May 14, 1908)
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT the first approaches were made; and meaning of this intensely vague stipulation. it is also · convenient for her to forget In the first instance, of course, it is a plain Army and Navy, in order to be able ** It would be necessary to begit, withy? that instead of raising any objection acknowledgment that in the intrigue between withstand the pressure of tod zealous friends she was only too pleased to be con- Russia and the Dalai Lama Chins did and to order Chineser affairs, țiul pedog sulted about her dependent, as she practically allow that Power to interfere: | with Chinese- wishes: and, needs. Ple alleged Tibet was at the time, and entered Now we know a good deal, and that not | Chinese integrity word at stake andƐ into a convention-to “ upen "the country, much to her credit, of China's dealings with necessary to repel unsolicited, advis The manner in which she discharged this Russia. Chinese officials, from the late | world would find as much toŋ suppfriss obligation has become a matter of history. Viceroy of Chili downwards, are not above, in China as they had found in Japan. The So far from exhibiting any desire to have for a consideration, making private terms soldiers were excellent military, materi the country opened, her ambans were with a Russian Minister. instructed to bring all the influence_which | Hung-chang is being repeated in that of not possibly be conquered:" · He added that
The case of Land if equipped with modern weapons, they possessed to bear on the Luassa the Taotai CHEO MIEK, where the present the Chinese were na little ipolined to necept government to prevent any access of British Russian Minister claims that a private A" Japanisation" of their country) as trade. China looked on with indifference, agreement made under the influence of a if not with silent approval, while Tibet bribe is to be accepted as the act of the eutered into negotiations with China's worst Imperial Government. The weakness of enemy, Russia, to exchange Chinese for the Government in both cases proceeded Russian suzerainty, content that by so doing from the one cause; in neither case was it she could administer an affront to the one able to show that its own hands were clean. power to whose unvarying support, it may be Russin, on the other side, has the immense almost said, China owes the fact that she advantage in all these cases that she has is still permitted to pose as an independent never pretended to clean hands. Looking power. It was - Í
-the direct result of these at the subject from another point of view facts that, when the British Government at the British Government appears to have last made îte convention within the precincts made a distinct concession in agreeing that of Lhassa, Article IX. expressly stipulated: so long as China “does not permit" other “Without the consent of Great Britain Powers to interfere it will not make any no Tibetan territory shall be sold, leased, or claim. Now the convention entered into at mortgaged to any foreign power whatsoever; Lhassa evidently contemplated some im no foreign power whatsoever shall be per-provement in the road to the Chumbi mitted to concern itself with the administru. Valley. However little Britain may desire tion of Tibet, or any other affairs therewith connected; no foreign power shall be permitted to send either official or non- official persons to Tibet, no matter in what pursuit they may he engaged, to assist in the conduct of Tibetan affairs, &c." It had been intended that the Chinese representa- tive should have been a party to this convention; but as we know otherwise, on being applied to he declined, not because be had any objections to make, but because he had not received from Peking full powers to sign. This, it was announced at the time, and has since been persistently acknowledged, was the sole reason why China's name did not appear at length in the instrument. At the same time it was publicly explained that the stipulation so far from being aimed at China's claims to suzerainty, which were equally publicly acknowledged, were intended to strengthen her against all outside claims to interference between her and Tibet.
