NEGOTIATIONS AT KHAMBA JONG. 355 



that the question at issue is no longer one of details as 

 to trade and boundaries, " but the whole question of* the 

 future political relations of India with Tibet." Russian 

 influence is seen towards the end of the despatch. 

 The proposals of the Indian Government to send an 

 armed mission to Tibet and to establish a Resident at 

 Lhassa might, it is admitted, be justified as a legitimate 

 reply to the action of the Tibetan Government were the 

 issue simply one between India and Tibet, and the 

 despatch concludes with the statement that, after 

 hearing from the Russian Government, his Majesty's 

 Government " will be in a better position to decide on 

 the scope to be given to the negotiations with China, 

 and on the steps to be taken to protect India against 

 any danger from the establishment of foreign influence 

 in Tibet." By the end of May, when the second 

 despatch alluded to was sent, the " Russian terror" had 

 sunk deeper into the official mind, and the old timidity 

 and pliability before Russian bluster is again apparent. 

 Whereas it was recognised in the former despatch that 

 the issue at stake was "the whole question of the 

 future political relations of India with Tibet," it is now 

 laid down as the wish of the Government that " the 

 negotiations should be restricted to questions concern- 

 ing trade relations, the frontier, and grazing rights," 

 and a desire is expressed that no proposal should be 

 made for the establishment of a political agent either 

 at Gyangtse or Lhassa. 



The result was that negotiations were again resorted 

 to, though on this occasion Khamba Jong, the place 

 selected by the Government of India, was sanctioned as 

 the point of meeting of the British and the Chinese 

 and Tibetan envoys, and the essential principle was 

 recognised of Tibet being represented in the negotiations 

 by a duly accredited Tibetan representative. Needless 



