The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-27
CHINA, RUSSIA,
 JAPAN VIE FOR
 INNER MONGOLIA
Local Officials Flaunt the Chinese Rule, Favor
 SOviets
By D. 0. BEss

f1ynated Press Stan Corresponient.) }
 Peiping.-The Chinese govern ment is beginning to show serious concern about the developments in sinlxiang and Inner Mongolia, where Soviet influence has become go great that Chinese oficials are openly haunted by the local rules. Plans gre announced for expeditions into Sinkiang and the northwest gener- aliy. designed to repair Chinese control.
 Warnings have been made by travellers for several years past that chinese neglect would lose control of this vast and potentially rich region if something was not done eoon. Thousands of Russians en- tered the district, and trade has been diverted almost entirely through Russia.
 North China already has suffered considerably by the loss of this inn portant trade. which moved through Kalgan to Peiping and Ttentsin. Iack of communication along the route and the presence of rowing bandits who attacked caravans have almost entirely stopped the trade In furs. metals and camel's hair.
 Soviet Russia has apparently xauged the trade possibilities of the region, and is reported to have sent faraa suantities of Russian manufac- lures there. Importers in Tientsin and elsewhere in China have suf- fersd thereby.
 Letters recently received here have come from Urumchi through Russia and Manchuria, instead of <HA a1A 1.nr1fA fhrnn0h 1H. rer Mongolia. This is evidence of the fact that communications with sSinkiang are now almost entirely through Russia.
 Although some Chinese leaders have been aware of the danger of losing control of this vast region, civil wars have engrossed so much attention that the government was helpless to act. Now. however. the sum of $1,000,000 silver has been set aside to pay for a scientific explora- ton party to study the geographical, biological, archaeological and ar- chaeological conditions in the north- west.
 It remains to be seen whether the government has waited too long. Sinkiang. or Chinese Turkestan, has bene virtually independent of China for many years, and Russians have been a power in the region. grow ing greater every year. It Is possi- ble that Russian influence has be- come 50 great that it cannot be re. faxed.
 Japan has watched developments in this region with concern. A number of attempts have been made to discover the mineral wealth or the region by Japanese explorers, but the local authorities are suspl- caous of such attempts, and even held up Sir Aure1 Stein's scientific expedition this winter on that ac- count.
 Al party of Japanese traders, sheep raisers and farmers, gradu- ates of the Colonization College of < Tokyo, are planning to start for In. r1er Mongolia this summer, hopeful 0f founding a colony which will give \ .Japanese a foothold there.
 From present indications, Sim kfang and Innner Mongolia prom ises to be the site of three cornered battle for control such as has existed in North Manchuria, with Russia, Japan and China as the protagonists. As in North Man churia. the Russians have big sfart. the Japanese are not far be- hind. while the Chimes. are well in the rear. Now that China has en- tered the battle in earnest, the at tempt will be watched with much interest,