A message from Home last week contained particulars of a British mission to Tibet under the auspices of the International Buddhist Union, the intention being to pry into the mysteries of literature to concerning the journalists who be found at Lhasa. Further. par-work here, that no solid European ticulars of this expedition are of newspaper would allow them. to interest, for according to accounts eross the threshold of its office. now received the interpreter attach-Yet here they are actually chief ed to the mission is an Irishman, editors. Having paved the way Dr. W. M. McGovern, who is said with this description of ihe case, to have been a Buddhist priest in Mr. Joffe announced his con-Japan only a year or two ago. The clusion that they are.an insult to story goes that Dr. McGovern was the Chinese intelligentsia, and he early attracted to the East, and would certainly not class them while in his teens entered a temple with Chinese journalists. Mr. Joffe in Kioto, the far-famed Nishi is unquestionably an admirable Hongwanji, there living the austere disciple of Messrs, Lenin and life of the Buddhist disciple. He Trotsky, and this frame of mind is said to be a master of the seems to have been nurtured in Japanese language and to have the same schoo] that taught his two leaders to send out so much studied the Chinese classics as well, wonderful vituperation vfé@ the and is reputed to be the only Moscow wireless. The fact is that native of the British Isles to pos-Mr. Joffe finds a very considerable sess the title of priest in the Bud-body of the press in China doing diiist hierarchy. Dr. McGovern is its duty by opposing him tooth and said to he only °4 years of age. nail, and he accordingly dislikes it, Tf these facts, as reported by the Doubtless from his point of view London press, are correct—and con-he is perfectly correct. Not many sidering what other Britons have of the journalists here would find done in equally strange directions, employment on the Red journals Burton, Borrow and Lawrence, for of Moscow or Petrograd, and to a [instance, there is no reason why man who thinks along the lines they should not be—the expedition of the Soviet, writers of a dif-should be well equipped intellectuferent creed; are probably guilty ally for its work, of "political illiteracy." Probably "Titerary, helplessness" is a euphemism for moderation Janguage. and no doubt after the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.