Telegram to A.Ya. Orlov for Mao Zedong, July 14, 1948

Source: Tom 18

To Terebin. Convey the following to Mao Zedong: "In view of the beginning of the grain procurement campaign, the leading comrades will be departing to various localities from August, where they will remain until November. Therefore, the CC of the VKP(b) asks Comrade Mao Zedong to schedule his arrival in Moscow for the end of November, so as to have the opportunity to meet with all the leading comrades."

Ledovsky A.M. The USSR and Stalin in China's Destiny. P. 52.

AP RF. F. 39. Op. 1. D. 31. L. 37.

Note

The telegram was prompted by a message from Mao Zedong on July 4, 1948: "My health, compared to two months ago, is significantly better. I have decided to travel to you in the near future. There are three routes to you: by air, by sea, and overland. But in all cases we must pass through Harbin, as I need to speak with a number of responsible comrades from Manchuria... We hope that the airplane will arrive in Weixian around the 25th of this month... If you decide to transport us by sea, we hope the vessel will arrive at the designated port by the end of this month... If neither the air nor sea routes are possible for transporting us, we will in any case depart around the 15th of this month heading north." Mao Zedong reported that 20 people would be traveling with him and requested, in the case of air travel, that two aircraft be sent.

It is known that Mao was displeased with Stalin's reply. A.Ya. Orlov wrote to Moscow: "Mao Zedong did not take seriously the references to the Soviet leaders being occupied with grain procurement. 'Is it really the case,' he said, 'that in the USSR such great importance is attached to grain procurement that leading persons of the CC of the party go out to supervise it?' ...Insofar as I have known Mao Zedong for more than six years, his smile and his words 'hao, hao — good, good,' while he was listening to the translation, by no means signified that he was pleased with the telegram. This was sufficiently clear to see. In my personal conviction, Mao Zedong believed that in the worst case he would be refused an airplane or a ship. But even that was unlikely for him, especially since the airplane had been offered from Moscow. He was certain that precisely now he would be going. The trip had apparently become necessary for him personally. He was waiting for the reply with great impatience... Mao Zedong's suitcases were being packed, leather shoes had even been bought (he, like everyone here, wears cloth slippers), a wool overcoat had been sewn. The question was not just about the trip itself but about the timing — he had decided that too. All that remained was the question of which route to take. He is now outwardly calm, polite and attentive, courteous in a purely Chinese manner"...

Meanwhile, Mao sent the following telegram to Moscow: "Comrade Stalin. I agree with your opinion set forth in the telegram of July 14. Let us postpone the trip to you until the end of October — beginning of November."