At 9, staff conference: everybody seemed to be worried about the cabinet committee’s interfering with CNRRA’s 【行政院善後救濟總署] work. At 10, first meeting of the special cabinet committee: everybody disappointed because it netted no result. Such is politics! T. V. 【宋子文] simply said, “There is something wrong. The damn thing missed.” What was wrong? First, Hsieh 【薛篤弼] wasted time on generalities. Secondly, too many secretaries sat around the table. Thirdly, because T. V. was too impatient. So, this child of mine was stillborn: it pleased nobody and got nowhere. Let’s see!
Sister came for lunch. She thought more corrupt people got promotion than honest folk, that it was best to keep away from government as much as possible, etc. I gently reminded her that I had never had any “pull,” never put a single cent of public money into private hands, yet I have fared well in public life.
Evening, dinner with Monlin Chiang 【蔣夢麟].
Met 繆雲台 there; and 王文伯【王徵]; and a number of American officers, one of whom seemed to be interested in Chinese history and culture—a colonel.