Monday, 27 November

Heavy snow

Military Attaché Guo reported that he met with the Canadian Minister Wilgress. He learnt that Ambassador Kerr was still unable to leave Moscow because of the bad weather. Ambassador Kerr was very anxious to leave. According to Minister Wilgress, firstly Ambassador Kerr wanted to evade a meeting with De Gaulle, and secondly the Soviet Government has asked the leaders of the Polish Committee of National Liberation to Moscow to talk about the Polish question (Probably there is no hope of working with the Polish exile government in London.). Ambassador Kerr had difficulty in handling the matter.

Shaozhou went to meet the Yugoslavian Ambassador Simic this afternoon. According to Ambassador Simic, it is rumoured that Yugoslavia and Bulgaria have united. He rebutted that there was absolutely no such thing. Recently Tito and the Yugoslavian Prime Minister have decided many matters which every sector in Yugoslavia agreed, and Simic would be back to Yugoslavia soon to take up his post. He said that Yugoslavia whas been heavily destroyed, and was bombarded by American planes in particular. Budapest was almost burnt to ashes, when he said it he felt very painful.

Shaozhou also reported that Military Attaché Guo talked to Shaozhou many times that he wanted Shaozhou to find ways to help the second daughter of Song Xianchen (宋賢臣) to come to the Soviet Union using the title of his (Military Attaché Guo’s) wife. Shaozhou replied that it would be possible to issue a passport to her. But Military Attaché Guo told Minister Litvinov of the Soviet Foreign Ministry that if there was a Russian girl who has given up her nationality and came to the Soviet Union under the title of wife of a diplomat, he wondered if the Soviet Union would approve or not. Minister Litvinov seemed to understand what he meant, and replied and smiled that he could discuss it with Counsellor Liu. As a matter of fact this is absolutely impossible and he is just day-dreaming. I said I just pretended that I did not know this thing from the start to finish, and now I could only take this stance. Therefore what I told Shaozhou was like this.

The Foreign Ministry replied by telegram that they still allowed Shaozhou to be concurrently the Embassy Counselor. In this case his children would have no problem staying here. I reckoned that I always tried my best to help the requests of others, I was always true to my friend and I practiced what I have learnt. (This is quotation a from The Analects.)

Gui Weijun cabled me. He asked me about the German broadcast saying that Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky would be transferred to be the Far East Commander-in-Chief, Sino-Soviet relations, as well as the effect after Sheng Shicai was transferred. I replied that the matter regarding Vasilevsky seemed to be incorrect, there was no apparent change for Sino-Soviet relations, and the Soviet Union seemed to be satisfied tentatively by the transfer of Sheng Shicai. I then asked him about Sino-British and British-Soviet relations.

The British broadcast said that the United States dispatched General Hurley to be Ambassador to China. This appointment is good. It also said that Hull resigned on age and health grounds. It is a pity.

From 11.00 until 1.30 I studied Russian. Teacher Mishina commented that I could not speak Russian, therefore I felt I needed to practice conversation.