Wednesday, 2 July

At 3.15 p.m. a phone message from the Security Office saying that the Generalissimo wanted to see me at 4.00 p.m. today. I said I could hardly fly there but agreed to do my best. So I took the Yuan car and got to Chungking at 6.30 p.m. I called on the Generalissimo. He said he wanted me to be Guo Taiji’s Vice-Minister and asked whether the latter had spoken to me. I replied Guo had, but I proposed to Guo Taiji that he retain Xu Mo. The leader said it was already decided that Xu Mo is allowed to leave and so asked me not to refuse. He said there were so few among the party members who could be asked to shoulder heavy responsibilities in diplomatic work and so I should take up that work again. Furthermore, with my past relations with Guo Taiji I should not refuse, he added. He then told me how I should reform the Ministry etc. When I tried to say more on the subject he practically sealed my mouth by saying that my new work would certainly be harder than my present but as a member of the Party I should not refuse any difficult work. He even asked me not to return to Dushiqiao today but go to the Ministry to start my work there tomorrow. He then asked my opinion on the general world situation which I replied to the utmost of my knowledge. He seemed anxious to get good men and asked me about the Legislative Yuan members and my staff. I mentioned Xia Jinlin, Lui Chieh, Lin Bin, Lou Tongsun and Pao Dezheng. He noted them down. After I left the Generalissimo I went to Dr. Wang Chonghui’s place where I had my supper and afterwards called on President Sun Fo. He had known of my coming. In fact, he had had lunch at the Generalissimo’s today when the leader asked him to release me from the Yuan to go the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He could hardly refuse and so replied he would gladly let me off. The Generalissimo then ordered that I should be sent for immediately. He (Dr. Sun Fo) therefore remarked that I had to leave my comfortable home in the country to take up much more difficult work. I then called on Guo Taiji who told me in more detail about their conversations during lunch time. It was there and then I decided that I should take up my post at the Ministry tomorrow morning even before my formal appointment.