Monday, 27 March
Heavy snow
I received a telegram from the Foreign Ministry, instructing me to dispatch Secretary Chen Daichu or Attaché Hu Jibang to act as the Soviet Correspondent of the National Herald. I talked this over with Counsellor Liu and he thought it would be better to select Attaché Hu, firstly because of language issues, and secondly because the post involved external contact and reporters. These two things have been handled by Hu for a long time and the results have been encouraging.
In the afternoon I went to the second-hand bookshop with Shaozhou, Chengyong and Shenghao, and in the evening we ate at Military Attaché Guo’s place.
Secretary of State Hull publicised the diplomatic policy in 17 points. They repeated Roosevelt’s policy which they discussed repeatedly at length. But what Americans want to know is not principle but concrete fact. No wonder the reviews in various American newspapers were not positive. As for his talk with the 24 Republican Congressmen in the Upper House who agreed with the diplomatic policy of the American Government, it is much more tangible. All in all, because of the Soviet Union’s various policies, the American Government struggled to explain it to its people.
I received a telegram from the Office of Military Instruction. It said that the Japanese, from June last year, have been constructing many works of steel and cement as well as highways along the Soviet-Manchurian border. The railway from Dalian to Harbin railway has been changed to double-rails. The width of the Greater Harbin Highway has been widened to 30 metres, which can handle planes taking off and landing. Also it has been decided that the railway from Mukden to Shanhaiguan will change to double-rails next year. So this is indicative of Japanese-Soviet relations. The telegram also said that our troops at Hukawng Valley in North Burma intercepted an enemy phone call requesting more men, saying the 18 divisions at the Frontline had suffered great casualties. So I can say our achievements in North Burma have been quite substantial.
Attaché Hu attended the establishment of the 3rd Division of Poland ceremony. She did not return until this morning. What she reported has great reference value.