(To be delivered to all addresses) For your review:

Under the pretext that the peasant and labor movements in Hunan have gone too far, Xu Kexiang, on Horse Day last month, besieged trade unions and peasant associations in Changsha, disarmed the workers’ pickets and peasant self-defense forces, massacred revolutionary comrades, dissolved the provincial party headquarters and the Third Branch of the Central Military and Political School, raided educational institutions, shut down the Changsha Normal School, expelled and searched the homes of the Director of the Construction Department and the Director of the Education Department of the Hunan Provincial Government, seized 70,000 yuan in rice funds from the Hankou People’s Food Maintenance Association, and, imitating the actions of the traitor Chiang Kai-shek, organized a so-called “Provisional Special Committee for Party Salvation” to undermine party headquarters and the peasant and labor movements at all levels. Has it gone too far or not? What connection does this have with party headquarters and schools? Are the Director of the Construction Department and the Director of the Education Department also so-called “rioters” who must be expelled and searched? The seizure of the Hankou People’s Food Maintenance Association’s rice funds and the obstruction of transportation between Hunan and Hubei are particularly disruptive to the rear of the Northern Expedition. Even if such actions are claimed to stem from misunderstanding, their destruction of revolutionary discipline and defiance of military orders and the government are already glaringly obvious! The result is not only that workers and peasants suffer devastation, but the prestige of the central authorities is utterly trampled! The provincial government, under duress, is effectively dissolved—this is entirely counter-revolutionary conduct. In the early stages of the mass movement, like untrained recruits, immature actions are exceedingly difficult to avoid entirely, as all revolutionary comrades well understand; revolutionary soldiers must never, on this account, distance themselves from the workers and peasants, much less use it as a pretext for oppression. Even if there are disagreements, they must absolutely respect party and military discipline and submit the matter to the government for handling. Workers and peasants are the main force of the revolution, and the purpose of the National Revolution is to relieve the suffering of workers, peasants, and all oppressed people. For this reason, our Party previously passed a resolution prohibiting armed attacks on peasants, and more recently issued orders to protect the workers’ pickets. How dare Xu Kexiang deliberately violate laws and decrees, raise troops to attack workers and peasants, and disband the workers’ and peasants’ pickets, just as Chiang Kai-shek did in Shanghai and Nanjing? As for immature actions appearing in the peasant and labor movements, these are primitive phenomena among the masses before political guidance has been fully strengthened. The Central Party Headquarters, the National Government, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, and the All-China Peasant Association have long since formulated concrete measures to address this and issued explicit orders for their implementation. The Hunan Provincial Peasant Association is also beginning to make corrections. Facts such as purchasing rice supplies on behalf of the military and civilians at the Wuhan front and assisting various armies in recruiting new soldiers are evident for all to see. How could it be imagined that Xu Kexiang, disregarding the measures of the Party headquarters and government, would arbitrarily use military force, wreak brutal devastation, dissolve the party headquarters, and carry out a coup? This clearly shows contempt for the government, disruption of the rear of the Northern Expedition, and sabotage of the Premier’s policy on workers and peasants. In response to the traitors Chiang Kai-shek and Xia [Douyin], he seeks to launch an attack from Hunan to overthrow the revolutionary base at Wuhan. After the incident, the central authorities dispatched a special commissioner to Hunan to investigate, but Xu Kexiang refused to receive him. Commander-in-Chief Tang’s telegram of the 24th, which set forth an extremely appropriate method of resolution, was also defied and not followed. Recently, the situation has escalated further, with troops sent to attack Xiangtan, Changde, and other places, committing massacres. Thus, Xu Kexiang is not only the murderer of the workers and peasants of Hunan but has also become a criminal against all armed comrades and a public enemy of the entire nation. Previously, the National Government had not explicitly ordered a punitive expedition, hoping that he would repent and pull back from the brink. Now that he has openly refused investigation and defied Commander-in-Chief Tang’s orders, if further tolerance is shown, he may mistakenly believe the government tacitly approves of his actions, becoming increasingly ferocious and harder to restrain. If that happens, not only will the revolutionary forces in Hunan be utterly annihilated, but local tyrants, evil gentry, and reactionary feudal forces everywhere will rise in succession, dealing a severe blow to the progress of the Northern Expedition and the entire revolutionary future. To prevent the upsurge of reactionary forces and safeguard the victory of the National Revolution, our association, on behalf of the ten million organized peasants nationwide, earnestly implores the Central Party Headquarters and the National Government to immediately dismiss him from office and investigate him. If Xu Kexiang still refuses to mend his ways, we request an explicit order for a punitive expedition to eliminate the source of chaos. As we send this telegram, we are in the utmost urgency, awaiting your command. The All-China Peasant Association, Jiang (3rd).

To the Hunan Provincial Government, Changsha, for your esteemed review:
We have received your telegram of the 30th and are utterly astonished! In the early stages of the mass movement, like untrained recruits, immature actions are exceedingly difficult to avoid entirely, as all revolutionary comrades well understand. Revolutionary soldiers must never give up eating for fear of choking, abandon the masses, or even use this as a pretext for oppression. Even if there are disagreements, they should respect party and military discipline and submit the matter to the government for handling. This is the proper stance of Chairman Tang of your esteemed provincial government, which both the masses and the military should strictly observe. In fact, the Central Party Headquarters, the National Government, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, and our association have all formulated concrete measures to remedy the primitive phenomena of the early mass movement and issued explicit orders for their implementation. The Hunan Provincial Peasant Association is also beginning to make corrections. Facts such as purchasing rice supplies on behalf of the military and civilians at the Wuhan front and assisting various armies in recruiting new soldiers are evident for all to see. Xu Kexiang’s use of this as a pretext for rebellion only reveals his futile scheming. Counter-revolutionary acts such as dissolving the provincial party headquarters and the Third Branch of the Central Military and Political School, shutting down the Changsha Normal School, trampling on educational institutions, expelling and searching the homes of the Director of the Construction Department and the Director of the Education Department of the provincial government, and arbitrarily organizing a so-called “Provisional Special Committee for Party Salvation” are glaringly obvious to all and can hardly be concealed by clever words. Yet, with Changsha under Xu Kexiang’s occupation, the Central Special Committee has been obstructed; Commander-in-Chief Tang’s telegraphic orders have been tampered with; and the family members of provincial government committee members have been searched. What connection do such outrages have with the peasant movement? The telegram of the 30th must have been sent by Xu Kexiang abusing the name of the government; its absurd statements are no surprise! However, Xu Kexiang has become a public enemy of the Party headquarters, the government, and the masses. Our association has already telegraphed the government to request his dismissal and investigation. Though the committee members of your esteemed provincial government have unfortunately been coerced by him, you should find ways to extricate yourselves, eliminate this arch-criminal, and save the Party and the nation. We respectfully offer these words of loyalty and hope you will accept them. The All-China Peasant Association, Jiang.