Dec. 23, 'THE agreement said to have been concluded between Marshal Feng Vu-hsiang and the Soviet] and sent to us to-day by Mr. Rodney Gilbert from the "Far with comments)
Before the Tientsin paper published it, it had appeared in Hankow about igo, was copied thence by the "Sinwanpao" and from translated into our columns. The terms are sufficiently alike to show that it is always the came document. More interesting still, a Russian copy of the text is in existence in a certain quarter and Mr, Rodney Gilbert, who is well known to be careful about his facts, is quite con-Vinced of the authenticity of document. There is practically no doubt that Marshal Feng has Leen receiving weekly supplies of munitions from Urga for several ninths, or that Russian military instructors have been working for him at Kalgan and Loyanj Statements to this effect have been printed in the "North-China Daily News" and have gone unchallenged, although Marshal Feng has vehemently repudiated more than once the charge that he is a Bolshevi The broad terms of the bargain are simple enough. Moscow rets the right to build two railways in Mongolia and Marshal Feng gets the services of military instructors and a monthly military subvention. Outside these, however, there are some curious items. "For example, the Bolsheviks are to have freedom of propaganda and residence, but they are not to be allowed to deliver lectures. One wonders why. The mass effect of lectures on a soldier, or any, audience may be dangerous: but one would have thought that that of propaganda, with which is linked up the formation of Communist would have been. far more so, Again, the Urga Soviet Republic is not to be invaded. The tacit assumption that Mongolia is an independent State—independent at least of Ciina—is noteworthy in view of Mos-[cow's spontaneous promise given in 1919 that Mongolia should be fanded back to China; her renewal of that pledge in the Russo-Chinese Agreement of Sune 77 and the assurance made last spring that it was then being evacuated by the Soviet. much for Bolshevik promises. There will be a good deal of curiosity as to the terms of the Arms Agreement Loan February 13 referred to in one paragraph; and we think that Chinese will be not a little al armed at the prospective loan of 50,000 Bolshevik troops. An attack on China by an "Imperial" Power is altogether too unlikely, to cause concern: but other contingencies might easily arise which this part of the agreement could be made to cover.
We see no reason why the agreement should not be authenie. Marshal Feng may. very well say that because you enter into an agreement for a given purpose, you do not necessarily, commit yourself to his principles or policy. And there is nothing, in the agreement for which he [could not find precedent in the recent history of his own country. Li Hung-chang and the Manchus had the: assistance of General Gordon against the Taipings; the Anfu Government in Peking in 1919 and 1920 certainly had Japanese military instructers for their troops; Marshal Chang Tso-lin is well known to have foreign experts in his ar-serials and a regiment of White Russians in his army. Why should Marshal Feng not avail himself of the services of Red Russia for the end he has in sw, especially remembering the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.