CO129-582-22 Visit of Sir Stafford Cripps to China 13-12-1939 - 4-7-1940 — Page 65

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Ambassador used to be to the Chinese Governments. Indeed, the Russian Consulate in Urumchi is much more like an embassy in size and atmosphere than a consulate. He is also, I believe, the only foreign representative in Sinkiang apart from our own consul at Kashgar who is many days away from Urumchi by road. Everyone we came across connected with the Administration, customs, police, &c., was Sinkiangese or Chinese. In all our time in Sinkiang, both in Ili, Urumchi, Tulufan and Hami, and during our drive we saw no evidence whatever of any Russian troops or air force. It is inconceivable, if there had been such forces in North Sinkiang, that we should have seen no evidence of them whatsoever.

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146. Perhaps the most important indication of all of the degree of Russian influence comes from another direction. I was told, and there is no doubt as to the accuracy of the statements, that during the Russian revolution a large number of White Russians crossed into Sinkiang and that very many of them have remained there ever since. These White Russians who gave the present Governor great assistance at the time of his coming to power in conjunction with "Red Russians have settled down in large numbers and constitute one of the fourteen different nationalities that inhabit Sinkiang. They have precisely the same civil rights as all other nationalities, even though they are not naturalised Chinese. The Russian Consul, in reply to my question as to whether there were large numbers of Russians in Sinkiang, stated that there were, but that the great majority of them were White Russians, for whom obviously he had no sympathy. It is extremely unlikely, if the Administration were controlled by Russia, that these White Russians would be allowed to remain on the Russian border or that they would be treated as well as they are.

147. So far as other foreign relationships are concerned, I asked Mr. Peng whether the Government would be glad of British assistance, and he replied that they certainly would, provided it was offered and given without any imperialist motive behind it. He stated that China had had too bitter an experience of Western imperialism for them to allow any repetition of such experiences in Sinkiang. It is clear, that in the light of the present policies that are being followed in Great Britain, they would not allow any intervention by Britishers or accept any assistance from the British Government. So far as I was concerned they were extremely courteous and they issued me a most cordial invitation to return at any time. I suggested to them that they might invite the British Ambassador to visit Sinkiang and they promised to give the matter consideration. Such a visit would I think be an excellent precedent.

148. With regard to India they stated that the friction that had arisen during the Mahometan rebellion had now disappeared and that there was no longer any trouble with Kashgar. They are to-day thinking in terms of an independent India and are most anxious to cultivate good relations with those (i.e., the Congress leaders) whom they think will control the new India.

149. So far as internal matters are concerned, very considerable progress has been made since the April revolution. The speed of this progress must be judged in the light of their poverty, the sparseness of the population and their determina- tion to avoid financial exploitation which in their view might result from borrowing from abroad. After the revolution a three-year plan was started upon which is now completed and they are proceeding with a second three-year plan. The first plan concentrated almost entirely upon three matters, improve- ment of transportation and communications, education and agriculture.

Transportation and Communications.

150. The first part of this programme was to build roads suitable for motors and lorries across the province from east to west and from north to south. These are now constructed and are being improved, but are sufficiently good to allow of "motor buses" being run with some degree of regularity in both directions. The only road that we travelled was from west to east and on the whole it was quite good. Our time from Ili to Urumchi, practically continuous driving, was thirty-six hours, and from Urumchi to Hami twenty-seven hours, each distance being about 420 miles. This gives an idea of the quality of the road. Actually the road from Ili to Urumchi was the better, but the travelling conditions were very much worse. Both were suitable for lorries and were being used by them but only to a very limited extent. I do not think we met more than twenty lorries going either way during the whole time, except in Urumchi itself, where of course

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