A somewhat cruel tragedy has overtaken the small mission to Tibetans at Tsakalo on the left bank of the Mekong. Dr. and Mrs Bare, former members of the Christian Mission at Batang, some years dgo found it possible to reside at Tsakalo, territory direct-under the Government of Lhasa. Père Nüssbaüm had been there for some years where the French mission had a station for 70 years. The Catholic Mission suffered considerable persecution and some of their missionaries were murdered, but the work made progress and a small church was built up. While Tsakalo was under Chinese authority the French mission bought land and in it they placed their Tibetan Christians. As the church grew and members increased, more lend was secured till 30 years ago there was quite a Catholic colony at Tsakalo. Five or six years ago a border incident occurred.between the Chinese and the Tibetans over the demarcation of the frontier. Pending confirmation from the Central Government the Yangtze was accepted by the two States as the border between China and Tibet. The Yangtze, like other rivers, makes many twists in this part of the world, so a little twist threw Tsakalo, formerly in Chinese territory, into the Land of the Lamas. Gen. Teng accomplished this but it was entirely a pro tem arrangement between the two governments and apparently still holds good.
Pere Nussbaum woke up one morning to find himself in the peculiar position of being the only foreign missionary in Lamaland. When the Lhasa authorities discovered that the new frontier had thrown in a preacher of the Christian religion they at once set to work to remove him. But this was not easy. Père Nussbaum was a German in a French mission with a Chinese passport in Tibetan territory. He refused to leave his little flock unless superior force was used. Force was used but the brave pere stood by the Tibetan Christians. The Lhasa Government then tried other means, one of which was to conficate the mission's land and property; another was to hinder the Tibetans attending worship, while another was to cut off the pere's supplies. All failed, however, and Pere Nussbaum showed the lama authorities that neither force nor intrigue could move him. He bravely stuck to his guns and wore the Asiatics down, not a very easy thing to do. The Lhasa authorities now consoled themselves with the fact that the père and the mission had been there a long time, so Why not let them stay. At times it looked as if the lamas would win and the priest would have to move bag and baggage back on to Chinese territory. Pere Nussbaum, however, proved to be a stubborn and determined German and was not quite prepared to leave his little flock simply because the Lhasa authorities demanded him to do so.
This year Dr. Bare at Tsakalo was joined by Mr. and Mrs Edgar Nichols, four children, and two Améfican nurses; and last year two young Norwegians joined him; making a total community, including children, of six-For a lime missionary life in the Land inthe Darjeeling Public High School These men occupied their positions for a few months that they would need to move to Yunnan or Szechuan, Adentsi or Batang. This firmannouncement came as a terrible blow to this young, hopeful mission. Politics and religion were the two main. factors but there were others that were not mentioned. Unless Lhasa was prepared to admit their presence and their mission and grant them Tibetan passports permitting their residence, their position in Tsakalo seemed untenable. sce It is very probable, in the first place, that had Pere Nussbaum not been in residence at Tsakalo the American missionaries might not have been allowed into Tibetan country. With the German priest already in occupation, and the arrival of a company of Norwegian and American missionaries, the Lhasa Government was taken by surprise and at a loss just what to do. There was another factor that somewhat disturbed the Lhasa authorities—the American and Norwegian missionaries were young and had great ambitions for the conquest of the Land of the Lamas; Gartok and Chiamdo were already down on their maps, and with the friendly attitude of the Lhasa appointed officials, they saw themselves preaching the "good news" all over the Forbidden Land. Apparently ten of the sixteen are now in Batang and in a somewhat difficult situation, Dr. and Mrs.
Bare had so far not left Tsakalo, Père Nussbaum of the Missions Etrangers has now the privilege and the honour of being the only foreign missionary in the Forbidden Land. There are missionaries resident in Amdo, Jarong and Kham, nominally Tibetan country; and there are missionaries all round the Roof of the World, but Pere Nussbaum of the French mission is actually the only foreigner and teacher of another religion within the Land of the Lamas. That Lamaism tolerates his presence is no sign whatever that the country is slowly. opening up to the influence of Christianity. Pere Nussbaum would be force ably or politely invited to leave Lamaland by the Lhasa Government if it could be done without any loss of face or prestige.
His position within Tibet is somewhat anomalous from any standpoint. Trade agents and government officials come and go, but Nussbaum's position is now something like Tennyson's little brook. Under what passport is this lonely père now seeking protection; or is he simply trusting God and keeping his powder dry? He is a German in a French mission, with a Chinese passport, and resident within the Frobidden Land. Has the Lhasa Government, as well as permitting him domicile, offered him protection? If an injustice is done to this pere where is his ce! of appeal? Will Lhasa judge his case in any local uprising? It may be that the lamas are simply waiting till this poor, lonely pere dies and then call the deal closed. It may be, however, that the arrangement is with the mission and not with the local priest and in that case the Missions Etrangers is a permanency in what is known as the Great Closed Land. And if so can the Lhasa gov-^|ernment grant to the French what it withholds from other nationals? No doubt the lama authorities have discussed the question from all points, and time will only reveal what they still have up their sleeve.
The financial situation in Batang, from a missionary standpoint, demands something like aeroplane assistance. So far no ordinary means of trans portion can be found. We have been.trying-for nearly one year to get $500 in to a young evangelist there and have so far not succeeded. The new arrivals in Batang are calling out for coin, more coin, ahd not a dollar can be sent in. From a commercial standpoint Batang has no trade whatever and financially there is no money in the place. Formerly, when the garrison was paid, there were thousands of dollars on the street and money was not so difficult. But with no commercial enterprise between the two border cities missionary residence in Batang becomes quite a precarious adventure.
That Tibet, the Land of the Lamas, will ever be an open country, is very doubtful. Where there is Chinese rule throughout Sikang the lamas are more or less friendly and offer little if any opposition. This is not so, however, on the right bank of the Yangtze. There the lama rules and no one else. The lama may be friendly to the visitor, that is provided he speaks his language, but he makes no effort to disguise the fact of his deep and abiding hatred towards his religion. Lamaism and Christianity have no common ground and no common point of contact, being as some people, maintain, one a system of light and the other a system of darkness one advocating social intercourse, the other a "closed door."
The Missions Etrangers has just closed its yearly conference: Once, each year, these lonely fellows gather together and discuss the difficulties and problems that confront them in their work. This year, including Bishop Valentin, fifteen French priests met in conference and while the meetings were in session the old bishop, who has been on the frontier for over 60 years, would sometimes drop in to see how things were going. He could not hear very much and it was a disturbing element to try to make him do so. Among those attending the conference this year was a distinguished Tibetan scholar. Pere Gore has made an intensive study of the Tibetan language for 30 years and is now probably the greatest language authority on the frontier. He is the author of several books on Tibet, including a number of books dealing with the Tibetan language. He is now working on a Tibetan dictionary and revising some of his other books. Attending the conference were three French priests who had been recently home in France: Pere Gore who has just returned, Pere Gratton (the angler priest) and Pere Charrier from Mow-kung. Individually these fellows look strong and fit and their lives of loneliness in no way affect their cheerfulness, They are men of character and determination and the chairman of this Catholic Conference must be a man of tact, wisdom and resourcefulness.
Fortunately they have all these characteristics in Bishop Valentin; but with them his task is not easy as these priests come to the conference from mission stations where they have been monarchs of all they survey. Eleven months in a lonely outpost in no way inclines these men to an imperious "sit down please." There is, however, about them a healthy cheerfulness which makes these yearly conferences a time of inspiration and refreshment,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.