Rose early to clear papers and to pack. Sze Pao 【蔣居仁] was happy that he could be useful in running about. By 9:30 a.m., all ready. Had a game of shuttlecock with San Pao 【蔣懷仁] and Sze Pao. Then Shih Chi-nan 【施其南] came to say that I didn’t have to be at the airport till 11:30. Had a family bridge. At 11:15, left home: wife and children going along. The plane did not arrive till 12; did not take off till 12:45. Meantime, many people from the office stayed on the field. Sze Pao shed tears. The journey was smooth except near Kunming. Erh Pao 【蔣壽仁] for some reason did not come to the port to see me. At Tingkiang, CNAC 【中國航空公司] has a new rest room, spic and span. Arrived at Calcutta at midnight. Consul-General Chen 【陳質平] and Vice-Consul Kwong 【鄺自修] took me immediately to the consulate for breakfast and for rest.
On the plane was an American Missionary of the Roman Catholic Church, who had come to China at 21 and who stayed in China for 24 years continuously. Other Americans whispered to me that he would feel himself lost upon returning to the U.S.A. Met also the brother 【張忠淦] of Chang Chung-fu 【張忠紱], who is going to join the embassy staff in Paris. He seems to be a bright young man of the better sort. We talked a great deal about our foreign and consular service. Although he resented the favoritism practiced, he felt he still had a chance, but with slower promotion.