Since the 13th-Century reign of Genghis Khan, the Mongols of northern China have been a proud, fierce people. They have fought Chinese and Japanese with equal stubbornness. Just as stubbornly they have fought among themselves. Outer Mongolia fell under Soviet influence; then Inner Mongolia, stretching north from China's Great Wall to the Gobi, became the Japanese puppet state of Meng-Chiang.
The Japanese gave Mongolian nationalists a high-sounding Mongolian United Autonomous Government. They introduced a "planned economy" to exploit herdsmen and coolies, to loot mines and resources. The arrangement was eminently pleasing to the Japanese. Not only did they drain Inner...