Evening star., 1934-10-28

same time bitterly assailing the powers
for their vivisection of China. War
lords in Manchuria reached out into
Eastern Inner Mongolia to take large
slices of choice Mongol pasture land
and incorporate it under the govern
ments of Jehol and Heilungkiang
provinces. In 1929 the new Nation
alist government at Nanking, avow-
edly anti-imperialist, executed stroke
against the Mongols even more i'm
perialistic than Chinese conquest of
Outer Mongolia 10 years earlier. The
Kuomintang regime quietly segmented
the western part Of Inner Mongolia
(that Is, excluding Jehol, which al
ready had become Chinese into
newly defined provinces of Chahar,
Suiyuan and Ninghsia.
Mongolia Being Eaten"
Thus, during the last decade, Mon
golia was rapidly being eaten" as the
Chinese say. Zones of Mongol free
dom of action everywhere were mar
rowing. In the south, Chinese agri-
culturists we're utilized in the schemes
of unscrupulous, land-grabbing mill
tarists, who helped themselves to the
fertile grasslands of Inner Mongolia.
In the east, the Manchuria generals
we're confiscating more and more
Mongol grazing lands.
But the occupation Of Manchuria
by japanese troops, the creation of
Manchoukuo, and especially the coro-
nation of Henry Pu-yi are events
which have brought about important
changes in the process of obliterating
the Mongols. Mongolia, with her un-
developed markets, her untouched coal,
iron and other mineral deposits, her
wool and hides, her entire latent eco
nonic wealth, above all her strategic
position on the continent, becomes a
new pivot of empire in Eastern Asia.
Since the Japanese began their mill
tary adventure on the Asiatic main
land they have devoted careful at
years previously japanese agents had
been investigating the resources of the
country, studying tribal relationships,
establishing friendly contacts with the
chiefs, bribing them, often peddling
drugs among them, always testing
their attitudes toward Russia and
China.
Based on this knowledge. the Jap
anese have evolved plans which ap-
pear to have won major Mongol sup
port of the new state. Certainly the
Mongols in. Manchoukuo today are the
least troublesome, and, perhaps. the
best satisfied of all subjects of Pu-yi
The latter has received pledges of
loyalty not only from the princes of
Mongol districts In Manchoukuo, but
also from a number of castiered po-
tentates, emigres from Outer Mongolia.
The princes seem to take his reign
quite seriously, so that if the real
motive behind the monarchy was to
win Mongol fealty to the central gov
ernment, it has richly fulfilled ex-
pectations.
Enjoy Greater Freedom.
The 100000 Mongols now living in
Manchoukuo are in many ways enjoy
ing a greater degree of freedom than
are their brothers under Russian and
Chinese influence. The japanese pol
icy includes extension to the princes
of generous measure of autonomy,
with the preservation Of Mongol right
Of pasture and camping. exclusion of
Chinese emigrantS and Chinese troops
from purely Mongol districts, and sup
port. even financial encouragement,
for the Lama priesthood.
A "Mongol culture" movement Is re-
ceiving encouragement from the jap
anese, who thus far have discreetly
avoided the wholesale importation of
"Japonica" which elsewhere follows in
the wake of their conquest Mongol
leaders are treated with dignity and
respect. Emphasis is placed on the
glorification of their warrior tradition.
High priests of Lamaism are accord
ed courtesieS that extend far beyond
mere tolerance Recently Manchoukuo
appropriated 100000 yen for the
preservation of historical monuments"
meaning mostly restoration work in
Jehol, chiefly on the celebrated Lama
Potala. Another 5000, 900 yen is to be
spent for similar purposes by the semi
official Japan n-Manchoukuo Cultural
Society.
Mongol youths are being educated
in Japan, marriages are being ar
ranged between Mongol princelings
and Japanese women, even though the
Mongol often has wife of his own
race in addition (polygamy being
legaD.
Given Privileged Position.
1t is clear that the japanese are
giving the Mongols a privileged posi-
ton. with the hope of being able to
rely upon them in managing the less
tractable Chinese subjects of the new
empire: the bandits" political and
economic. The Manchurian Mongols
generally dislike the Chinese and the
Japanese think Mongol troops could
be readily and effectively employed
against Chinese insurgents as well as
for guerrilla cavalry in any Russo
japanese war.
Thoughtful Russians and Chinese
have told me that they also are con-
vinced that the japanese intend to
use their Mongol divisions to foster
partisan warfare along the Man
choukuo- Mongolia frontier, and with
in both Outer Mongolia and China.
Recently reported clashes between
Mongol and Mongol-Buriat troops in
Outer Mongolia are pointed out as evi-
dence that such tactics are already
beginning. In fact the whole japanese
policy is interpreted by many as a
projection of the "Meiji' program,
which calls for the unification of all
of former Mongolia under Japanese
hegemcny as a prelude to the conquest
of North China.
Mongol troops trained for modern
warfare, airdromes and garrisons laid
out near the Mongolan frontier, new
mines and defense industries" and
strategic railways projected into Hsin-
gan and Jehol. Manchoukuo's Mongol
territories, suggest that the Japanese
have indeed a wide purpose in mind.
For three powers Mongolias future
Is matter of surprising Importance.
The Japanese believe that with their
control now intrenched in Man.
churia, the center of stress automati-
cally shifts farthest west. Not Man
churia, but China and Mongolia would
be the main stage of action in a
Russo Japanese war" one is told.