1927 • 8210 (omitted above) …… (3) A comrade who recently came to Hunan mentioned the International’s new directive advocating the immediate establishment of worker–peasant–soldier soviets in China.
Upon hearing this, I was overjoyed beyond measure.
Objectively speaking, China has long since reached the stage of 1917; yet hitherto we had consistently regarded it as being at the 1905 level—an enormous error.
Worker–peasant–soldier soviets are entirely in keeping with the objective conditions.
We should now resolve to set up such soviet power forthwith in the four provinces of Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi.
Once this power is established, we must swiftly secure victory throughout the country.
It is hoped that the Central Committee will accept the International’s directive without hesitation and implement it first in Hunan.

This new directive from the Comintern also affects our attitude toward the Kuomintang: under a worker–peasant–soldier soviet regime, we should no longer fly the KMT flag.
Instead, we ought to hoist high the Communist Party’s banner in direct opposition to the KMT flags flown by warlords like Chiang Kai-shek, Tang Shengzhi, Feng Yuxiang, and Yan Xishan.
The KMT flag has already become the banner of the warlords; only the Communist Party’s flag truly represents the people.
When I was still in Hubei, I did not fully appreciate this point.
But after coming to Hunan these past few days and observing how Tang Shengzhi’s provincial party organization operates, together with the people’s corresponding reaction, I have come to the firm conclusion that the KMT flag can no longer be used.
To continue flying it would inevitably lead to further failure.
In the past, we failed to actively seize leadership within the KMT and allowed Wang Jingwei, Chiang Kai-shek, Tang Shengzhi, and others to take the helm.
Now we should yield that banner to them; it has by now become nothing more than a black flag.
We, for our part, must immediately and resolutely raise the red flag.
As for the petty bourgeoisie, they should place themselves wholly under the leadership of the red flag—objectively speaking, they will inevitably do so anyway.

(4) On the Land Question: During my recent field investigations among peasants in Qingtai Township near Changsha (where I went personally) and in Shaoshan, Xiangtan (where five peasant representatives came to the province), I learned that the peasantry of Hunan is adamant about achieving a comprehensive resolution of the land question.
Yesterday I held consultations with several peasant comrades who had come from the countryside and, having sought their views, drafted several provisions for a land program, the main points of which are as follows: (1) All land, including that owned by small landlords and self-cultivating farmers, shall be confiscated and vested in public ownership.
The Peasants’ Association will then distribute it equitably to all rural residents who wish to receive land, based on two criteria: “capacity for labor” and “consumption needs” (that is, determining each household’s actual consumption level according to its size and composition, i.e., the number and ages of its members). (2) When distributing land, the district association shall instruct the township associations to draw up household registers; once completed, these registers are to be submitted to the district association, which will allocate the land in accordance with them. (3) Land distribution shall be carried out on a district-wide basis rather than at the township level.
Townships with a surplus of population relative to available land may transfer some of their inhabitants to townships where there is an excess of arable land.
Only in this way can a reasonably equitable distribution be achieved; however, permanent relocation from one district to another is currently not feasible. (4) Following the confiscation of land, a concrete plan must be devised for the resettlement of landlords’ families (regardless of whether they are large or small landowners), in order to reassure the populace.
Such plans are to be categorized into four tiers: Tier One receives forty percent, Tier Two thirty percent, Tier Three twenty percent, and Tier Four ten percent.
Although this draft was discussed once at yesterday’s provincial committee meeting, it still requires further consultation with peasant comrades before being submitted to you for your final decision.
For the time being, I am hereby recording the draft as material for discussion…… (omitted below)