Monday, 31 May

I heard the broadcast from London this afternoon that Chairman Lin Sen has passed away. I was very sad on learning it. I first met Mr.Lin at a Guangdong Conference in 1918. Later when I was the Minister of the Construction Department in Guangzhou, I got to know him a little better. When he was the Vice President of the Legislative Yuan and I was the Head of the Diplomatic Committee, we were closer. So at the time there was Nanjing-Guangdong cooperation, Hunag Jusu (黃居素) and Chen Mingshu advocated we should recommend Lin Sen, who was a party member honoured with virtues, and to be the Chairman of the Nationalist Government, we all agreed. In moral terms Mr. Lin could be a good model to us. Our country stresses morality, so there is a saying that goes “the first is to make merits, the second is to make achievement, and the third is making good sayings.” If one didn’t have great wisdom, righteousness or courage, he could not be wise and tolerant. He didn’t compete with others, and others didn’t compete with him, that was why we respected Mr.Lin. I then sent my condolences to his family, and cabled the Head of Civil Officials Wen Weihuai (文魏懷) and Deng Yahun (鄧亞魂) for condolences.

Tonight the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited me to watch some movies. I declined by phone.