Monday, 1 January
New Year’s Day
Today is New Year’s Day of 1951. Looking back for the past one year, the international situation is as unstable as ever. However, the economic recovery in Western Europe has made substantial progress, even if the mentality of fearing the Soviet Union has not diminished in the slightest. As for the Far Eastern side, the happening of the Korean War has reduced the arrogance of the United States a little bit. But as the Chinese Communists join the war, the pain of suffering by the Chinese people will grow much deeper, which makes me feel really sad. For my personal aspect, in the past one year I have achieved nothing. Though my French learning had made some progress, not everything came my way. Also, my relatives living in China have all written to me to tell of their bitter poverty. I am unable to help. I feel truly sorry for this. Luckily, Huiming and Jinpei have married. When girls grow up it is right that they marry and I felt quite relieved.
In the afternoon, elder Miss Qian and Qian Jiaqi came to greet me a Happy New Year. Minister Duan Guanhai also came along with Counselor Chen Xongfei(陳雄飛), Secretary Ding Yuzheng(丁于正), and Commissioner Guo Fupei(郭福培) and others. I invited them to have afternoon tea. Duan Kuanhai said he heard that Huang Qiang is drawing closer to the Kuomintang. I replied that I have not heard of it. Recently, Huang Qiang was still the Mayor of Gaoxiong and he intended to live in France, so it seems not to be the case.
Walter Lippmann is concerned that the United States would gradually drift apart from Western Europe. As a matter of fact, both sides are showing selfish mentalities. Their cooperation must be filled with endless difficulties. Ralph Chapman advocated abandoning US support for Taiwan, saying that it would pacify the Chinese Communists, and it could make China withdraw from Korea. What he thinks is so naïve; it was really ridiculous. Wm. J. Humphrey publicized with regard to the preparation of French armaments. He said that currently there are only five divisions in France, and that this year five more divisions would be added, making a total of one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers. From now on five more divisions would be added every year, and by early 1954 there would be twenty divisions. The navy and air force are not big. As for manpower, the French Prime Minister, René Pleven, had clearly told the United States that after this war France’s contribution towards manpower could not be too much. Also, for internal consideration, the power of the Communists in France is quite strong, so France has to maintain its massive production currently and reduce its unemployment rate. I thought these were all actual situations.