Monday, 9 October

Fine

I studied Russian from 11.30 to 1.30 in the afternoon.

I received a telegram from the Foreign Ministry on news. With regard to Churchill’s report to Parliament saying that the United States provided plenty of resources to help China but the Chinese army was still defeated, the newspapers in Chongqing criticised it heavily. They also declared that since the Pearl Harbor incident, the materials sent by the United States to help China were less than one-week’s consumption of one division by the British and American armies. When the Japanese army attacked India, the Chinese Army dispatched troops to Burma to help on British request, so the military strength in Eastern China was decreased. Originally it was agreed that the British and Chinese armies would attack the Japanese from both sides. But when the Chinese army arrived at Salween (Nu Jiang), the movement of the British army was very disappointing. It also said that the Chinese have been resisting the Japanese for four years, that the Allied countries did not help China was fine, but when they advocated “Europe the priority” this placed China in national disaster. The Allies still do not blame themselves but heavily criticise China’s failure. This is really unjust towards China. I thought it was good to publicise these facts to the world and make people know that Britain and the United States have treated us like this.

At 5.00 p.m. Attaché Hu reported that she heard that Churchill arrived in Moscow at 2.00 in the afternoon with Foreign Minister Eden. General Brooke and General Ismay came with them and she heard that there were more than 50 other people too. I immediately sent Shaozhou to the British Embassy to talk to the British Minister Balfour to see if I could visit them.