893.00/3–1645
Report by the Second Secretary of Embassy in China (Service)60
Subject: Communist Views in Regard to Mongolia.
Summary: Outer and Inner Mongolia are parts of China. Russia’s actions have not been aggressive. Given fair treatment, active assistance in improvement of their social, economic and cultural conditions, and autonomy on a federative basis, the peoples of Outer and Inner Mongolia will join together and remain a part of China. Otherwise, China cannot hold them. End of Summary.
Russia has and still does recognize Outer Mongolia as a part of China.61 Her actions there have been necessitated by the danger of a vacuum into which the Japanese could have come. They would not have been necessary if China had ever followed an enlightened policy toward the Mongols and was able to afford them adequate protection.
Russian treatment of the Outer Mongols has been just and highly beneficial to the Mongols. The people have been enabled to gain political freedom from the feudal princes and to curb the stultifying and repressive influence of the established Lama religion. Their economic condition has been greatly improved by training in modern animal husbandry and the introduction of agriculture and some industry. They have been given adequate means of self-defense.
The people of Inner Mongolia cannot help but contrast their conditions and the treatment they have traditionally received from the Chinese with the policies followed by the Russians.
[Page 285]A tendency for unity between the Outer and Inner Mongols is inevitable. But at present all Mongols, except the Princes and Lamas who have been bribed and corrupted by the Chinese, hate the Chinese. Chinese policy has aimed only at holding the allegiance of the top groups, while exploiting the rest of the people. The way that Chinese policy has “paid off”, even with the Princes, has been shown by their willingness during the present war to cooperate with and fight for the Japanese.
The only policy by which China can hope to hold the Mongols is to give them national autonomy on the basis of equality within a federative state. This will include the right of secession.
But mere granting of national autonomy will not be enough. China must desist from support of the feudal classes of Prince and Lama. The people must be given democratic rights and training in their use. There must be economic improvement. Better communications and non-exploitative trade with China must be developed. At the same time there must be friendly relations with the Soviet Union because Northern Mongolia must maintain economic ties with it. The Mongols must be permitted and encouraged to revivify their own national culture.
If these things are done, both Outer and Inner Mongols will be willing and glad to remain a part of China.
However, there seems at present to be little hope that the Kuomintang understands this or is willing to carry out these policies. In contradistinction to Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Three Peoples Principles, which clearly calls for the cultural equality and autonomy of minority nations, Chiang Kai-shek’s China’s Destiny shows a chauvinistic determination to obliterate these nationalities and deny them separate political or cultural existence. It is preposterous to claim, as Chiang does, that all the races of China are really one nation.
The general outline of these views has been stated by Mao Tse-tung in various conversations. Details and the whole summary substantially as here set forth were given by Po Ku62 in a conversation on September 3, 1944, from the notes of which this has been written.