Srory or Russran Intrigue.
Mr, Percival London read a paper on The Political Results of the Mission to Lhassa," before the Central Asian Society.
Mr. London (who accompanied ti recent expedition) said that ther enormous justification for that expedition. Of the people themselves they were divided into two classes, the monks the laity. For all practical purposes the laity were as if they never existed. The monks themselves were divided into two parts, those who: lived in or ney Lhassa and those who did not, and the government lay entirely in the hands of the former part. Since 1720, Tibet has been a vassal to China, and for that reason, if for no oth country has been kept backwards in the world's progress. Until the reign of the present Dalai Lama, every one of his predecessors was put to death before he reached his eighteenth year. This custom enabled China to reassort her superiority at the election of each new god-king, for ruler of Tibet possessed the peculi position of being as much a god to his country as he was a perfect autocrat. His name is Tugyan Yassa, and he ow his extended life to a political intrigue.
Tu 1899 a monk named Dorgis, who had so far lived quietly at his monastery near Lhassa, although that monastery was the home of Tibetan sedition, was secretly called to Russia. When he returned he was the unaccredited yet fully empowered agent of Russia, From that time forward Dorgis, the Dalai Lama, and one Charter Charpy wore the Govern-mont of Tibet, despite the Tsong Dhu, or Government Council. By the and of 1902 Dorgia had gained so much power that ho thought it wise to boast that by Easter in the following year there would be a party of Cossacks in Lhassa. Yet Charter Charpy, the really capable man of the triumvirate, was more favourable to England thu to Russia, till an unfortunate thing happened. Ho was foolish his orders. But he had done nothing of the sort, At Lhasea he was in precarious position. Had be come away empty-handed he would have been blamed for the failure of the whole affair. If he bad done less than what he did, it would have been ssid that he had done the thing. Ho was git i of work todo, had done it, and was blamed for what he ad done.
Mr. Ian Malcolm supported Mr. London's view of Col. Younghusband's conduct in the circumstances in which he was placed. The interference of the Secretary of State for In done nothing but harm, and he believed that Me. Brodrick would live to regret it. Other speakers followed, and Mr. London replied to some questions which were put to him on points raised by his lecture.—" Globe."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.