Thursday, 27 July

Rain

At 11.00 the former American Consul-General to Dihua, Clubb, visited me. He was transferred to Vladivostok and passed through here. He has been in China for 15 years and can speak Chinese. As he left Xinjiang at the end of last year, he is not very familiar with the latest situation.

At 4.00 the newly-appointed Swedish Minister S. Sodeblom visited me. He has been the under-secretary General of the Swedish Foreign Ministry for many years. He is quite capable.

At 5.00 in the afternoon the newly-appointed Belgian Ambassador, E. Le Ghait visited me. He has also worked as a secretary in the Foreign Ministry for many years. He is quite capable and can speak English well. He is totally different from his predecessor. Qian Tai sent me a letter of introduction lstating high regard for him.

In the evening I went to the Moscow Operette Theatre with Attachés Hu and Qian to watch “Ceulbba” an Operetta in three acts. I met a Soviet military officer and he was very straightforward.  He told me he fought in the Far East and killed several tens of Japanese soldiers, and now he is fighting in the central route and is a Regimental Commander.