Bisbee daily review., 1908-04-24

graph. schools, hospitals and even 6 newspaper. E It was only four years ago that it's gates were forcibly opened to foreign CTS by thousands of English soldiers. Prior to that it was the Forbidden City, to every one save the Chinese, whose government had a suzerainty over it. "Ye cannot enter here" was the edict of the ''god-king," and few dfsobeyed the command. These suc- ceeded only by stealth and did not re- main long.
 There was one noteworthy ezcep- tion to this, and because of that ex- ception Lhassa Is now open to the world. Modernism will reign where mystery held sway, and Europeans and Americans will now be welcomed instead of denied admission, as before. Of this exception it is sufficient to say now that he was Russian whose influence was so great as to cause England to fear. Hence the army of invasion and the victory; hence now the open door
 
 due to the Chinese amabam, or min. ister resident, at Lhassa. Since the success of the British expedition in 1903 this official has been working hard for the enlightenment of Thibet- ans. He has finally persuaded the throne to provide for an innovation which will bring Lhassa into a class wit cST nF fhr
 For centuries Thibet had been 6 land of mystery, with Lhassa as the sacred of sacreds, Rumors and TO- nance, tales of magie and Iurid fc- tion have lowered about 1t; but of plain, honest facts there were com able to penetrate this sacred of sa- creds and tell the world what 1t really meant or stood for.
 It is true that in the eighteenth cen tury Thomas Manning, an Englishman. lived there five months before being cast out It is equally true that two French missionaries, M. Hue and NJ. Gabet, spent a month there. The first was in 1911 and the last in 1S40. Since that time none but Asiatics have gone into the city.
 Thus matters stood until 1904, when Col. Younghusband, at the head Of 30,000 English and Indian troops, at. ter one of the most desperate strug. gles through almost impossible condi- tions and situations, found his way to the gates of the city and in the name of Great Britain demanded its capitu- lation. There was no resistance from the natives. They had done their fight ing while the troops were trying to get to the city and had been disas. trously defeated on more than one occasion. Then they surrendered and paid to England s3,750,000 as indem- nity.
 It was agreed that England should control the land 75 years, but this meaning a closed port, the then sec. retary of state for the United States. John Hay, objected and the period was reduced to three and one-half years.
 This time has now passed, and thus it is that today Lhassa and every other portion of Thibet is open to the world and it's modernism. As @ de. pendency on the Chinese government. Thibet's portals now bear a welcome where they once spelled defiance to civilization.
 Economically. Thlbet is regarded as almost a worthless country The gov. ernrlent of the country is unique. It is the last of the great thsocracies that anciently ruled so large a population of civilized man. It's head is the dalai lama, who. according to custom, is killed on reaching his majority at IS years His successor is chosen from among the children born ct the tlms of his death.
 Among the curious customs dis closed by the conquest of the country, t is noted that polyandry is practiced fhis allows woman to wed a mar nd all bis brothers.