Friday, 10 October

At 8.00 in the morning I attended the Memorial Week service in the Nationalist Government headquarters. After, I went with Wang Chonghui to his home. Then I went with him to buy used books. From four to six o’clock the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received foreign guests in the Military Committee. Many foreign guests and important people from the military and political sectors came; some two hundred and eighty people in total. The celebration was really a grand affair since the War of Resistance. It so happened that the news of our army having entered Yichang came and people were extremely delighted. Also, foreigners have not tried Sanbian wine for a long time. Now as a celebration cocktail, Sanbian wine and red wine were all available, which pleased the foreign guests. The Soviet Ambassador to China asked me my view on the development of affairs in the Pacific. I said I was concerned that the negotiations between the United States and Japan would not have any result, and that the Japanese warlords would attack the moderate faction, and that faction would not be able to remain. The influx of the radical faction would disregard everything and take the risk to have military operations, therefore the Soviet Union should make preparations to guard against invasion in advance. He quite agreed with what I said. He also asked me about the rumours that in the negotiations between the United States and Japan they had signed an article of compromise, and whether this was right or not. I replied that I had never heard of it. According to my own observation, Roosevelt would certainly not betray China, and also’ he did not dare to betray China. Furthermore, the American Government had clearly expressed its opinion to us. He said he thought likewise. He also hoped that the negotiations between the United States and Japan would declare no result as soon as possible. I asked him about the recent war situation between Germany and the Soviet Union. He said the German army might press nearer to Moscow, but it would absolutely be unable to take southern Moscow. The war could also retard the advance of the German army towards the Caucasus. He asked me if the American assistance could satisfy us. I said yes, because there was no limit on the amount, but the most difficult thing for us was transportation. I said as the materials transported from Yunnan-Burma Road were limited, if the Northwest route was still open and the Soviet Union had spare energy to help us, I really hoped that the Soviet Union would try its best to help us. He said the Soviet Union was now in difficulty, he was afraid that it might not have spare power to help, but China should be clear about the Soviet attitude. I replied that I also knew the Soviet Union’s difficulties. It was only that our situation was like this that I had to tell him the whole thing in great detail.

In the evening, Chen Bozhuang came to discuss the matter of Fan. His situation was really miserable.