761.93/138

The Russian Ambassador (Bakhmeteff) to the Secretary of State

The Russian Ambassador presents his compliments to the Honorable the Secretary of State and with reference to a memorandum submitted to the Department of State by the Russian Embassy on December 4, 1919, has the honor to transmit herewith a copy in French of a note dated Paris, December 15, 1919, submitted by the Russian Embassy in Paris to the Allied Powers, concerning violation by the Chinese Government of the Treaty of Pekin of 1913 and of the Agreement of Ourga of 1915.

[Enclosure—Translation7]

The Russian Embassy at Paris to the Representatives of the Allied and Associated Governments

The Russian Government has already had occasion to call the attention of the Allied and Associated Governments to the violation by China of her treaty obligations toward Russia.

Persisting in this course, the Chinese Government has just suppressed, in violation of the treaties in force, the existence of the autonomous state of Outer Mongolia, whose autonomous charter was recognized by China in the Peking treaty of 1913 with Russia and in the tripartite agreement of Ourga of 1915 between Russia, China, and Outer Mongolia.

As a matter of fact the Chinese Government has sent its troops to Ourga contrary to art. 7 of the treaty of 1915, and the Chinese general placed at their head has, by threats, forced the Mongolian ministers and some high dignitaries of the country to sign a petition demanding the incorporation of autonomous Mongolia by China. The Khutukhta, spiritual head of Mongolia, as well as the clergy and a majority of the other elements of the country, refuse to recognize the incorporation and are preserving a distinctly hostile attitude toward the Chinese.

In view of the situation created by this flagrant infraction of its international obligations committed by the Chinese Government and of the assault thus made on the political existence of a people which was able to recover its liberty in 1913 after several centuries of slavery, the Russian Government feels obliged to raise a formal protest on the subject before the Allied and Associated Powers, being convinced that the safeguarding of the treaties in force between [Page 760] China and the other powers is of the highest importance to all the interested Governments.

The Russian Embassy consequently has the honor to express the hope that the great powers will, in a spirit of international solidarity, kindly join their protests to that which has been made at Peking by the Russian Minister.

  1. File translation revised.