450
BRITISH COMMERCIAL
METHODS.
(Daily Press, 15th June.)
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[June 18, 1904.
despatch of the Mission had been neces- sitated alike by Tibetan insolence and Muscovite intrigue, and Lord CURZON acted with the patience, dignity, and moderation which should-and happily does-charac- terise the representative of the Emperor of India.
In fairness to the Consular service it has had been treated with the consideration due to be admitted that British Consuls to the greatest Empire of Asia. The all the world over are constantly giving advice of this description. It has In the Reviews, if not on the public plat appeared in the Consular reports on forms of England, ample evidence is afforded trade in China again and again. In the that there is no abatement of public first report to hand relating to trade in interest in the discussions on the Fiscal China during 1903-that of the Acting problems of the Empire initiated by Mr. Consul at Hankow we fin advice of this CHAMBERLAIN. Meanwhile the Tariff Com. description given in the plainest of terms. mission is quietly proceeding with its most "The blame for the lack of success of, important task of obtaining a full and ne- "British firms, though commonly ascribed curate presentation of the facts by expert "to the supineness of British Consular evidence such as will enable them to show" officials towards the efforts of British clearly (1) whether in fact any given in- "merchants, would seem," says Mr. PLAY- dustry is declining or progressing; (2) FAIR, to lie in reality with the firms what are the causes of the decline where "themselves who make no serious effort to such a decline has taken place; (3) to what push their goods in opposition to those extent the fiscal policy of England and of “of other countries
The only other countries has been a factor in bring- "effectual method is to send accredited ing about that state of affairs; and (4) to
agents with full particulars to officials in indicate whether it is likely that these con- charge of factories in order to expound ditions can be altered by a change of policy 'the advantages of British-made machinery, on the part of Great Britain. Any detailed
or to native merchants in order to point out recommendations which the Commission may
"the superiority of the article which they hereafter make must, as its Secretary says, are trying to sell, and to secure orders be determined not only with reference to "therefor." We do not know that it can conditions of one particular trade but of be charged against. British Consular officials the other trades with which it is inseparably generally that they possess no inherent connected. Only after a careful analysis of sympathy with commercial matters, though existing conditions can the question of a it is doubtless a fact that very few of them complete change of policy be profitably have had a practical commercial experience. discussed.
That, it must be admitted, is a defect in the Consular system, but we should hesitate to endorse the view that the Consular officials of other Powers are, generally speaking, more efficient in that respect. A Ministry of Commerce with an efficient Consular staff co-operating would certainly have it in its power to render valuable aid to the merchant and manufacturer, but in the long run the place which the British trader occupies in the race must depend mainly upon his own exertions.
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THE EXPEDITION IN TIBET.
(Daily Press, 16th June.)
Nevertheless the public discussion of the state of British trade and commerce has brought into prominence many suggestions, apart from a change of Fiscal Policy, which might usefully be adopted forthwith to the advantage of the manufacturer and the merchant, and though these have often been put forward before, they are likely now, thanks to the public interest created by Mr. CHAMBERLAIN's campaign, to receive far more attention than has been their fate hitherto. Within the last few days, for instance, we have had from our London correspondent the news that Departmental Committee has recommended the re-organisation of the Board of Trade The opposition to Colonel YOUNGHUS- and the appointment of a Minister of Com- BAND's expedition in Tibet is proving much tuerce. This has for years been advised by more serious than was expected. By this many of the Chambers of Commerce, and if time the Dalai Lama and his followers must we recollect rightly, by the whole of the have gathered that any opposition they can Chambers in annual congress, but now that oppose to the advance of the British Com- a Departmental Committe has recoguised missioner will assuredly be vain in the long the value of the suggestion there is more run and will only end in the terms.proposed likelihood of the change being made. In to them, if dictated in Lhassa, being much most Continental Governments there is a more onerous than if they had met the Mission Minister of Commerce. The function of in a friendly spirit. The reinforcements have, such a Minister is too obvious to need REUTER tells, nearly all arrived at Chumbi, explanation, and what has been accom-
