RUSSIA AND MONGOLIA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1595, 12 November 1912, Page 5

RUSSIA AND MONGOLIA.

i; CHINESE PROTE&T. By Telegraph—Press Association—Gonytlsnl: Poking, November 10. China hag protested against the RussoMongolian Convention...',-._ - . ,FUtO'RE OF THE MONQOtS* RUSSIAN POIiCY IN THE FARt,.;|;4 ; ; ; EAST.. The" 1 Russian-attitude towards Mongolia, tlKyvastiregiott in the north nhd west of. China, was referred to. by M. Saz.ano.<t,-the Russian Minister for' Foreign Affairs, ui. a speech in.the Duma on April-2G last. if.-'Sazanoff saidi— ' "The now Chinese Government has not yof been definitely .constituted?, nor havethe'- Powers., been', requested to iccptfiijse. ..it. To the- regimo Russia. Is indifieront, ; and in. the struggle of parties she h neutral, restricting her activity' to the protection of her own interests. "Northern Mongolia,, or Khalkha, has seceded, from China, and entreated her . Slav* neighbour to espouse her cause, Some Russians hive clamoured for the prqntiilgatioui of a Protectorate, others, havo anathematised all forms of activity,, whe . th.er intervention pf Mediation;. but .the . Government i.has chbseuthe happy niedium between these, extremes, Mongolia is tho v ■ common name for several provinces which. [ have. little in. camtnojl. Inner- Mongolia gravitates' towards the South Manchurian railway' ssdrjft Eastern Mongolia, beionsre. to' Maricburia; Northern Mongolia, vwh.ibh is, sundered from China, by the Gobi, Desert, consoiffesa- physiognomy of its own. . The inhabitants of this . prcivinpo are . nomads''gpverhed,by princes. The Chin* feso element is :insigniWnt. ; ■ "The secession, was brought, about by ■ China', persistently ignoring t.ho institu- . tions.custojns, a.nd: heeds of thq population, arid attempting to quarter; troops among them,, to give, them a Chinese Administration, and to eblonise the country. The. Pontiff,, or IChijtuWiti!, headed a successful Separatist. movement. But Mon- . gotta is nnprepnred' for independence, lacking as she does leaders, money,, and an army. Her separation from China :m:,ould. therefore compel Russia to occupy the' country, or else permit the Chinese to re-enter, it. as conquerors. Anxious 'to escape from this embarrassing, dilemma, the Russian Government agreed to mediate, between China and Mongolia on three conditions:. China must undertake to cense colohtsittn' the country, stationing 1 troops- there, and sending Chinese admin-, istratien thitber. - - ■ _ . "I inysrff fail to-perceive grounds forcible enough -to compel us to admit that the aunelation of Northern Mongolia would be beneficial to us.. Our interests require only that in conterminous Mengoliii there should-bo no strong nlili.tary State. Thanks to'the .neighbourhood of the Mongolian, our Siberian frontier; is' better protected than if we built fortresses along it, and stationed formidable garrisons there." ■ •' , : ' .