893.00/5–2145
The Second Secretary of Embassy in China (Rice) to the Secretary of State 51
[Received June 16.]
Subject: Attitude of Inner Mongolians Toward Possible Incorporation in Outer Mongolia and Communist Activity Directed Toward That End.
Sir: Reference is made to my despatches to the Embassy at Chungking no. 100 of December 23, 1944,52 “Statements of General Liu Chien-hua in regard to the Attitude of Authorities in Inner Mongolia” and no. 145 of March 11, 1945, “Reported Sending by Teh Wang of Emissaries to Outer Mongolia.” Reference also is made to the Department’s third person instruction to the Embassy of February 14, 194552 containing the following comment on the first-mentioned of the above despatches: “Mr. Rice’s care in explaining the need for accepting General Liu’s allegations with reserve has been noted. General Liu’s statement that Inner Mongolians would welcome incorporation with Outer Mongolia and prefer Soviet to Chinese domination raises an interesting question in regard to which it would be worthwhile to attempt to obtain more trustworthy information.” I have the honor now to report as follows further information in regard to the attitude of Inner Mongolians toward incorporation with Outer Mongolia and Communist activity directed toward that end. I have obtained this information from a Central Government officer who about two months ago left Inner Mongolia where he was Chief of Staff of the Pacification Bureau of one of the banners of the Mongol Ik’ochao League.
Summary: According to a Chinese Central Government agent from Inner Mongolia, Mongols there have to a great extent given up hope of achieving a satisfactory degree of self-determination within the framework of either Chinese or Japanese rule and are increasingly thinking of seeking unification with Outer Mongolia. Were Inner Mongolia to come under the control either of Communist Russia or the Chinese Communists, the latter would obtain direct access to Soviet-controlled territory and, probably, to Russian assistance. Natives of both Inner and Outer Mongolia are being utilized, the informant states, in the dissemination of Pan-Mongol propaganda and [Page 391] Chinese Communists are resorting, in some cases, to methods of intimidation against luke-warm Mongols. The Communists already have achieved a considerable measure of success; in view of this situation the informant greatly fears the effects which might ensue were Russia to intervene in the war on the continent of Asia and in Inner Mongolian affairs. (End of Summary.)
[Here follows detailed report.]
My informant ended his conversation on a note which has entered practically every conversation on international affairs I have had with Chinese during recent weeks. Voicing a dread which seems ever-present in the minds of a very great many Chinese and which evidently was called to the surface by our discussion of the Communists, he asked the question (which I, of course, did not attempt to answer), “If Russia enters the war against Japan, then what?”
Respectfully yours,
Approved for transmission:
For the Ambassador:
Robert L. Smyth
Counselor of Embassy
- In a memorandum of June 26 the Assistant Chief of the Division of Chinese Affairs (Chase) commented: “Rice records interesting evidence strengthening his previous report suggesting the likelihood of a movement for the incorporation of Inner Mongolia with Outer Mongolia … the prospects for a Soviet-Communist belt extending from Siberia almost to Peiping are especially deserving of attention. The despatch serves as one more warning of the vital need of winning Russian support of our efforts toward a united China, if the northern Provinces and territories of China are not to follow—in complete or partial degree—the example of Outer Mongolia. This despatch is … full of timely and useful information”. (893.00/6–445)↩
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