740.0011 P.W./1244a
The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (Stalin) to the President of the Chinese Executive Yuan (Chiang)47
Your telegram only reached me yesterday. I am deeply appreciative of your kind consideration. I am in perfect agreement with you that the long heroic struggle China has put up against Japan, and the present anti-Japanese front in the Pacific are part and parcel of the general anti-Axis front. At the same time the anti-German front assumes special significance in the anti-Axis front, because Germany is the strongest partner of the Axis.
Soviet Russia today has the principal burden of the war against Germany. And Soviet Russian victory over Germany constitutes a great hope of the other members of the anti-Axis front, Great Britain, the United States and China. It is my opinion that under the circumstances the Soviet today ought not to divert its strength to the Far East, when it is beginning to attack the German armies, for by dispersing our strength the difficulties of the German armies will be lessened. I beg you therefore not to insist that Soviet Russia at once declare war against Japan.
Soviet Russia must fight Japan, for Japan will surely unconditionally break the Neutrality Pact. We are preparing to meet that situation, but it takes time to prepare. Therefore I again implore you not to take the lead in demanding that Soviet Russia at once declare war against Japan.
- Translation received in the Department of State from Dr. T. V. Soong, apparently on December 16. Forwarded on December 17 by the Under Secretary of State (Welles) to President Roosevelt, Mr. Welles having first read the message to President Roosevelt on the telephone.↩