Monday, 14 February

Dull

At 11.00 in the morning I visited Ambassador Kerr. First I congratulated him for his newly-received honorary position of Privy Council. The position was originally exclusively for a Cabinet Member, its primitive function being the equivalent to political consultant to the British King (political advisor in the ancient sense). Politically speaking it is the highest position, few people other than cabinet members can reach it. He was awarded it as the highest honour the British King could bestow for his work in China and the Soviet Union. Then we talked about current affairs. 1) He said after he returned to Moscow, he talked to Molotov and others many times. They all sincerely expressed their willingness to cooperate, and would not alter the principles regulated in the Moscow and Tehran Conferences. They all advocated strongly that they would not try to change or influence cooperation amongst the Four Powers.  2) I asked him about the Polish question and he said the Soviet Union expressed gratitude for Britain’s mediation. He is still dealing with the matter and although there is difficulty, it is not hopeless. I asked him if there was a possibility of a Polish Government reorganisation, he said this was supremely difficult and he would not dare say. When he passed through London, [Tadeusz] Romer and the Polish Ambassador to Britain wanted to talk to him, but he refused politely. I also asked him about the Ukraine representative’s speech at the Conference, which was about the boundary issue. He replied that what the Ukraine representative asked for was too much. 3) With regard to the second war zone, what he said was the same as Ambassador Harriman. 4) With regard to the Cairo Conference, he said the Generalissimo was quite satisfied. 5) With regard to the Pacific war, he said that it was worth paying attention to Admiral Nimitz’s dialogue. Probably the American navy could sail directly to China, and the British navy and air force could invade Somalia from the West, if the two sides join they can cut off the Japanese army in the area around the South Pacific. American military experts estimated they could defeat Japan within one and a half years, but he is not that optimistic. He personally thought that it might take five years. 6) He said the Generalissimo went to Cairo, but Minister Song did not accompany him, he was very surprised. For such an important diplomatic affair for the Foreign Minister not to take part in was unthinkable to him. 7) He asked me about the transportation issue, and I told him briefly. 8) With regard to the change in the Soviet diplomatic system, he thought that firstly it was because the Soviet Union wanted its Republics to join certain international conferences, secondly it was for the merging of the Baltic States into the Soviet so as to lessen criticism. I asked him about the attitude of Britain towards the Republics under the Soviet Union joining international conferences in the future, he said it was naturally not opposed to it. For future peace conferences, all important decisions had to be taken by voting, and should be decided by discussion between the four important statesmen being the Generalissimo, Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt. For technical and other conferences, Republics under the Soviet Union should dispatch representatives to join, just like the British Dominions. From his words, it seems Britain has succumbed to the Soviet request. I felt relieved. 9) He said that he stayed in Washington for three days, and with his wife in New York for ten days. When he was in the United States he talked to Willkie and others. Probably Willkie will run in the election, and though the Republicans were dissatisfied with him and the Party headquarters wanted to nominate Governor Thomas Edmund Dewey, those who were supportive to Wilkie were quite numerous. With regard to Roosevelt’s four elections, there have been many difficulties. Probably either big or small capitalists hate him very much. Americans still haven’t suffered the pain of war, so people are still disinterested in it, especially the wives of Americans. Isolationists have not been extinguished and put out to grass. They will resurrect when the chance comes. As for the mutual criticism between Britain and the United States, it is just like wrangling between family members, but will not pose as obstacles to cooperation. A certain British tabloid attacked Dewey. It was very unwise as Dewey has the possibility of being elected as president. 10) He also said that the official Chongqing exchange rate made diplomacy difficult, and he hoped President Kung could improve it.

At 4.00 in the afternoon the Abyssinian Minister B. L. Taezaz visited me. He spoke as follows: 1) After the British army repelled the Italian army from Abyssinia, they did not want to leave and had the intention of long-term occupation. It was not until after nine months of difficult negotiation that the land was returned to Abyssinia. As for the arms confiscated from the Italian army, they used all of them and did not leave any for the Abyssinians. Also all the defense devices built by the Italian and Abyssinian armies were destroyed. Many British military officers openly expressed their opinions and advocated the occupation of several areas. So Britain still has imperialistic apirations and is not worth trusting. 2) Djibouti is the most important place for Abyssinian exports, and is the country’s lifeline. This time, after the Vichy Government surrendered to Germany, Abyssinia wanted to expel all the Vichy Government staff in Djibouti, but Britain would not agree. Now it is in the hands of Free France, and it will pose a difficulty when Abyssinia wants to take it back. 3) As to the relationship between Abyssinia and Japan, he said during the Abyssinian King’s coronation, it happened that Japan dispatched a prince and an admiral to participate, so Abyssinia had to dispatch a distant prince from the maternal side of the Royal family and the Foreign Minister to make a return visit to Japan. On arriving in Japan, it happened that a certain Japanese peer asked the Abyssinian Foreign Minister if the Abyssinian prince could marry freely with foreigners. The Abyssinian Foreign Minister said there was no regulation banning this. The Japanese peer said that his daughter had seen the prince and was in love with him. The Abyssinian Foreign Minister then talked to the prince. The prince was young and was willing too, so the Abyssinian Foreign Minister arranged for the two of them to meet. But after the prince returned, the King ordered it to stop for fear it would arouse political trouble, and he also did not believe that the Japanese beauty would be interested in the black prince after only one glance. The King believed that Japan had political intentions, so there was no outcome. The said prince married an Abyssinian lady in Abyssinia and they went to the United States in 1935. They did not return until last spring. This matter was deliberately emphasised by the French and Italian sides for propaganda purposes.