'Volume II. MEMORANDA REGARDING OTHER EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. 1905.' [‎76r] (156/228)

for tL (S n e Q e A P A rag ^ ph 9 ot the Memorandum
tor _ July 1905.) On the 5th Aueust TTk
Majesty’s Minister, Peking, telegraphed that
tW^n 1Slll " ( ? e ! 1 - eral at Yunnan -fu bad reported
that the revolutionary movement was spreading
throughout Weihsi and Chungtien, and that
communication with Atentse had been cut off.
On the 6th August, Sir E. Satow telegraphed
that the Consul at Chengtu had reported that
the Tibetans had been defeated near the Batang
frontier, and that the Chinese Commander-in-
Lhiet was then in Batang.
WHh a letter, dated the 26th June, Mr.
Wilkinson forwarded a letter, dated Tsekou
the 27th May, from Mr. Geo. Forrest, the plant
collector, who had arrived there very recentlv.
He reported that the Tibetans had burned
the. Homan Catholic Mission at Batang,
killing Pere Mussot and a great number of
converts, and had wrecked the Mission at
Yarragong, where Pere Soulie was killed.
Yerkalo was nest laid waste, but the fathers
escaped to Tsekou, having been warned
in time. On the 8th August, Mr. Litton
telegraphed that official intimation had been
received of the destruction of the French
Mission at Tsekou (22nd July), and that there
were grave fears as to the safety of the mis
sionaries and Mr. Forrest. On the 21st
August, however, the Burma Government
telegraphed that Mr. Forrest was believed
to have escaped.
11. The Secretary of State telegraphed on
17th August to the effect that Lord Lansdowne
had been informed by the Russian Ambassador
that the Russian Government had received
trustworthy reports that British garrisons were
quartered at Gyantse, Chumbi, and Phari; that
railway, telegraph, and telephone lines had
been constructed in the Chumbi valley; that
permanent buildings and depots had been
erected; that native soldiers were being drilled;
and that British subjects were being encouraged
to settle in the whole district. The above
measures were said to be not altogether in
accordance with Lord Lansdowne’s assurance
of last year, and, the Ambassador added, had
apparently given rise to considerable agitation
among the Tibetans. Lord Lansdowne stated
his belief that nothing had been done which was
inconsistent with the Treaty, and the Govern
ment of India were asked to report the facts.
A reply to the Secretary of State’s
telegram will shortly be sent.
12. (See paragraph 11 of the Memo-
randum for July 1905.) On the 4th August
1905, the Minister at Peking telegrap ed
that the Chinese Government had hinted that,
if Article I of the draft agreement, in
•which the disputed term “ suzerainty oceuis
were omitted, instructions would be issued to
their Envoy, Tang Tachen, to come to an