Saturday, 5 February

Dull, warm

This morning the London representative of Soviet Tass, [Andrew] Rothstein attended an interview which was broadcast in Britain, explaining the change in the Soviet diplomatic system. The main content is as follows.1) Republics under the Soviet Union are different from the American Federation. 2) In the time of Imperial Russia, these various states had their own diplomatic rights, and they also dispatched many diplomatic embassies. 3) In the sixteen Republics, the biggest was Russia, the population was 110,000,000, then Ukraine and Belorussia, and others in the West. Their population ranged from 1,000,000 to 6,000,000, and these states are completely independent, every one of them is free to leave under the constitution’s regulations. 4) After this war commenced, those Republics whose economy and culture were backward in the past, have made giant leaps in industrial development, and because of this advancement in the industrial aspect their cultural level has been heightened. Also because of the war, their national identities are strengthened. During the time of imperial Russia, conscription was exclusively to several areas and in other areas people were banned from joining the army, and they were deemed second-class people. Now conscription for the Red Army has no restrictions regarding area. So those people who have been discriminated against in the past want to wash away such shame and ask for complete independence and equality. The Soviet Government has no choice but to approve it. 5) The Soviet Union granted permission at this time because the Red Army victory, and their advances would be beyond its territory, so all subjects and soldiers of the relevant Republics had to know their status. 6) The Soviet Union would not send sixteen ministers to London or Washington. Probably dispatching to embassies will be limited to those friendly states near the Republics. These indirect replies seemed to alleviate the bad effects on Britain and the United States. I would not dare to say they were effective, but they are better than nothing.

Today Soviet newspapers reported that last December [in Cairo] the Yugoslavian Government proposed to the Soviet Union it enter into a treaty of mutual help and post-war cooperation modelled on those between the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia.  But the Soviet Union was hesitant, as Mihailović who was friendly to post-Germany and fought against Tito’s National Liberation Army, was still in place as the Minister of the Army. So the Soviet Union has declined this proposal from Yugoslavia. The newspapers also said that last spring the Soviet Union suggested to the Yugoslavian Government to join such a treaty but at the time the Yugoslavian Government was simply uninterested. The Yugoslavian Government will be unable to survive. Su Qin (蘇秦)[1] once said that if small countries want to take advantage they will face disaster. This is really true.

The Soviet army recaptured Rovno and Ludz, which are situated in old Poland. They encircled ten divisions of German armies between Kiev and Kirovograd. Their forces in the North have entered Estonia and reached Narva, so we can see how capable the Red Army is. We can also see how slow the British and American advancements are, no wonder the Soviet Union is unhappy about progress.

In the afternoon I went to the American Embassy to watch `Wake Island”.  It was quite good.

[1] Su Qin (?-284 B.C.) was an ancient Chinese politician.