Page:With the Russians in Mongolia.djvu/34



OW does Russian influence affect British interests?" is the first question which arises in the mind of a Britisher when reading of any Russian advance in the Far East.

There seems no doubt that Russia's aim in obtaining a dominating influence in Mongolia has been in order to obtain a buffer state between herself and China. Her Eastern Diplomatic Authorities own that they fear that China may become some day too strong for Russia. Russia has had one experience of the rapid growth of an Eastern nation's military prowess, and she does not intend to allow China to balk her well-laid plans. She fears Chinese insidious commercial enterprise, Chinese admirable colonial methods. She does not want China along her frontier, and the subsequent expense of a frontier line to guard. From a British point of view, one cannot help seeing the danger of any Russian in-