Outer Mongolia

According to report, Outer Mongolia is to be declared a republic. After the Chinese revolution of 1912,

Outer Mongolia (about half the size of continental U. S.) declared its independence from China and proclaimed as Emperor the Hutuktu (Living Buddha). The Hutuktu, spiritual and temporal head of the State, ruled autocratically in much the same way as the Popes used to rule the Papal States.

Mongolian independence was guaranteed by Russia in 1912 and in 1913 a Chino-Russian pact recognized the autonomy of the country, but under Chinese sovereignty. The Russian revolution of 1917, however, brought swarms of Bolsheviki into the country and the Hutuktu was forced in 1919 to petition China for the cancelation of Mongolia's independence.

In 1921, however, Baron Ungern von Sternberg, leader of an anti-Bolshevik force, forced the Hutuktu again to declare the independence of Outer Mongolia. In the Spring of the same year von Sternberg was defeated and executed ; Mongolia fell under the influence of the Soviet Government at Moscow, thus leaving China's position with regard to Mongolia obscure.

The recently concluded treaty between China and Russia (TIME, June 9) undoubtedly established the true status of Mongolia, as that was the outstanding agendum in the protracted conference at Peking. The terms of the treaty have, however, not yet been published.