CO129-361 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 322

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western borders of the Province of Chibli, owned wholly or in part by a Mr. Von Hannekin; and the third is the German mine or group of mines in Shantung.

My Directors are pleased to note from Mr. Brazier's telegram that Sir John Jordan has taken the matter up, and they earnestly trust he will receive the full support of His Majesty's Foreign Office.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

THO, GILBERT, Secretary.

Inclosure in No. 1.

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]

C.O. 16123

320

{B}

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

RECR Bare IZ MAY

CONFIDENTIAL.

[April 23.]

SUCTION 1,

(15259]

No. 1.

(Translation.) (Telegraphic.)

Mr. Brazier to Peking Syndicate (London).

Tien-tsin, April 20, 1909. THE Wai-wu Pu, Governor of Honan, strongly oppose our right sell coal anywhere interior China, including pit's mouth. Consequently local sales stopped at

British Legation are pressing for right.

mines.

حمد

Sir,

India Office to Foreign Office,-(Received April 23.)

India Office, April 22, 1909. 1 AM directed to inclose, to be laid before the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, copy of a despatch from the Government of India proposing that, in view of the policy being pursued by China in Thibet, negotiations should be opened with the Bhutan Durbar for a Secret Treaty by which the external relations of that State should be placed under British control."

2. In the past the Government of India have had no reason to concern themselves actively with the relations of Bhutan and Thibet, which, so far as our knowledge goes, have not been of a nature to cause serious trouble between the two countries. A clear necessity alone could, in Viscount Morley's opinion, justify a departure from the policy of non-intervention in the affairs of regions so distant and inaccessible. But there can be no doubt as to the gravity of the change that has taken place in the political situation of this section of the Indian horder owing to the recent developments of Chinese policy in Thibet. In April last the Chinese Amban made an attempt to assert sovereign rights in Bhutan, and the circumstances in which the Dalai Lama left Peking in December on his return to Lhassa indicate that the attitude of the Thibetan Government towards the adjoining States of Bhutan, Sikkim, and Nepal will be governed in future by considerations of purely Chinese policy. The time has therefore come, Lord Morley recognizes, to take such steps as may he practicable to maintain Bhutan in its present state of independence as regards China and Thibet. The establishment of effective Chinese suzerainty in Bhutan might not only necessitate expensive arrangements in the immediately adjoining British districts for the protection of the valuable tea estates situated along the frontier from Jalpaiguri to Tezpur, but would produce a disturbing effect on the mind of the Nepalese Government. Our present friendly relations with Nepal, which it is of the utmost importance to maintain, would certainly be shaken if the Durbar had reason to think that we were indifferent to the absorption by China of their neighbour Bhutan.

3. The friendly attitude of the Maharaja of Bhutan, which was markedly shown by the part he played when Tongsa Penlop in the latter stages of the Mission to Lhassa, has been confided by his dealings with the British Government since his installation as hereditary Ruler of the State in December 1907. His Highness then requested the assistance of the Indian Government in opening up the resources of the southern portion of his State adjoining the British border. More recently, on the occasion of the dispute at Phari, referred to in the seventh paragraph of the Government of India's letter, which has since been settled to the satisfaction of Bhutan, the Maharaja wrote spontaneously to the Political Officer in Sikkim stating that the Bhutanese were encouraged, by the favour they had received in the past from the British Government, to hope that "consideration will be bestowed on whatever reasonable prayer we shall be obliged to make." The present state of affairs thus affords a suitable opportunity of approaching the Bhutan Durbar with proposals for an agreement as to the external affairs of the State.

4. Our present relations with Bhutan are governed by various Agreements, and particularly by the Treaty of 1866, the relevant Article of which (No. 8) provides that the Bhutan Government will refer to the arbitration of the British Government, and accept their decision in all disputes with, or causes of complaint against, the Rajas of Sikkim and Cooch Behar, while the British Government undertake to inquire into and settle all such disputes and complaints in such manner as justice may require, and to insist on the observance of their decision by the Rajas in question. These documents conclusively establish the right of Bhutan to enter into diplomatic engagements with us, and their effect is to vest in the Government of India à certain * Not printel.

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