The Inside Story of the Hunan Peace Preservation
Association (March 25,1920)
To Newspapers, Social Organizations, and Fellow Hunanese Everywhere:
Guilty of the most heinous crimes, Zhang Jingyao has long been accused and condemned by the people of Hunan. With one voice, citizens throughout China have also
denounced him in speech and in writing. It is our strong common desire to drive him
away as far as possible and to get rid of him, the sooner the better. Now, however,
an organization calling itself the Beijing Branch of the “Hunan Peace Preservation
Association” has published and distributed pamphlets to defend Zhang. Mixing up
black with white, they urge people to act with caution and not defame Zhang’s reputation. But the fact is self-evident: during the past three years, the people of Hunan
have continuously suffered many privations and can scarcely survive. Numerous men
have died, leaving their families without anyone to care for them. Countless women
have committed suicide, and their bodies have been left unburied in the open. Zhang
Jingyao is the source of all these disasters. As long as he stays in Hunan, there will
never be any hope for us. Therefore, in order to save Hunan, we must first of all drive
Zhang away. Only by getting rid of him can we restore normality in Hunan. If what
the Association declares is true, then we would ask, how do they propose to solve the
problems of Hunan as long as Zhang is in the province? As they cannot offer any kind
of solution, it is clear that they are nothing but hypocrites, and all they want is to
serve Zhang’s interests. In fact, the Association has been set up by Guo Renzhang98
and others. Guo is a vile character whose notorious history is well known throughout
the country. Bribed by Zhang this time, Guo gathered a few followers to set up the
Association. Their sole purpose is to betray the people of Hunan and protect Zhang
for the sake of money. Ashamed of Guo’s behavior, Hunanese residing in the capital all
condemn Guo and his followers as being a “Clique of Zhang Protectors” and a “Party of
Traitors Selling Out the Province.” We representatives here believe it is our unshakable
duty to drive Zhang out of Hunan and to eliminate traitors such as Guo. Therefore,
we have decided to speak out to expose the lies and rumors spread by Guo, so as not
to allow them to confuse people and mislead the public. We are confident that the
true colors of the tyrant and traitors will soon be revealed. With truth and justice
on our side, we can surely succeed in uniting people around us and defeating the
pro-Zhang traitorous clique.


Representatives of the citizens of Hunan: Mao Zedong, Luo Zonghan, Peng Huang,
Chen Shaoxiu, Zhang Huai, Luo Jiaoduo, Yang Shuda, Zhang Weiyi, He Shuheng, Cai
Renlong, Xiong Mengfei, Jiang Yuhuan, Li Simi, Liu Min, Gao Biao, Zhang Yaoluan,
Chen Chuncui, Liu Zuozhou, Zhang Xinmin, Chen Shiquan, He Yuanpei, Li Si’an,
Wang Guolin, Peng Xianze, Peng Yili, Wu Junchen, Jiang Zhuru, Xu Ying, Liu Dingfu,
Ouyang Jiaoru, Li Qihan, Fu Diliang, Zhang Shusheng, Xu Qingyu, Hu Weiyin, Peng
98 On Zou Yunzhen, zi Panqing, see note 24 to Mao’s annotations on Paulsen.