Thursday, 28 August

From 7.30 until noon I was at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to handle official matters. In the afternoon, I visited Minister Guo Taiji. He gave me the telegram which Ambassador Hu Shih sent to him yesterday with a report of the main content regarding his meeting President Roosevelt. 1) During the meeting between Roosevelt and Churchill, there was concern that Japan would take the approach of advancing from the South, which meant Japan would invade Burma from Thailand and use its navy to disturb the transportation lines from Australia, so they agreed on the final warning issued to Japan by Britain and the United States. So when Roosevelt returned he summoned Nomura Kichisaburō (野村吉三郎[1] and handed him a memorandum, suggesting that Japan withdraw from Annam. Britain and the United States also obtained consent from China, Japan, France, Thailand and Vietnam, and declared Thailand and Vietnam completely neutral areas. If this can be the case, it will avoid conflict and at the same time Japan can get the supply of materials from Nanyang. It could also consolidate the southern boundaries of China. Nevertheless, nothing has been heard from Japan since then with regard to this proposal. 2) Hu Shih asked whether Japan had raised any conditions of exchange such as demanding that Britain and the United States abandon their polices of assisting China, or asking the American President to mediate, and so on. Roosevelt said that until now Japan had not asked them to relinquish the policy of assisting China. Several months ago Nomura Kichisaburō had indeed asked him if he could get the Governments of Tokyo and Chungking together to negotiate. Roosevelt replied that if Tokyo wanted to be in communication with the Chinese Government led by General Chiang Kai-shek, it was better for Japan to take the initiative. There was no need for third parties to do the link-up job. 3) Approved materials aiding China as a priority. 4) Would announce General Magruder as the head of the American Military Delegation to China.

I discussed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reorganisation with Guo Taiji. He had received the Generalissimo’s consent to relocate those Ministers such as Victor Hoo Chi-tsai (胡世澤)[2], Li Jun(李駿) and Zhang Qian (張騫) back to China, so that they would become familiar with the latest Chinese situation. Britain replied that it agreed China could exchange Ministers with Canada.

[1]Nomura Kichisaburō (1877-1964) was the Japanese Ambassador to the United States at the time.

[2]Victor Hoo Chi-tsai(1893-1972) had studied in France. He was a famous diplomat. He was the son of Hu Weide(胡惟德).