Thursday, 28 October
In the morning Hull said he would sign tomorrow. The authority must arrive today. I expected it would not arrive until tomorrow night, so I was very worried. I had decided that I would take the responsibility and inform the three foreign ministers that I have already received the authority to sign. Because this matter concerning our country’s future, and also the future of world peace and cooperation, is of great importance, even though it will be illegal, The Generalissimo would forgive me for doing this. So I immediately prepared the letters to the three foreign ministers, a report to the Generalissimo, and also asked to be disciplined. When the cable to the Generalissimo was translated, I suddenly received the telegram from the Generalissimo and Minister Song, granting me plenipotentiary. The telegram was as follows.
“Ambassador Foo Ping-sheung. Chinese Embassy, Moscow. Please inform the Soviet American & British delegations that you are hereby appointed delegate plenipotentiary with full power to conclude & sign the Four Power Declaration signed Chiang Chung Cheng, President of the National Government of China.”
The other telegram said:
“The American, British & Soviet Ambassadors at Chungking have been requested to notify their respective ministers to the effect that you have been appointed delegate plenipotentiary with full power to conclude & sign the Four Powers Declarations. T.V. Soong.”
The Generalissimo sent me another telegram. It said, “I have received your 26 telegram. With regard to the Four Powers Declaration involving China, Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union, I have authorised the said ambassador to represent China with full powers to sign. And the Foreign Ministry will cable to inform others. This was my reply. Zhongjin. 27.”
I felt very heartened. I immediately informed Mr.Hull, and made an appointment to see him tomorrow morning to talk about all kinds of procedures. In the evening, I prepared letters to the three foreign ministers and did not get to bed until 2.00 in the morning.