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 hooe 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.
 
                                        STALIN