Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02
ULAN BATOR SEAT
OF NEW REPUBLIC
Dispatches Tell How Mongo-
Iian Estates Have Been
Given to Farmers.

Where is Ulan Bator Hoto, capital of
one Of the six largest republics in the
world?
The telegraph and cable may lose the
last of the three terms, so that in
newspaper date lines the city is likely
IN make its infrequent appearances as
"Ulan Bator" A recent dispatch from
this little-known city related that the
estates OF former princes and noblemen
of the Peoples Republic of Mongolia"
had been conflscated by the government
and appropriated among collective
farms operated by peasants A bulletin
from the National Geographic Society
tells of this remote capital and the
country of which it is the seat of gov
eminent
Tangled Political Situation.
"Ulan Bator Hoto-'City of the Red
Heroes-is merely a new name for
Urga, which the geography text books OF
few years ago identified as the ad-
ministrative seat Of q Chinese state"
says the bulletin. The new name was
adopted in 1924, when the republic was
consolidating its independence, declared
in 1921.
Few countries have ever had such a
tangled political situation as Mongolia
has had since 1911, when the Chinese
empire collapsed the bulletin con-
tinues. "Urga was the residence Of one
of the three most important Living
Buddhas' of the fantastic world, and
the government was, in effect. a theoc-
racy under Chinese control When the
Chinese Emperor lost his throne in 1911
the Mongol prices and lamas expelled
the Chinese officials, declared their
country to be autonomous, and set up
an arrangement by which the Living
Buddha' became both king and national
god
'dThe influences of the Russian en-
pire increased In semi = independent
Mongolia for q time, but with the
progress of the World War Mongolia
was left without this source Of assist
ance, and in 1919 China again took
possession. Refugee White Russians
assembled In Siberia following the Boil
shevik revolution, and in 1920 and 1921
drove the Chinese from Mongolia and
set up state under Russian influence.
Nv the end of 1921 Soviet armies had
driven both White Russians and Chinese
from Mongolia and the Living Buddha'
was again the nominal ruler. In 1924
the Living Buddha' died. and the Mon
golian Peoples Republic was proclaimed
Has Ne President.
TT is a republic without President,
the supreme authority resting IN Par
lament Of 100 elected members. ms
u
80 Of its members to form the Small
HoFuldan, which normally acts while
tie larger body is In recess. The Small
Huruldan in turn selects nVe OF l!S
members to form permanent presl.
dium. This government concerns itself
not with the whole OF the territory OF
the old Monaghan state, but only WITH
that part of it that was formerly called
outer Mongolia, lying north Of the mid
die of the Cobb Desert. Inner Mongolla,
the strip about 800 miles wide, lying
next to China proper, is recognized as
an integral part Of China.
Little comes TO the outside world In
regard to the operations of the Non
golian government but 1t Is believed 70
be coming more and more under the In
fiuence of Soviet Russia and to be
shaping its activities in increasing &C
coFdance with Soviet principles. One
recent indication of such q trend was
the report that the estates OF mobiles,
valued at approximately $4,000 900, hed
been confscated for the benefit of coll
lectively operated peasant farms.
1.-THE trade Of the country was In the
past chiefly with China by means of
horse drawn carts and camel caravans
from Urga. But Ulan Bator Hoto looks
more to the north, and both exports
and imports move increasingly between
Mongolia and TTanssiberian Railway
towns.
"The Republic Of Mongolia has an
area of more than q million and Q quar-
ter square miles. It's population Is esti-
mat TO be less than 1000 900, made
up up; o rous;1ly, OF 10000 MongOis and
There are said to be fewer than 10000
Chinese In the republic now.
THE people have never engaged In
agriculture or industry. but have de-
voted themselves to stock raising. But
fer primitive methods Mongolia might
heeome the worlds greatest source Of
never been protected in Winter or fed
from hay and grain laid up during the
mild half Of the year. They must shift
for themselves the year round. So Sc
we're are the Winters that some years
as many as q third of the animals
perish. In spite of these heavy losses,
however, there are in Mongolia more
than quarter million camels, million
and third horses, a million and half
cattle and between 10000, 900 and H.
100000 sheep and goats. The principal
exports are live animals, wool, camers
hair. milk products and hides and furs
North OF the Cobb are vast plains
covered in Summer with succulent
grasses. 1t Is there that the great herds
OF domestic and wild animals roam
Wild horses, wild donkeys and antelope.
Farther to the northwest are tree
covered mountains, which give Mon
golia a potential timber supply Min
eral deposits exist, but have never been
developed.
Attempts M0derniEation.
The fantastic religion, q modified
and somewhat degraded Buddhism,
has had deep effects on Mongolia
Nearly one-third of the male popula-
ton are monks, who have been living
Without productive effort. These men,
bars OF religious orders dominated the
country while the living Buddha' ex-
listed, but since the rise of the re-
public their influence Is waning. The
state religion Of paSsiveness also tend
ed to discourage initiative
THE new regime is attempting to
nfing progress to the republic by be-
ginning an educational system, by en-
couraging steps toward agriculture, and
by improving stock-raising methods. In
some sections hay is being stored, Win
ter shelters constructed for the AMI
mails and wolves destroyed. A postal
system has been started, O currency
adopted and automobile lines opened
With Soviet assistance steamboats, have
Few naVigable rivers, the Selenga and
the Orkhon. These streams flow from
North Central Mongolia across the bcr-
der into Siberia and enter Lake Baikal.
Not q mile of railway exists in Mon
golia. Soviet Russia has, however, re-
Gently built q branch line from the
TranSsiberian Railway to Kyakhta, on
the northern border of the republic
very large percentage of Monaghan
commerce now moves through this rail-
head. The government has plans for
the building of the first railway on
Mongolian soil, extending from Ulan
Bator Hoto northeastward to the Trans