Evening star., 1947-06-19
Autonomy Move Seen
Factor in 5inkiang
Invasion BY kongoIs.

u
Press correspondent In Shanghai,
feto to Tih,pG, capital OF China's
remote Sinkfang Propince, to OBJ
tain the first direct report br an
American netrsn1an on the recent
border clash between Outer Mon
ooIinns and Chinese in dispute
neper jaly made clear by Chi
nese dispatches
By Tom Mosterson
Associated Pres, Foreign cou.spondsns
TTHWA. June II Delayed) The
fighting. which apparently didn't
amount to much In the first place,
has died down in the Sinkiang-
Outer Mongolian border clash-but
explosive questions remain.
Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek' s
top representatives in Northwest
China charge that Soviet Russia
inspired the incident which fiared
up June s.
The spokesmen-a general and
q Foreign Ministry ofhcial-charged
that Russia is trying to wrest at
least economic control of this vast
barren province from China, and is
using pro-Soviet Mongolians to help
accomplish It,.
They add that Outer Mongolia
has territorial ambitions in Sim
kiang. and wants to push the
boundary line 125 miles farther
south.
The general said three parties
were behind the border trouble
Outer Mongolisns. three pro-Soviet
rebel groups within Sinkiang and
a third party by which he indis-
putably meant Russia.
Claims Invasion Beaten Back.
Details still are not entirely clear
nor plentiful. The Chinese gen.
eral intimated the Sinkiang pro-
vincial troops defeated and pushed
back the Mongolians to their own
border. But he wasn't exactly ex-
plicit.
Central News Agency reports that
Soviet planes were involved are gen.
orally debunked, however. The gen.
eral said f1ve planes bombed the
provincial troops positions for foul
days. One plane was shot down but
laned in Outer Mongolian territory
The Nationalist officer refused tc
say whether the planes were Rus
sian. He said reports averred the
the aircraft had markings similar
to the Soviets' red star and that the
Mongolians wore caps with insignia
resembling the Russian.
Other sources said they did not
consider this unusual since the Rus
slams organized. trained and
equipped the Outer Mongolian
Army.
Autonomy Demanded.
Another source, Gen. Chang Chin
chung, director of Gen. Chiang's
northwest headquarters, told me
that ''rebeliious pro-Soviet" ele-
ments were demanding autonomy in
this frontier province.
Gen. Chang stated, however. that
he did not anticipate difficulties" in
completing reorganization of the
provincial government--under the
control of China.
Others In Tihwa were not so op-
timistic They argeed the situation
was not likely to erupt again in the
near future. But they predicted
further and more severe trouble
within six months, principally in the
regions along the borders Of Russia
and Outer Mongolia.
There is unrest in these areas
particularly Tahcheng, Asian. In
ing and Iii, where non Chinese, who
comprise 30 per cent OF the popula-
ton, strongly favor Russia to China
for chiefly economic reasons.
Dislike Chinese Rule.
Some want autonomy for Sin
kiang-which is almost as large as
Mexico. Others want to set up THEN
own republic--a republic of Eastern
Turkestan-which, like Outer Mon
golia would be aligned with Russia
One source. who asked that his
name be withheld, said most oi
Sinkiang's residents dislike being
governed by Chinese. despite the
fact that Sinkiang with its Mo-
! hsmmedan Gov. Messud Sabre Il
practically governed. The ma
)ority are non- Chinese-1urks, Mo.
hsmmedans and Mongols.
Accompanying this smoldering re.
bellion is a feeling of uneasiness
among Chinese and the few for
eigners here.
+ Prior to the war, Sinkiang, be-
cause of Its proximity to Russia, was
under Soviet influence Russia trad
ed clothing, trucks, harware ano
other manufactured goods for Sin
kiang's wool, leather, tungsten
cereal and other produce.
Second MonooIion Roid