Evening star., 1939-02-05
Inner Mongolia Supplies Both
Tinder Box and battle-ground
Japan Wins and Then Woos Mongols for the Day
When the Inevitable Second Russo
Japanese War Breaks
By T. A. Steele.
Foreign Correspondence OF the Chicago Daily News.

Mongols have best earned the designa-
ton teachers pets The princes and
herdsmen of the Mongolian steppes are
the darlings of Japanese imperialism
because they are simple and compliant
and are useful tools against China and
Soviet Russia.
Here in Inner Mongolia the japanese
Army has rewarded the Mongols for
their tractability by carving out of North
China a Mongolian state, which en-
braces an egg-shaped area somewhat
larger than California.
The autonomous government of the
United Leagues of Mongolia-as the
Japanese creation is called-is headed
by Mongols, Offered by Mongols and
policed by a so-called Mongolian army.
In short, the Mongols are being &C
corded more face" than they have en-
joyed for years. Yet they have never
been so firmly transfixed under an alien
thumb as now.
The Mongolian prince who sat facing
us in the headquarters of the Mon
golian autonomous government at Hou.
no, Suiyuan Province, is one of the truly
enigmatic personalities OF Asia. He has
been called traitor and an opportunist
by the Chinese, sincere friend and ally
by the japanese and modern Ghenghis
Khan by his followers. All may be part
ly right. He ranks, also. as one of the
most important personalities in Asia, for
the japanese certainly intend to utilize
him-if he is willing-as a screen for
further Asiatic conquests.
Prince Teh Heads Government.
This 37-year-old womanish-faced Mon
gol, sitting utterly expressionless, with
hands folded into the capacious sleeves
of his silk Mongolian gown, is Prince
Teh, chairman of the autonomous gov
ernment which could not exist without
Japanese support. Sitting at his right,
on the plush sofa, is japanese colonel
At his left, in Chinese gown, lolls the
puppet Mongolian war minister. Gen.
Ii Shou-hin, who, though less influential
than Prince Teh, is militarily more pow
erful
Yet I don't believe that Prince Teh
has become a japanese stooge. He is
acting from expediency, believing that
anything which helps to strengthen the
Mongolian people, even if it means ac-
cepting help from the japanese. brings
nearer his dream of Mongolian inde-
pendence.
While Prince Teh is certainly the most
influential and popular Mongolian dig
nitary outside Sovietized Outer Mon
golia, he is less powerful than several Of
his underlings who work more closely
with the Japanese. Most of the real
work of the Mongolian government here
is done by Manchukuoan Mongols grad
are completely compliant to japanese
wishes.
Different From Chinese.
While the Mongols are racially related
to the Chinese, they are as different in
appearance, in language and in tradi-
tions as the Nordic peoples and the
Latins They are herdsmen, while the
Chinese are farmers and traders. For
decades the Chinese have been attempt
ing by a process of colonization and po-
lticai manipulation to swallow up the
Mongols, whom they regard as an in
ferior and barbaric race. This the Mon
gols have resented.
When Japanese influence began seep-
ing into Mongolia a few years ago, the
Chinese realized their mistakes and
made feeble effort to curry Mongolian
favor by permitting establishment of an
autonomous Mongolian government over
areas in which the Mongols were nu-
merically preponderant. But they were
too late. The Japanese have swept away
the foundations on which the Chinese
were building, and now are attempting
to exploit the traditional Mongol dislike
for the Chinese.
The Japenese have gone the Chinese
one better in their concessions to Mon
golian nationalism. They have given
the Mongols authority not only over the
thinly populated pasture lands but also
over an important part of the Chinese
settled area of Mongolia. 1t is an ironic
fact that of the 100000 people under
the administration Of the Mongolian
| autonomous government, only 100000
are Mongols. Virtually all the remainder
are Chinese.
I believe it is safe to say that the
Mongols dislike the Japanese as much
as they do the Chinese-if not more
But the Mongols realize their utter help
lessness and know that they have no
choice but to cooperate with the army
which happens to be sitting on them at
the moment. The Mongols are the
worlds greatest opportunists. but there
is no race which has stronger sense
of racial pride. They don't care who
gives them guns and money and air.
planes as long as it enables them to
press little nearer their ultimate goal
| complete independence.
Army Given Broad Powers.
The Mongolian Army, an assortment
Of 10000 nondescriuts and ex-bandits re.
cruited in Manchukuo, is given more au.
| thority and freedom Of movement than
the japanese would ever dream of giving
| to a Chinese Army. Unfortunately fol
the Japanese, however, these armed
| roughnecks have violated this trust by
| mistreating the people, robbing occa-
sional caravans and indulging in little
orgies of looting whenever the oppor-
! t. ~. 4.