Took the whole group to Yenching, Tsing Hua, and Summer Palace. Tsing Hua Library is now a hospital. There is much other desecration of the place. The Summer Palace is perfectly intact: for this, we ought to be very grateful. Noon, Mayor Hsiung 【熊斌] had shashlik served in our residence. Afternoon, went to see Gen. Li Tsung-jen 【李宗仁]. Took a walk in Central Park: everything as before.
Saw C. C. Lin 【凌其峻] at Jen Li Rug Co. 【仁立地毯公司]—same as before. The city has more people. Streets are better. C. C. told us that of 20,000 rug makers, only about 180 were at work. In Tsing Hua—the Japanese were still around: a sight which outraged both Hendrickson and Kizer. Saw William Hung 【洪葉], Lu Chi-wei 【陸志韋], Stephen Tsai 【蔡一諤] in Yengching. The day is beautiful, bright sun, blue sky, and no wind.
Evening, dinner with Li Tsung-jen, who expressed himself very forcefully on Soviet policies. He believes that the ultimate aim of the Soviet Union is to create a belt of Soviet influence, consisting of Manchuria, Mongolia, and Chinese Turkestan. He thinks that the Soviets do not want war and are trying to get all they could short of war. If we, on our part, should simply be afraid, we would get nowhere. If on the other hand, we should tell the Soviets thus far and no further, we might set a limit to Soviet ambitions.