Thursday, 6 January

Dull, with snow

1. Yesterday the Soviet army recovered Berdichev and Olevsk. The German army had 750,000 people in the areas around the Ukraine. They might be cut off. This would matter a lot.

2. In view that the Soviet army has already entered the old territory of Poland, the Polish Government specifically made an announcement yesterday, saying Poland was the first country occupied by the Germans, and has been fighting bitterly for four years. Poland did not condone any puppet. The whole country will resist Germany until the end and will not compromise, so many Polish patriots were killed by Germans, and the Polish army cooperated closely with the Allied armies. Now the Soviet army is near the Polish border, Poland sees this as a sign that liberation will soon follow, and expects that they will be able to exercise sovereignty and execute political rights, and peoples’ lives and property will be protected, as all these are based on the Atlantic Charter and international justice. For those treaties which were imposed or modified by force, they will not be recognised. The Polish Government hopes that the Soviet Union will respect the rights of the Polish Government and its people. Therefore, they have ordered all working personnel to continue their efforts to resist the Germans, and not to hinder the advance of the Soviet army. Poland will soon sign an agreement with the Soviet Union. I am not sure if it is already too late. Also, the Polish Government is devoid of leadership, which has led to the fall in its international status. People have suffered, and the country almost perished. The country’s fate is tied to one person, and from this one can deduce the importance of good leadership.

The British Charge d’Affaires, Balfour, and his wife, invited me to a cocktail party. As my mother passed away less than seventy days ago, I did not want to go, therefore I asked Counsellor Liu to make the excuse that my leg ailment has not yet recovered.  Recently, due to war in the European countries, the death tolls have been appalling (the Soviet Union in particular). If we still insist on holding funerals, then the whole country will have mourning everywhere. Therefore, many countries relinquished all kinds of funerals, and had no mourning. In ancient Chinese etiquette, there was one custom called “taking away the funeral and mourning”, where the Government did not allow (officials) to take leave to mourn. This time, when I asked for compassionate leave to mourn, the Generalissimo replied by telegram that he did not approve, which is in accordance to the customs  of our country (There were some critics of this, for example Chen Hongyo (陳鴻猷) received an order from the Emperor that he should not mourn for his mother. So after he died, he (his tablet) could not enter the village temple.)  Despite this I do not feel right about it myself. I had no other choice, but at least during the forty-nine days’ period I was able to abstain from official and private functions. As for the period of mourning dress, I find it is most difficult to solve. There is no one wearing mourning dress here (No one does it in the Diplomatic Corps.), I cannot be exceptional. Also, when dining at official functions, if I were to do this alone, everyone would be uneasy, so it is not advisable. Originally, I intended to wear mourning dress for three years at my place, and during official functions I would change temporarily. But according to our country’s customs, once you take off the mourning dress you cannot put it on again. My clan are quite superstitious, if anything bad happened because of this, they would reprimand me. After thorough consideration and talking to Counsellor Chen, I decided at the end of the seventh week I would resume attending functions and at the same time end mourning. When I think of my mother’s kindness to me I feel very sad but I had to curtail my mourning.

4.The American naval commander, Folly said, the week before last British and American reporters invited the British and United States’ Ambassadors and their staff to dinner and a comedy show which they had made up themselves. The comedy embarrassed the Ambassadors. There was one scene where the actors were playing an American Ambassador talking to a guest (actor), his secretary (actor) was also there. (The script was as follows.)

Guest: Ambassador, today the weather is fine, what do you think?

Ambassador: I think it is fine. (Then he turned to his secretary and said) Do you agree?

Secretary: I agree. I think the weather today is fine.

Ambassador: My secretary also said that the weather was fine. I also think that the weather is fine. So the weather must be fine.

In another scene, the actor played the British Ambassador and talked to an expatriate British (actor).

Expatriate British: I have a very important matter that I need your help with.

British Ambassador: I am willing to help if I can.

Expatriate British: I got married to a Soviet girl.

British Ambassador: Wonderful. Congratulations.

Expatriate British: Thank you. But I need to be back in Britain, and my wife too.

British Ambassador: You can ask the Soviet Government to do the necessary paperwork.

Expatriate British: I have done so. But three months has gone already. I still cannot take my wife out, so I’m very anxious.

British Ambassador: You cannot take your wife out in three months, and yet you feel anxious? I have been unable to bring my wife here for three years already.

As for the matter with regard to the British Ambassador and his wife, probably reporters know it well. This last time that the British Ambassador went to the United States to bring his wife over I heard that British and American reporters and the staff of the British Embassy did not like Ambassador Kerr.  The Diplomatic Corps treated him badly too. They said he was too snobbish. The British and American reporters were not as bad towards Ambassador Harriman as to Kerr but they do not like him either. They said he was unwilling to provide reporters with any statement for which he would bear responsibility. One could see how difficult it was for the British and American diplomats and their civil servants to cope with reporters. It was just as difficult as the Chinese civil servants coping with people asking for jobs. But both Ambassadors Kerr and Harriman were good to me and I have talked with Ambassador Kerr and given him some advice indirectly.