THE TIBETAN QUESTION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10587, 17 October 1910, Page 6

THE TIBETAN QUESTION.

DE SVEN HEDIN'ON RECENT . EVENTS. Dr Sven Hedin, the famous Central Asian explorer, has' an interesting article in the Contemporary 'Review upon the "Policy .of'the'Dalai Lama'." Dr Heclin is an authority upon the subject about which lie, writes. He says:— '"The East' is the land of surprises. About 2200 years ago both the West and Asia were lost in astonishment at' the invasion of Alexander the Great, the West ati the-wonders that came to light in the kingdom of the Aehoomehides and in India, Asia at the irresistible strength of the Greeks. Even 170 years ago it must have come as an infinite -surprise that the cruel Persian monarch, Nadir Shah, could invade India witli success; but in him the flame, which now is being extinguished for etei, had its last flicker —England m India. 'How stiange it seems to us that a tiading company was able to conquer neaih all India., and that a handful of Englishmen can lule over its three hundred million of inhabitants' It is a social problem that causes astonishment and admiration m eveiv traveller. "The greatest, surprise remained, however —the defeat of mighty Russia, till then invincible m Asia, by an Asiatic nation about -nhieh Euiope had not troubled herself much so far "We be quite sure that this surpusc is not the Inst. Thereby I don't mean a distant future, centimes and thousands ot -veais, for if 2200 >ears hence the learned seek in mouldy documents foi information about the Russo-Japanese war, a time mil have mteivcned as lull of ie\olutions, migiations, and «ais as the time intervening between the wondrous deeds ot Alexandra and oiu own da vs. No I mean that wc oui selves shall see in onr own times manj gie.ru surprises in Asia "It is realh the outskirts of the gicat continent that ha\c been the scenes ot movements and political catastrophes in later times During all these centuries Tibet has been Ivmg m the hcait of Asia, silent and Coi gotten, like an old mcdne\al castle m an inaccessible countij, a hermitage among the mountains." —The Cuizon Policy Referimg to the ISulish expedition to Lhasa in 1901, Di Ilcdm continues "Now that six moie yeais ha\c passed we are able, fiom a gieatei distance, to get a better pei=pective of those events nhose scene is laid m the highest mountain ranges of the woild It is easier to cnticise than to stnke a gicat blow Man} —among these nnself —disappioved of Loi d - Curzon's Tibetan policy six_yeais ago No a that all details aie, known and one can see the action of the gieat Viceroy in its right milieu, one must recognise that it was a political necessity, brought about bv the niesibtible couise of events. "Seveial accidental circumstances affected this course oi events If the Japanese war had rot come the upshot might have been different. If the Russian Ambassador in London had not pio■tosted, Tibet would not have got oft .so easily If the Leader of the Opposition had not become the chief of the new British Cabinet the consequences of Lord Curzon's policy would, probably at least, have been carried out. One surpuse after another interfered wrth the logical development of events. , "England has emerged from the complicated tangle without loss of prestige, except in Tibet, and it is only owing to the above-named accidental circumstances that the Lhasa expedition did not yield better results." —Has China Benefited?— In Dr Hedin's opinion the Government has let go the advantages that might have been gained fiom Lord Curzon's policy The doctor remarks "The Chinese are the ohlv people who have- benefited, by. the Younglmsband expedition. After his return to Lhasa the Dalai Lama did not* carry out the obligations he> had entered into at Pekm, and "the Tibetans had seen for themselves that his promises-were worthless and vain." He was altogether deserted by his people. England missed the opportunity, China has taken it. "The English nowsnlay the same part ps onldokers as the Chinese did dunng Only they have exchanged parts. "Then the English showed great and unswerving energy, while the Chinese, with .an jia.perfciir.able . Eastern .calm,' smiled and did -not move a finger. Without- breaking .any r treaties, the; Qhinese are 1 now" acting? with' admirable energy, and they ascertained this two rears ago —to make Tjibet a province as dependent 's Ft stern Turkestan!' ' •"' ' "At present the English sit with folded aims, but they have no reason, to smile ~."„,>/ ' *,. 1 *, » v "Why do not the-iEnghsh act with energy and force on the frontier of Tibet-? Because an invasion of Tibetan territory means war 'with China. No Jiiighsh Jso\ ernment, _w ill enter upon aiicjb, an except in-the case necessity. "The Chinese know { , 4 their Japanese ■ instructors know it, too r the-'German firms that provide them "with* arms know, it Loid Curzon •lbfed -at fhe right moment. Now it is tco late., now one musi be satisfied with strict neutrality " = l