China and the West

Letter from Bertrand Russell to Reginald Bridgeman. 23 Juni 1935.
Dear Bridgeman, Thank you for your letter of June 20. I feel strongly that there ought to be in England such a society as 'les Amis du people Chinois', and think you should, if possible, have, as that society has, a committee with no definite political bias. I cannot, however, sign the draft letter you enclosed, unless certain alterations are made in it… I cannot understand your policy, if you keep clause 6. The Chinese cannot resist Japan without foreign help, and any foreign help must take the form of 'interference in the internal struggle of the Chinese people'. And how can you, at one and the same time, blame Nanking for giving way to Japan, and tell Nanking that, however they may resist Japan, we won't raise a finger to help them ?
I suppose your view is that, if none of the Western Powers interfere, Russia will be able to keep the Chinese Communists from being defeated by Nanking ; that is to say, you want Russia alone to 'interfere in the internal struggle of the Chinese people'. This is a natural view for a Communist, but not for any one else.
For my part, I lost the desire to befriend the Chinese Government in 1927 ; it then became apparent that internal dissensions would continue to make China powerless, and the brutalities of the suppression of the Communists disgusted me. Now, however, Japan is so dangerous that I wish something could be done. Nothing can be done without American readiness to fight, and America is not at present prepared for war. When America is seriously willing to fight, perhaps something may be achieved without fighting ; till then, Japan can't be stopped unless as part of a world war in which Japan would be allied with Germany.
Yours sincerely, Bertrand Russell.