THE INVASION OF LHASA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2927, 20 April 1910, Page 79

THE INVASION OF LHASA.

PRIESTS TO "MARRY AND GO OUt THE LAND." Lhasa no longer holds any mysteries It is undergoing a grim process of rapid modernisation by means of wireless tele* graphy, machine guns, and military mandates. The Sacred City is 'now occupied by 25,000 Chinese .soldiers trained by; Japanese officers and armed from an; arsenal whose equipment was made in! Germany. _An interesting account of the tion, which has been in progress • lbs several months, is supplied by an Englishman who has just returned to London after 15 years' residence on the border of Eastern Tibet. It seems that the Chinese Government, fearing a possibig further attempt by Great Britain to extend its influence to Tibet, by way of India, has been anxious of late to assert its authority over the Tibetans, and secure the best of whatever trade they have to offer. The Dalai Lama is said to have made an unfavourable impression when he visited China recently. He appeared far too independent and pomoous. Moreover, he was an expensive' :'=itor. Ha "moved in great State" with 500 followers, and cost £6OO per day. Tha Government decided to reduce his authority, and detain him for this enterprise, but while it was thinking of a decent! excuse for this enterprise the Dalai gofc a hint of what was in progress, altered! the route for. his return journey, and skipped safely out of reach over tha border. Evidence of his knowledge of the hostile intentions of the Government wars seen when, after an unavailing attempt to secure help from India, he fled before the arrival of the Chinese army afc his capital. ;

A complete revolution is being made in the government of Tibet. The heredi-j tary border chiefs are being replaced by, Chinese officials, audi Chao-erh-Fiing (brother of the Viceroy of Szechuan) has been made commander-in-chief on the frontier. "China, for the Chinese" is his policy—and evidently Tibet for the Chinese as well. While friendly to foreigners, he is not at all disposed to give them facilities for travel or trade. The occupation of Lhasa has been carried out for political purposes. The effective settlement of the country under Chinese government will be a much slower work.;' The first step undertaken is the forma,-' tion of a Chinese province in Eastern Tibet, whence' gradual advances will bi\ made to the vest and south. The progress of the Chinese soldiers to Lhasa waa not effected without difficulties. There' was some armed opposition, and the severities of the climate was still harder to face. In one encounter with the frontier tribesmen the commander-in-chief was nearly captured, and in another the Chinese were ambushed .and lost 40G men, together with some guns. But these reverses only stimulated the invaders, and led to the trebling of their forces. The returned Englishman, who supplies details o f the operations, states that at least 200 field guns and enormous quantities of ammunition xvere hurried over the border before he left. On one occasion, he counted a caravan with a. train of 150 loads of silver for the payment of the troops. At the Chentu arsenals, which supplied, the equipment, 7000 men were working day and night. "Unfortunately," be says, "there is no doubt that the Chinese soldiers do not pay much regard to the religious susceptibilities of °th© Tibetans, and that the charges of desecration of the monasteries are well founded. The Chinese ' are doing their best to reduce the number of lamas, their policy being not to allow more than 100 to each monastery, whereas at present there are often as many as 5000. The remainder they are inducing to get married and go on the land. The Chinese are also holding out every inducement for Chinese emigrants to go into the newly-opened! part of Tibet. They are offering grants of land, and are also advancing money for outfit for five years without interest. There is a very general feeling that this miovenwrit may have a far-reaching effect, apart altogether from Tibetan affairs. The large majority of the trained troops who are now being employed are strongly) anti and chafe jndei the anti

qua ted methods of Pekin. Well armed and organised and flushed with victory, the attitude they may take up may have a good deal of influence on the position of China.” "