Tuesday, 26 September

Fine

The Soviet newspaper report says that on the 21 September, President Roosevelt held a press conference.  It said that some pointed out to him that he had mentioned two months ago the Chinese situation was not very good – but what about now?  Roosevelt answered that he had no new comment. He also said that Nelson was in close contact with Mr. Chiang Kai-shek. By these one can glimpse impressions of the American and Soviet sides’ attitude towards us.

Roosevelt’s latest election speech pinpointed the shortcomings of the Republican policies, as well as the Democrats’ achievements. Based on our old Chinese morals, this type of campaign method which tries to emphasise the shortcomings of others while emphasising one’s own merits is shameful to a gentleman. But this is necessary for so-called democracy. People in Europe and the West took it as the best and a very natural habit. I did not dare to say whether the Chinese moral or the western moral concept was fine or not but if that is the only way to be a politician I would rather I lived as a hermit.

I studied Russian from 11.00 in the morning to 1.30 in the afternoon.