Since the situation in southern Shanxi has become tense, all military and civilian personnel across the country have been steeling themselves and pressing forward. Even those who once harbored the illusion that Japan’s war of aggression against China could somehow be allowed to peter out without resolution now seem to be awakening from a long dream. Many concerned observers believe that China’s war of resistance may at last break free from its protracted, turtle-like pace and enter a phase of rapid development.

However, the intricate web of international and domestic political relations does not yet permit us to be so optimistic. A host of pressing issues still lie ahead, demanding our utmost vigilance and close scrutiny. Among these, one question is particularly worthy of reflection: With Britain and the United States currently scrambling to cope with the German threat, has the Far Eastern Munich conspiracy—namely, the scheme to trade away China in exchange for Japanese concessions—been finally abandoned? And amid Japan’s recent coordinated offensive and massive bombing campaign against China, might we hear once again the “appeasement” tune that has so often betrayed the Chinese people, played over old familiar strains? It would be perilous to embrace blind optimism without carefully weighing these matters.

As ××× has pointed out, Britain and the United States have never truly had any sincere intention to aid China. The crisis of British appeasement toward Japan is now acknowledged even by those who have traditionally maintained the closest ties with Britain. Yet, regrettably, many remain utterly unclear about the true nature of their American “friend.” Especially since the Tripartite Pact came into force, the United States appears somewhat more eager to assist China; though such assistance remains a drop in the bucket compared with China’s vast needs and pales in comparison to Soviet support, voices both inside and outside government extolling America and advocating for U.S. aid have grown increasingly loud. To be sure, these well-meaning individuals see only what they wish to see, failing to grasp the full scope of the reality before them. The U.S. decision to lift export restrictions on zinc and rubber to Japan, the oil agreement brokered between the Netherlands East Indies—under U.S. influence—and Japan, and the covert resurgence of the Anglo-American faction within Japan—all indicate that the sharp rhetoric exchanged between Washington and Tokyo is merely posturing; policy remains policy. If the United States’ actual support for Japan exceeds its support for China, who can confidently assert that its professed stance of aiding China is not, like Japan’s southward expansion, simply a calculated maneuver aimed at securing a Sino-Japanese compromise? And who can guarantee that, should the specter of a Far Eastern Munich reemerge, the nation’s idolaters of foreign powers will escape the tragic fate of being discarded once their usefulness has expired?

On the 11th, the Associated Press disclosed a statement by Chinese authorities asserting that any peace initiative from Japan must be mediated through the United States; meanwhile, on the 18th, a Soviet newspaper reported that Japan was actively seeking to resolve the Sino-Japanese conflict “via U.S. mediation.” These developments were further underscored on the 19th when Matsuoka hosted U.S. Ambassador to Japan Grew at his private residence, with a spokesperson for the Japanese Information Bureau characterizing Grew as exceptionally benevolent—proof, unfortunately, that this danger remains very real. We firmly believe that the Chinese nation, which has heroically resisted for four years and boasts an immensely powerful anti-Japanese populace, political parties, and armed forces, cannot and will not be betrayed. Any leader of the Chinese people endowed with integrity and self-respect would surely refuse to follow in Wang Jingwei’s footsteps, willingly courting ruin, disgrace, and universal ostracism, even if a Sino-U.S. compromise were to materialize. Nevertheless, the stronger our confidence in thwarting such a plot, the more imperative it becomes to do so. We would therefore remind our fellow soldiers and civilians: On the road to victory, we face not only thorny obstacles but also lurking pickpockets poised to seize the fruits of our struggle the moment we let our guard down. Against those thieves masquerading as friends, we must remain ever more watchful!

Moreover, we hereby solemnly warn the U.S. authorities and that segment of the Kuomintang leadership that blindly follows America’s lead: The Chinese people wholeheartedly welcome and rejoice in any assistance the United States may provide to China’s war of resistance; the greater, the swifter, and the more concrete such aid is, the better. As the ancient sage said, “Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?” The Chinese people have always known how to treat friends with courtesy and sincerity. At the same time, they likewise understand how to deal with thieves and their accomplices. Does this not align with your much-vaunted principle of “fair play”? The Chinese people have long since matured into steadfast rocks, yet you persistently insist they are but flimsy balloons—go ahead and kick them if you must! But beware: protect your own noble feet. For the Chinese people intend to fight on tenaciously—until the day they vanquish Japanese imperialism!

(May 23, 1941, Liberation Daily)