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


Russias. In our authors Judgment, these
dreams have been dispelled by the trium
plant outcome Of Lord Curzon's timely eI-
petition to Lhasa. The occupation OF the
Tibetan capital by British soldiers and
the impotence Of Russia to lend any aid In
such crisis are facts convincing enough,
he thinks to stultify the effects OF the Rus
sian intrigues that have been prosecuted
in Buddhist central Asia during the last
half century. The fact that the first Dalai
Lama who in five successive generations
has been allowed by his regent or guardian
to reach maturity should have plunged
his country into war by intrigue with a
foreign Power seems to prove the astlte-
ness Of the coldblooded policy Of sup
pressing from time to time, the infant
Pope, and OF perpetuating power in the
hands Of regent inspired from Peldn.
1t ia believed in Lhasa, we are told, that
the present, or thirteenth Dalai Lama
was permitted TO come of age and take
into his own hands supreme authority in
order to throw of the Chinese yoke. That
aim was attained, but IL has involved other
issues that the IAmas could not foresee.
We have seen that Mr.. Gambler regards
the outcome of the Younghusband expe-
dtion as a crushing blow to Russia. At
the hour when his book left his hands,
however, he was not aware that the British
Government had again refused to harvest
the full fruit OF its SUCCESS, 1t appears
from the third volume of the correspond
enoe on Tibetan affairs. issued on Feb.
0 by the India Office, that the Secretary OF
State for India has insisted upon can
ceiling two important clauses in the Anglo
Tibetan convention signed at Lhass
by Col Younghusband, on the ground
that they had been framed in defiance
Of the home Governments "e1press in
struotions. 'Of the two clauses which theVice-
roy Of India was ordered to cancel. the first
provided that Tibet should pay, in seventy
five annual installments, an indemnity
OF 1880 900. and that. pending the full
hlment of the compact. the British should
hold the Chumbi Valley IA security. The
home government directed that the in
demnity should be cut down TO $3.50, 900.
payable in three years. BY the second
clause, which was cancelled. the right
Of access 20 Lhasa at any time had been
secured by Col, Younghusband for the
British trade agent at Gyantse, the forti-
fed Tibet town. the sturdy resistance OF
which gave the Younghusband expedition
so much trouble. The pretext for the
cancellation Of these clauses is a desire
TO transform Tibet into "sterilized State
safeguarded from all foreign influence
and. consequently, independent Of British
control. The practical outcome of this
sterilization process will be that unavowed
Russian emissaries of the Dorjief type
will return to prosecute their intrigues
with impunity at Lhasa, from which the
British trade agant at Gyantse Is by his
own Government debarred.
Nv.
As we have said, we must refer the reader
70 Mr.. Gamblers interesting volume for an
account of the march Of the Younghusband
expedition. which left the southern frontier
Of the Chumbi province early in December
1903. and which. after encounte ring fierce
opposition and severe privations, occupied
the Forbidden City nearly eight months
later. We reserve the remaining space
at our command for description OF what
Col. Younghusband and his followers
beheld when, on August g. 1904, they entered
Lhasa and unveiled the last mystery Of the
East. As our author gays, half dolefully.
there are no more forbidden cities which
men have not mapped and photographed
Hereafter our children will laugh at trav-
ellers' tales. They will have to turn again
TO CULVER and the Arabian Nights. Even
of these they will soon tire for. now that
there are no more real mysteries. no dream
lands, where. for aught we know. there
may still be genii and mahatInas and
bottle imps. that highly imaginative kind
of literature will be tolerated no longer
Children will be dlsilusionizsd and fairy
books viii be no longer salable.
From our authors account, one would
say that Lhasa must be the most hidden
city on earth. The ridge known az Chagpo
ri rises bluf1y like huge rock from the
northern bank Of the river XVI Chu. Between
it and the Potala Hill half disembowelled
hill, half PALACES narrow gap not more
than thirty yards wide. Over this gap is
reared the Fargo Kaling, typical Tibetan
ohorten-a chorten Is structure some
what resembling a pagoda-through which
opens the main gateway into Lhasa. The
city has no walls. but on each flank of the
Potala. to complete the screen, stretches
a huge embankment of sand, straight across
the valley 10 the hills on the north. Tho
unwelcome visitors found the city, as dis
squalid and filthy beyond description,
UNFRAMED and unpaved. Undoubtedly the
impression produced upon the English
eye was substantially Identical with that
which would be made upon ourselves could
we pass, in imagination. from the original
Louvre 10 the medieval Paris that environed
it. Not a single house looked clean or
cared for. The streets. after rain, are moth
ing but pools OF stagnant water. fire.
quented by pigs and dogs searching for
refuse. Even the Jokhang cathedrall APP
peared mean and unsightly at close quar-
tens whence its golden roofs were invisible.
There was nothing picturesque. except the
marigolds and hollyhocks 70 pots, and the
doves and singing birds in wicker cages.
The few Tibetans met In the street were
strangely injurious. baker kneading
dough glanced at the foreign soldiers casu-
ally and went on kneading. woman
weaving barely looked up from her work.
The streets we're almost deserted, perhaps
by order Of the authorities, TO prevent an
outbreak. As Col. Younghusbands escort
returned from a visit TO the Amban, or
Chinese Resident. small crowds had gath
cred in the doorways and women we're peer
ing through windows. but no one followed
or took more than listless interest in them.