India and Tibet : vol.1 / Page 480 (Color Image)

0480	India and Tibet : vol.1

406 THE ATTITUDE OF THE TIBETANS

desirable to press the Chinese Government to send strict

orders to their local officials to co-operate with our own

officers in a friendly manner, since without such friendly

relations (of which there had recently been a marked

absence), friction between the two Governments was

certain to arise. It might also be well, thought Lord

Morley, to impress upon the Chinese the inadvisability of

locating troops upon or in the neighbourhood of the

frontiers of India and the adjoining States in such numbers

as would necessitate corresponding movements on the part

of the Government of India and the rulers of the States

concerned. The Tibetans, though ignorant, were peace-

able people, and it was unlikely that a very large Chinese

force would be necessary for such simple police arrange-

ments as were contemplated by Article 12 of the Trade

Regulations.

Adopting these proposals, Sir Edward Grey tele-

graphed to Mr. Max Miller on April 8, to make a repre-

sentation to the Chinese Government in their sense.

All we know further than this is that two battalions

of infantry, four guns, and some sappers have been sent by

us to the Sikkim frontier, to be ready, if necessary, to

proceed into Tibet to protect the 'Trade Agents. And so

the story ends much as when it began, except that while

formerly it was the Tibetans who were supposed to be the

most impenetrable and unsociable, it is now the Chinese

who are presenting the real obstacles to any reasonable

intercourse between India and Tibet.

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