'Te Moxsots oF Manco Their Tribal 'Divisfons, Geographleal Distribution, Historteai 'Relations. with Manchvs land. Chinese and' Present Political Probiems—By Owen Lattimore. With Mapa. Allen & Unwin, London, This is sri exceptionally valuable book which demands special attention at the present time, Mr. Lattimore has made Mongolia his own subject, and here he sets down information the form of a historical survey for the enlightenment of students of Far Eastern" affairs. Numerically the 'Mongols are important as the largest racial minority" in Manchuria, Mr. Lattimore estimates that their population is about two millions, and he argues that its importance has been usually minimized in order to enhance' the valve of the Chinese character of Manchuria. The Mongols, Mr. Lattimore, are referred to forming from thee to five per' Gent, of the population, oF. in. terms population per square mile, which makes them appear inconsiderable and {reales the. Impressfon that all" that Surplus land ought to be taken away land given to somebody who could Wee Ie" Tmia" fs unfortunate, since the Monat euestinn -emnnot. "be properly Hence came enormous fortunes made by Chinese officials out of Manchuria, and in the long run led to the debsele of 1931 owing to the inability of the Chinese Government to ensure fair treatment for the Manchurian farmer and peasant.
The Mongolians themselves have suffered heavily from internal differ fences, and the faire of Inner and Outer Mongolia to unite was a ser ous set-back to Mongolian solidarity. The fatal point of Mongolian weakness has been the lack of astute poll-tical judgment and, "consequently. they have been at the mercy of more Powerful nations governed by a definite sense vf direction and aim.
The new hope animating the people of Inner Mongolia hus been stimulated by the coronation of the Emperor Kang Teh. This action on the part of the Japanese was looked upon with favour by the Monogolians. as they felt it committed Japan definitely to the preservation of the independence of Manchoukuo:
For the Mongols especially the recognition of the legitimist heir of the Manchu Emperors ax the sovereign Manchukuo is significant. The. Mon-sols had never looked on the Mauch Emperors as allen conquerors. The Manchurian" Mongols. in. particular. Deeause they had been alles. of the Manchus "even" before. the Manchs bana position are. all considered and "unless possibilities. of eeanomtc Geveronment "other than colonization ive fairly appraised The strategic importance of the Mongol territory of Manchuria anolvsed and thus considerable Hight thrown riven the political developments of the Tost few years and the possibilities of the future. The new Mongol province of Hsingan, which fs the largest in Manchoukuo meet remote from immediate influence, Unity amene the Monst 1 than. any Mongo! candidate could The Mon Fivioe princes are all descendants Chines Khan, or. in the eave the Kharehin prinees in Jehol. of hie oueMter. "There fz no. convincing com why one.of them should.
supreme over the others. The Manche Keep on good terms with them. The Japanese policy, Mr. Lattimore sus esta, will be. directed towards establishing with the Mongolians The autonomy movement in Chinese favourable comparison between Man-Inner Mongolia has for its inspiration choukuo and the essentially generous the practical bargaining instinct for Polley of the Soviet Union towards judeing whether better terms can be Outer Mongoll Obtained from the Chinese Govern-Jment than from Manchoukuo. Mr.
If the Monsols of Manchurta should bbe antagonized by Japan, they could Lattimore feels that, "innitely: Increase the "aimeutty also. plain enough that from Banding the "frontier problems the point' of" view of Manchukuo tt Muanchowkuo.. Hf, on the other hand.
Would be better not to instigate {they are won over to Japanese polices, they cane made the most effective ising tu Chinese Inner Mongolia, but come to. the. support of arm Doratbie screen between the Javanese which the" Mongols themselves. had Begun, If the Mongols were to. robe! outright "against China. they. would have to appeal to Manchukuo for port. From the point of view of the Mongols, however. it. would. be Of Shean nnd Manchowio far nit better to make Manchukuo (and frontier between Chinn and Taner therefore" Japan) commit iteelt frst Monae, thus cutting of the Chines apmenach: tothe term irverionta. and by supplying arme.and offering open hoidne communication betwen China Svoport. 'This would be a muaranter {hat the Mongols were not being used fanny antieJapanese movement. in Simply to bring bargaining pressure on 'China, so would commit Japan and' Nevorthelesc, there are certain'
Mancbulwo to a. permanent polley of Japanese ambitions for building no support for the conservative Moncole, finder terme favorable to the Mon continental power including all Montrols themselves. golia in order to obtain a dominating direction of pulley towards China or The fundamental point which Mr. report thir view Lattimore makes is that no Japanese continental policy can be applied the pellet that a Japanese alliance would enable them to restore the without an active Mongolia policy. position of hereditary princes, But he sees grave danger in the prospect of civil war in Mongolia 'As for the Mongols, they have been faced for a. generation by: the blank the pick of the alternative of Russia "or China: but Monigot motion to-day are the youn the action of Japan' has broken thi Intellectuals "who believe. that opposition and. instituted ati iecessful revival of the Mongols can-Bblance of power. Tt, say the Mongols. hot be achieved by patching up the Amo believe In the dour Turkieh way hat i demande the Of defiance to all comers, the Mongols ful "back on themselves ae did the Turks under Kemal, and et Russians, noaneen ana Chinese all against each other, than thew Younger men are to be found through= Dut riner Mongolia aswell asin Chineuls "Rowdn returning Nietory, and at the same. ti On the other hand the conservative teaders, the princes end. the high irks, In'yet evident Interesting observations are made on Chinese colonization of Manchuria, and on this point Mr. Lattimore remarks:
'An astonishing proportion of the virgin' prairies", atomized" by the Chinese during "6 Manchurian pansion which appeared to miraculous for tke vutelde world, conslated lend already cultivated by the Mon~ els, often for a generation or more, It Was they "who had developed from virgin prairie to successful eulre' torn" ut of. ume, {raaition te now decayed.
hard, though It may make st clean and strone again {ime 0 lead. the nation aa, tribal ing believes that it should The initiative lies with Japan: and while Russian polley is necessarily defensive, Japan may, be inclined to forward i Mongolia with results prejudicial to the peaceft? solution o° the problems which must inevitably become more insistent as the advancing pressure of Japanese expansion As for the character of the Mon-gobans, the author has great sympathy With a hardy and energetic asricultural people, The - tribal trodition= tend to weaken their powers of combination. and they have their defects which Become specially marked wher contact is made with other nations polo for nnd hed been cultivating woe Gown praivte and art of the public Somaine They must either buy it all ver rain rom the land corns Proud of their past, and skilled it coping with the asperities of mane they resent, however, an attractive example of " patriarchal people whic? has not unsuccessfully kept its balance amid the changing forees of modern
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.