leaders as the mysterious General MA Chung-ying - reportedly "kept" by the Russians for the past
ten years for just such a possible eventuality. Chinese concern is shown by the numerous rumors
of MA's appearance and by the anxiety to get the Chinese 42nd Army - one of General HU
Tsung-man's best units - to Sinkiang as rapidly as possible. All trucks in Kansu are reported to
have been commandeered for this purpose.
 
              Russian policy, at least in regard to Outer Mongolia, appears to have been clearly tested.
It is obvious that the Russians intend to stand by Outer Mongolia and to keep the country free - in
other words, an autonomous republic under Soviet influence.
 
              This stand which the Russians have been maneuvered into taking may convince some
sections of Chinese and foreign opinion that Russia has sinister designs in China and the rest of
East Asia. But if the Chinese expected active British and American support, they have so far been
disappointed. The foreign press seems to have given the matter little notice. The United States has
shown little desire to complicate its relations with an important ally over what appears to be a
border incident, possibly arising from Chinese provocation. And we have declined the bait of
modified involvement by sending representatives to investigate, under Chinese auspices.
 
     It seems significant that up to the time that the TASS report reached the world press and it
had become obvious that foreign reaction was slight. The Chinese emphasized the
aspect of Outer Mongol-Russian aggression and made sure, officially in Sinking and unofficially in
Chungking, that the story was spread widely in all quarters. After that time,
however, the Chinese have shown obvious confusion over the publicity policy which should be
adopted and have stopped any eftforts to play up the story. The TASS report was excluded
from the Chinese press, and any news of the present situation in Sinkiang is unobtainable. The
attitude of the spokesmen at the reported press conferernce strongly supports the general rumor
that no Sinkiang news is to be released except by or with the express approval of the
Generalissimo himself. Exceptions to this behavior have been a few officials, such as
SUN Fo, who from the beginning seem to have seen the dangers of the situation and disagreed
with attempts to distort and magnify it, even though these attempts seem to have sprung
from the Generalissimo.
                         -8-