The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1950-11-17
LETTERS TO The EDITOR
TIBET, a COUNTRY UNIQUE

Tibet, with an area of 475,OOO
million, is the only inhabited country
of this size to be wholly situated
above the timberline. 1t has no de-
veloped mineral resources, no rail
roads, no telegraph or telephone sys-
tenn or any modern means of trans
portation or communication, yet
Lhasa, its capital, is !classed as one
of the Seven Wonders of the World
While it produces the highest grade
musk from it's wild Musk deer, it
depends almost entirely on it's very
existence on another animal, running
wild as well as tanned. This animal,
the Yak, not only provides the in
habitants with food, clothing and
shelter but provides the fuel as we'll
for heating and cooking purposes.
The dry dung is used in the absence
Earth are so dependent on a given
animal as are the Tibetans on the
Yak. Unlike the Western cattle who
can starve with but a foot of snow
covering the feeding grounds, the
Yak, like horse or sheep, can paw
the snow for the feed below and live
any serious inconvenience
The People
The natives are very religious,
bordering on fanaticism, nearly one
third belonging to the Monks and
living in the monasteries. Here they
are we'll schooled in religious mat
tiers as we'll as manual labor while
the rest of the population can neither
read nor write. How they could build
such city as Lhasa is sixty four
dollar question. They are ruled by a
Delai Lama, supposedly appointed by
Heaven and his rule is absolute I'm
til recently, foreigners were forbid
den to enter the country and travel
there is quite difficult, even in sum-
mer time.
A Strategic Base
Economically, it is of but little com
mercial value but in military sense,
from a bombardier's point of view,
it is of extreme Importance as an
airplane base from which to attack
both Chinese and Soviet leading
cities. Partly surrounded by impas-
sible Himalaya mountains, its passes
snowbound a big part of the year,
it is easily defended from air attack
by its high high elevation, an ideal
spot from a militarist's point of view.
With some antiaircraft guns and
a few Jet fighter planes it could be
made more impregnable. than the
Rock of Gibralter-a prize more valu-
able to the anti Communist Front
than either Formosa or Korea.
Stocked with blockbusters and A
bombs, it could play havoc with the
inner works of the Communist world.
Ordinarily it would be of no more
economic value to China than Wrang-
i Island would be to Russia but, the
vent of war, both could be of de-
ided Importance. ...
From a Tibet plateau, airplanes,
quipped with A-bomb warheads could
1ake round trip raid in a ten
our period of time to the main in
ustrial centers of Russia, including
ne vital plants of Magnitogorsk, Mos
Ow, Kharkov, Tashkent and the
.uznetsk chemical works. These cen
ers destroyed would paralyze Rus
a more thoroughly than anything
se could do and make her tempo
arily impotent. From the same base.
rplanes could cover practically all
hina. This is the main and only
eaSOn why I1DeC is so important.
S Tibet could make an invaluable
r base for an enemy, inversely it
ould be as important for China to
eep it from enemy hands. The Big
overs will see to it that it is not
lrned into an idyllic Shangrila in
me of war, when it could be turned
ito such splendid cache for A
ombs. They would be much safer
lere than they would be in Japan
hat is why Red China is so deter
med that it shall not fall into hos
le hands The Allies are not so
uch interested in charging the
Gtories for making Prayer-wheels,
1t making A-bomb shelters, that is
lother story.
A. E. ANDERSON,
Butte