The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-06
JAN. 6. 1912.
MONGOLIA AND RUSSIA.

Russia need he in no hurry about
Mongolia and Chinese Turkestan. She
can afford to he moderate in her
speech about them. If the Very
much-occupicd hand of China is ever
removed from these territories for
good, Russia has only to clasp her
fingers very gently and she will have
both of them.
Nature has settled all this. There
is nobody else in those parts except
.A~fghnnistan and she is a stay-at-
homo body, and England in India.
and she cannot get over the Hima-
layas. The Hinalayas are as conclu-
sivc in regard to England going north
an they are in regard To Russia go
ing south. Even in Tibet, where the
English hav" established some sort
of trade relations, tho political in
terests lie wholly between China and
Russia, with Russia ahead in the
game. In fact. nobody outside of
China and Russia cares Il copper for
Mongolia and Turkestan. Russia has
already got the better part Of what
was Turkcstan. Her Cossacks keep
guard as far east as Tashkent and
kokan. She mas a railway running
to tho frontier. Tibet is more friend
ly to her than to anybody else. and
the relatively small patch of Chinese
Tnrkcstan lies just between Tibet and
settled Russian territory. AS to Mon
Eolia, this NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. region lies
in the center of the big continent like
an island in Il; great sea. with no way
out except through China or Russia.
Unless her people make out tn go it
alone--which is scarcely Il rational
supposition-thcy are bound to be.
long to China ~ Russia.
Russia already has special tradc in
terests in Mongolia. y year inc IL
half ago Russia and China We're in
hot dispute as to these interests. Chi
ma wished ia give to her own traders
free entry and to tax Russian traders.
China said that she lad he right to
do his under her treaties with Rus
STA. Russia interpreted the treaties
differently: and she finally told Chi
ma that if China could not under
stand the treaties as Russia did she
would send enough Russian troops
into Mongolia To make China under
stand. Russia has n way with her in
dealing with her near neighbors. in
the matter of treaty differences.
which is not ~ polite as the method
used by us at Washington in termin-
ating the treaty of 1882. The Man.
chu government of China backed
down under this threat and since then
Russian and Chinese traders have
been selling goods in Mongolia on an
equal footing.
Recently the Russian agent In Pek-
ing walked into what is left of the
Manchu foreign office and handed in
a note, in which Russia asked China
to reassume control of Mongolia
promptly. This ounds like Il joke.
but tlle.business probably was carried
through with serious faces. 4 reply
was returned that ut the moment
China was unable to comply. Exactly
what this all means is not clear. Word
comes from Washington that Russia
is one of several powers that have
given pledges to act as a unit in
China, and not to take individual adj
vantage Of any development there.
Every step taken" the dispatch
statc department" in these pledges.
Possibly Russia simply wished to
make an official record in the matter
OF Mongolia. in case later events fur
nished. in her judgment. a basis for
Immediate action. At any rate, she
has got it in black and white that
China can do nothing now.