In a letter which we publish elsewhere the course of
recent events in Tibet is described. We are entirely opposed to any " forward " policy in Tibet. At the same time we have to recognize that if the Chinese expedition reached Lhasa there would be a repetition, probably on a worse scale than before, of the cruel severities to which the Tibetans were recently exposed. When China was apparently in firm possession of Tibet, and the Dalai Lama had fled to India, we frankly did not regret what bad happened. After all, we have had more experience in dealing with the Chinese than with the Tibetans. We understand them better, and, considered as neighbours, their movements would be more calculable. Moreover, we are always in touch with Peking, and it actually seemed an advantage when the shadowy suzerainty of China developed into active possession. But all that was changed by the victory of the Tibetans over the Chinese. It would unques- tionably be a good thing for the Tibetans, who are now as it were under potential sentence of death at the hands of the Chinese, if the Chinese Government accepted the British proposals. We trust that the Chinese Republic will take a sensible view of the matter, and negotiate with us an agree- ment which will settle the Tibetan question without in any way involving us in a " forward " policy.