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When we come to look at the convention, at last after a year's delay entered into between Great Britain and China, we find that it simply confirms the previous Lhassa convention, placing China in the position she was always intended to hold as suzerain, Gyangtee and Gartok are to be made places of trade, the former as leading directly from India, and the latter as already a place of some importance in the intercourse of Kashmir and Tibet, a trade of many centuries' existence, though only now made the subject of special official acknowledgment. In the other stipulations where Great Britain alone was mentioned in the Lhasss conven- tion China and Great Britain now appear. This, of course; was in conformity with the original declaration, and in no measure represents any departure or any yielding | beyond the original intention. One point; however, demands consideration, because neither Lord FitzMAURICE in the House of Lords nor the version given officially from Peking bring the matter out clearly. The - Article 4 as well as being more or less a concession to China's ultra-sensitiveness, may" be likewise read as a warning; the Chinese version gives it thus:-" So long në China does not permit others to interfere
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Anglicization" or "Rassification", Thin: of course sounds very well, but unfortunately Chang's scheme of reform¡ like most îhinggi Chinese, begins at the wrong endy. If China cannot see further than her: old. dream of somehow being able to improve, her material resources'so as to be capable gi. opposing foreign nations, after, which she will be in a suitable position to commend, reforms in earnest upon Chinese-lines, she must have learnt very little› of) late! years. It is quite true that if the reforms in her Army and Navy were accomplished she would be in a good position“ for other reforms; but the difficulty is that these very reforms in her Army and Navy, cannot be attained unless preceded by other administrative reforms of a much more pres... · to interfere in Tibet, since she has stipulating nature. Efficient work from the › Armýr ed for the opening of trade to Gyangtse, and Navy canuot' be' hoped for withont að and the right of having the necessary official definite and strong national spirit uniting the supervision, it is natural that she should whole country, an effective administration to have some rights over the approaches. At keep the Empire together under, the strain. present the only mode of approach to the Chumbi Valley is over the Jolap Pass at an things, such an absence of corruption.
war necessarily induces, and, before all altitude of some 14,000 ft, and thence is a the public service as will at least secure descent of some 5,000 ft. to the valley. The regular and punctual payment of the trooper river Tista, however, descends the whole China, as she is at the present time, isvoonlo way to the plain ; and though in its present spicuously defective in all those requishes," condition the gorge through which it flows and the mere porsession of "foreign" is impassable, it is by no means incapable methods" will not be sufficient to give her of amendment. Such a work would be of success in any serious or prolonged struggle far greater utility to Tibet herself than to while this internal mal administration. Judia, but the present stipulation would seem continues. The army itself is not suffletently to debar any suggestion even of its feasibility. centralised to make it reliable in any Tibet is not a land that suggests readily national crisis. But apart from this, the its feasibility for the construction of any whole system of corruption in administrk={ railway line likely to be of profit either to tion must be done away with before Obing Tibet or India, so that railways and mines can rely upon her forces, however may fairly await the period of natural well they may be schooled in foreign tactios development. The connection of telegraph or supplied with foreign arma. The policy lines with those of India is, of course, entirely which CHANG so boustingly advocates, is, in China's interest. Already we note that after all, only China's old one of trying to: she is for her own purposes extending the learn from foreign nations the knack (as Szechwan lines to Batang. That in case she deems it) of doing various things and this line should at any time be blocked, then attempting to do them her own drik yu owing to tribal difficulties or otherwise, and before she has thoroughly' mastéred" "f China should have an alternative route is connected with ́thêm. This China in her position of suzerain of enormous done repeatedly, and always with the moment. To India the matter is merely results. She learns a certain amount, from: one of convenience.
Europeans and then sets to work:10 apply: her knowledge in: what she thinkslis nar improved way, that is, by endeavouring to reconcile it with her old-farbioned model of procedure, not recognising that the Tattoe (Daily Press, 12th May.)
are radically wrong; so that any instruction, General CHANG, the Chinese Minister she receives in improved methods, either at Berlin, is reported by the Berliner to warfare or as to civil administration ends Tageblatt to have given utterance to some by being of very little practical use, and very "frank" expressions on the subject of certain to fail.her in the time of need. It the future of Chinn. Frankness is so little is characteristic of Chinese conceit to assur the ordinary characteristic of Chinamen, es-that China has only to pick up a few, hinte pecially of those connected with official or from foreign nations and Japali to beco diplomatic life, that we may, without being more than equal to the latter. Some unduly suspicious, take any declaration of of this kind has always been her, one this kind with the proverbial grain of salt: though it might be hoped she would be or at least imagine it is possible that it was to take a justere view of the faeta as made with some ulterior object.
Tho present day. Her study of fo Chinese representative is stated to have | methods” will lead her but a litel said that recent political and military events | unless
FORTHCOMING CHINESE "SURPRISE. ""
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in Tibetan affairs Great Britain, also shall | had taught China that “ thorough-going thing 6 realises the fact thas
not interfere. Without the full text be- fore us it is impossible to arrive at the full
Is nece reform in every department was a vital in her interns question for the Chinese Empire"; adding to be hoped
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her own