'Volume II. MEMORANDA REGARDING OTHER EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. 1905.' [‎76v] (157/228)

[ 8 ]
agreement, if possible, as to the remainder
of the text. They apparently did not attach
mnch importance to the remaining points at
issue between the two Representatives. The
Government of India have informed His
Majesty’s Government that Article I has
always seemed important to them, because its
omission will leave room for China at some
future date to revive her claim to sovereignty,
but that, if Sir E. Satow considers that further
insistence would cause abandonment of negotia
tions, the Government of India attach
sufficient value to Chinese adhesion in the
present state of Lhasa politics to waive our
objection, on condition that the remaining
Articles are accepted without alteration.
13. It appears probable from the letters
from the Nepalese Representative at Lhasa to
his Government that the rumours of negotia
tions with the Chinese Commissioner at Calcutta
have caused a good deal of unrest at Lhasa.
The authorities there appear to think it possible
that the Commissioner may succeed in effect
ing some material alteration in the terms of
the Lhasa Convention. The Ti-Rimpoche, how
ever, is of opinion that it is unlikely, on the
whole, that this will happen ; and, as soon as
there is clear evidence that the Tibetans would
secure no extraneous help, if they attempted to
refuse fulfilment of the terms of the Convention,
he will be prepared to come with a deputation
to see the Viceroy in Calcutta, if invited to do
so. The Representative was recently shown a
letter written by the Dalai Lama to the
Eazis of Lhasa, in which he stated that he
had asked the Emperor of China to permit
him to remain where he was without going to
T ing, until some arrangement had been
>me to about Tibetan affairs. He stated that
he would return to Tibet when everything
was in order (vide paragraph 8, ante).
II. (See paragraph 46 of the Memoran
dum for September 1904.) The journey across
Tibet contemplated by Mr. Wilton, His Britan
nic Majesty’s Consular Service in China, now
engaged on the negotiations for the adhesion of
China to the Tibet Convention of 7th Septem
ber 1904, which was sanctioned in September
1904, having proved impracticable, he sub
mitted in June last a memorandum of a
journey which he proposed to make from
Darjeeling . to. Batang on the conclusion
of the negotiations. The party was to consist
of one other English officer, two Native subor
dinates, and twelve Native followers, and was
to be absent from India for a period of six
months. Mr. Wilton himself intended to
strike south from Tachienlu into the Chien
Chang valley, and thence to Bhamo the
remainder of the party proceeding direct
to Shanghai. The main object of tbe ex-
^ .'-i ...i. _ po t on the commercial
possibilities of the Rima-Chomorawa-Lhasa