and there can be little doubt that the plished by such Ministers in Continental forward march will soon recommence, and Governments may be taken as a sufficient that its destination will now be nothing recommendation for the change. Of short of the mysterious city of Thassa. The equal, it not of greater importance Lamas will have brought this entirely upon than a Minister of Commerce, is the need themselves; they can ask, and they are of a well-selected stiff of Consuls. But entitled to, no more moderate terms. above both these recommendations the They have persisted in their policy of ex- journals devoted to commerce place the clusion, and they will have to accept the need for more commercial representatives. conditions dictated by the victors. That Sending representatives to the spot is the these will be reasonable will be the good German and American way of doing fortune of the Tibetans rather than their business," says the Magazine of Commerce, deserts. No one except perhaps their "and our traders cannot hope to retain Muscovite patrons, who doubtless supplied "their trade unless they do likewise. In the lethal weapons with which they have Portugual our travellers are becoming defied us, will feel any kind of sympathy practically extinct. Two hundred com- with them. The Lamas bad every chance "mercials from Germany visited Lisbon of coming to a favourable agreement with during a recent year, compared with 30 the British Commissioner. He was pre- "from the United Kingdom, while for years pared to be liberal, and would no doubt past not a single representative of British have been perfectly widing, had they shown "firms has been seen in Madeira, whereas a pacific disposition, to settle the score on a "several Germans go there every year, and very moderate basis. The British Indinu pass on to the Canary Islands. Egypt is Government had no desire to press for the a growing country, under our control, but opening of the jealously-guarded sacred "the number of British commercial travellers capital of Buddhism; they would have been "to be found there is quite inadequate." | coutent with much less than that if they
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Of the ultimate success of this Mission no one need entertain the least doubt, but there is some little speculation as to the course that will be adopted when the Indian Representative reaches Lhassa. In an in- teresting article contributed to the Contem- pory Review, Mr. ALEXANDER ULAR indicates what, in his opinion, is the right policy for the Viceroy to adopt. The Lhassa oligarchy which uphold the Dalai Lama and try to rule the Buddhist world in his name, are in a state of isolation. They are indepen- dent of China; they cannot rely upon or expect effective assistance from Russia; and they are the open foes of British India. He predicts that they will oppose the British advance with their utmost energy, a pro- pheny which is being fulfilled. "Mr. ULAR adds that the Dalai Lama's party could not do otherwise, because even if they accepted a British protectorate, and if Great Britain conceded to the Lamas a new monopoly of the tea trade, the three principal Lamaseries that govern Tibet-Depong, Sera, and Galdan-would be ruined, the tea supply taking the route from India and no longer from Szechuen. It will therefore be neces sary, he goes on to say, "when the comedy
of new negotiations with a Chinese auban "at Gyangtse shall have come to an end, "to proceed immediately to Lhassa. But "it would be a fault to establish by force 'an Indian suzerainty over the oligarchy "there. This would excite the Buddhists throughout Asia against England, and not
only put obstacles in the way of commer- "cial development of those countries, but "also cause, at certain moments, immense
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prejudice to English politics in the Far "East. While Russia will be obliged to "maintain her standard of power with the
Northern Buddhists by more military "force, England may now, by favouring a religious revolution in Tibet, associate the "interests of Buddhism with her own.”
How to effect this revolution Mr. ULAR points out very clearly. It is only necessary to upset the Lama oligarchy, which has really usurped the government, and to have the Dalai Lama deposed from his nominal political power and priesthood in favour of his spiritual superior, PANCHEN ETERNI- RIMPOCHE, known in Europe as the Tashe Lama.
The modus operandi of, this projected revolution is very clearly pointed out by the review writer. He says that it can easily be accomplished. The Depong-Sera- Galdan aristocracy is watched with jealous eagerness by rival monasteries, and the fact that all over the Buddhist world prayers are ordered, not to the "Dalai Lama," but to the
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Panchen-Dalai-Lama" is adduced as a proof that the Dalai Lama's prestige, even in political matters, is shared, if not superse- ded, by that of the Pauchen Laina. Ás for the spiritual authority, the Panchen Lama's supremacy is, Mr. ULAR declares, well knowu. He is an incaruation of AMITHABA, and the Dalai Lama only the incarnation of ABALOKITA, who is a mere emanation of AMITHABA. As a matter of fact Pan chen Lama is regarded as too holy to deal with "human matters, except where the Church "itself is in danger." The reviewer goes ou to remark:-
:-"The whole of the Buddhist "world, except the Lhassa Council of Five "that for more than two centuries have
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