressure upon
Tibet In his despatch of Jan. 8, 1908,
the viceroy described the Chinese suzer-
ainty as "a political fiction only main
tanned because OF its convenience TO both
parties. China, no doubt. is capable
she proved 1t in the eighteenth century
Of sending sufficient troops to Lhasa to
coerce the Tibetans, but it has suited her
DOCK W llhAllSiAh iHc IANrNllN tlhSi'O o4AN
anomalous rclationa with Tibet which
constitute n sccnrcf but.ress 10 hsr Western
dependencies against encroachment than
could be furnished by the strongest army
corps.
The Tibetan attitude was clearly ex-
pressed In September, 1908, at Khamba
Jong IA Tfbetan town some fifteen miles
north Of the Sikkim frontier) by the Shi-
gatze officials (Shigatze is a Iibetan town
on the upper waters Of the Tsangpo, or
Brahmaputra River, when they openly
boasted that where Chinese policy was in
accordance with their own views they were
ready enough to accept the Amhan's ad-
vice; but. if this advice ran counter in any
respect TO their national prejudices, the
Chinese Emperor himself would be power
less to influence them 1t is certain that
on several recent occasions China has pro-
fessed inability to control the 1ibetens.
She has shown herself either unable or
,in wiling to enforce the observance OF
treaties, or even to restrain her pretended
subjects from invading British territory,
and during the attempts at negotiations
which preceded the Younghusband expedi-
ton she admitted that her representative
in Lhasa was officially ignored and not
even allowed transport for the purpose of
furthering his movements through the
country. Our author submits that. in the
face of these facts, China's suzerainty,
long shadowy, may be said to have entirely
vanished, and it has therefore become
unreasonable to expect Great Britain to
continue it's relations with Tibet through
the medium OF Peldn.
Asa matter OF fact. II was not until nine
years after the signing of the convention
OF 1898 that the British made any attempt
to open direct communications with the
Tibetans themselves. In 1901 Lord Cur
ION was permitted 10 send a despatch 20
the Dalai Lama, in which it was pointed
out that the latter's Government had con-
sistently ignored and defed treaty rights,
and, in view OF the continued occupation
of British territory. the destruction of
frontier pillars and the restrictions i'm
posed on Indian trade, the British would
be compelled to resort TO more practical
measures to enforce the observance of the
treaty OF 1893 should the Dalai Lama re-
main obstinate in his refusal TO enter into
friendly relations. The letter was returned
unopened with the verbal excuse that the
Chinese did not permit Tibet to receive
communications from any foreign Power.
Even then. so great was the reluctance Of
the home Government to resort 10 military
coercion that IL might again have let things
drift, and submitted once moro to Tibetan
rebuiTs. had not the Dalai Lama chosen
this moment for Haunting publicly his re-
lations with Russia. A more or less in
formal mission from Lhasa had been re-
ceived by the Car at Livadia in October,
~ IN luna "a aaCnpd Tfhatar,
mission reached St. Petersburg. carry
ing autograph letters and presents to
Nicholas II. from tho Dalai Lama Count
Lamsdorif. indeed, declared that even the
second mission had no political significance.
Our author finds 1t difficult to reconcile
this declaration with the fact that the
mission was despatched in direct con-
tradiction to the national policy OF isoa-
ton that had been observed at Lhasa for
over century, and at time when the
Tibetans were aware Of impending British
endeavors to exact fulflment OF the treaty
obi cations so long ignored by them
There is no doubt that there had been
for some time secret influence working
at Lhasa in favor OF Russia and opposed
TO British interests. 1t was known to the
Intelligence Department of the Calcutta
Government that certain Buriat Lamas.
subjects OF the Gar and educated in Russia.
had been acting as Intermediates between
Lhasa and st. Petersburg. The chief Of
these, one Dorjief, headed the so-called
religious mission Of 1901, and has been
employed more than once as the Dalai
Lana's Ambassador to st. Petersburg.
He is believed to have inspired the resist
ance offered to the Younghusband er-
petition. Dorjier, it seems. Is man OF
90 or 40 who has sr,ent snrne trrentu ronrs