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.
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.
Paris, December 15,
1919.
