Cable, Mao Zedong to Stalin

Com[rade] Stalin!

The condition of my health, in comparison with two months ago, is considerably better. I decided to go to you [Moscow] at the nearest time.

There are three ways of coming to you: by air, by sea, and by land. But in all cases we must pass through Harbin, as I need to speak to a number of responsible comrades from Manchuria.

I hope that it will be possible to fly by plane for this is the quickest and also suits me the best on account of my health. For flying by plane one may use aerodromes in Shijiazhuang and Weixian.

The aerodrome in Weixian is the closest to Dairen and the safest. This aerodrome is to the south of Weixian at the point of Ershilibu, between Weixian and Fangzi.

Aerodrome data: the length from north to south 2,224 meters, width from east to west 368 meters. The runway: length 2,000 meters, width 96 meters. But here, everyday, from the morning until the evening, 6-7 times a day, enemy transport planes fly from Qingdao, Jinan and back through Weixian and the zones closest to it.

Will you have any kind of difficulties in sending planes from Dairen to the aerodrome in Weixian to get us [?] (The plane upon arrival and landing at the aerodrome will remain there for 15-20 minutes, for the time necessary to board it).

If you consider that the aerodrome in Weixian is not suitable for transporting us from there, then the aerodrome in Shijiazhuang is even more complicated, for the distance from you is even greater, and the transport planes of the GMD also fly through here.

In this case [I] ask you to think about the possibility of sending a ship into one of the ports of the Shandong peninsula or to Rongcheng, Lidao, or Shidai for transporting us to Dairen.

If it is difficult to transport us by sea as well, then one is left with thinking of a land trip.

Using the moment when the main forces of Fu Zuoyi are drawn into military operations in border areas of the eastern parts of Hebei and Rehe provinces, and [when] one senses relative desertedness at Pingsuilu, one could, under the cover of and in the company of military units, sneak through Pingsuilu, though the liberated areas of Rehe province to Harbin. But one will require about one month's time for this route. During the hot time obstacles may arise easily on the way due to my illness.

If it were possible to transport us by plane from the aerodrome in Weixian through Dairen (or other points) to Harbin, then we intend to leave a point near Shijiazhuang by car on about 15th of this month. After about a week [we] will reach Weixian, where [we] will stop for 2-3 days.

Hope the plane will fly into Weixian on about 25th of this month for transporting us.

The concrete time of the plane's arrival (day and hour) could be determined with you by radio after our arrival in Weixian.

If [you] decide to transport us by sea then we hope the ship will arrive at the end of this month at the appointed port. On about 15th of this month, we will leave from a point near Shijiazhuang.

If both the air and the sea routes are impossible for transporting us, we will in any case leave on the 15th of this month towards the north. But in this case one can only arrive in Harbin by the middle of August. We have a total of 20 (twenty) people (including Terebin, Melnikov, encoders, radio operators, secretaries). The total weight is over 3 (three) thousand kg (inclusive here of all the people).

Therefore, if [we] fly by air, it is necessary to send two transport (passenger) planes.

Request that you allow whichever of the aforementioned routes is suitable, and inform me.

Mao Zedong
4 July 1948.