Spring has now arrived, yet farmers across the region have scarcely begun plowing their fields. This fact deserves our close attention.


Why are so few farmers actually tilling their land? Partly it is a matter of long-standing custom—the plowing season has traditionally been delayed. However, our investigations reveal additional factors: (1) land has not yet been definitively allocated; (2) there is a severe shortage of draft cattle; and (3) the presence of bandits along the red–white demarcation line[1] creates an unsafe environment that discourages farming.


As for the issue of undelimited land, this constitutes a major problem in the current revolutionary base areas.


In the past, the prevailing atmosphere was that all land belonged to the Soviet government, with peasants merely enjoying usufruct rights. Moreover, repeated redistributions—four or five times over—had led many peasants to feel that the land was not truly theirs and that they lacked the authority to manage it, thereby sapping their motivation to cultivate it. Such a situation is highly undesirable.


The provincial Soviets[2] should issue a circular directive to all levels of local governments, instructing them to promulgate public notices urging peasants to resume farming. These notices must clearly state that previously redistributed land—after adjustments to equalize holdings by taking from the better-off and giving to the less well-off—is hereby considered definitively allocated. The recipients thereof shall have exclusive control over their allotted plots, which will be regarded as their private property, inviolable by others. Henceforth, each household’s landholding will be fixed; increases due to births or decreases due to deaths will not be adjusted. Leasing, renting, selling, or purchasing land will be entirely at the discretion of the individual. With the exception of land taxes payable to the government, all agricultural produce shall belong to the farmer. Any surplus beyond personal consumption may be freely sold, the proceeds used for daily expenses; any remaining funds may be saved, reinvested in land improvements, or put into commercial ventures. Neither the government nor any mass organizations shall impose arbitrary fines or extortive contributions. Claims that peasants’ extra money and grain should revert to collective Soviet ownership are pure propaganda.


Households lacking sufficient labor to till their fields, or those entirely without able-bodied members, are permitted to lease out their land. Rental terms shall be mutually agreeable, ensuring neither party suffers undue loss, and shall be determined locally.


Furthermore, within the revolutionary zones, free trade is allowed, and all profits earned through commerce remain with the individual concerned.


These measures represent the natural progression one would expect during the stage of the democratic revolution. Communism cannot be achieved overnight; even the Soviet Revolution proceeded through numerous phases before culminating in today’s socialist victory. It is imperative that comrades responsible for Soviet organs and mass organizations at all levels fully grasp this point.


In implementing these policies, reactionary factions such as the AB Group[3] may seize the opportunity to spread false rumors, claiming that communism has failed and that the landlord system is about to be restored. Officials at all levels of government should refute such claims in light of the principles of the democratic revolution, explaining that only by pursuing policies appropriate to the present stage of the democratic revolution can we genuinely advance toward communism—not by reverting to the landlord system. The assertions of these reactionary elements are entirely baseless.


Turning to the shortage of cattle: first, we should promote mutual assistance in farming, encouraging villages with abundant livestock to help those with fewer animals. However, this assistance should not be entirely gratuitous; while households possessing excess cattle may choose to provide labor without charge, leasing of draught animals should also be formally authorized. Only by legalizing such arrangements can the shortage of cattle be effectively alleviated.


Second, where entire townships or districts suffer from an acute lack of cattle rendering cultivation impossible, county- and district-level governments must take steps to redistribute resources, encouraging areas with ample livestock to lend or sell animals to more needy regions. To facilitate this, both county and district authorities should maintain comprehensive records of livestock numbers throughout their jurisdictions. Only with such data can effective redistribution be carried out.


Third, the slaughter of cattle must be strictly prohibited. At present, while some areas face a critical shortage, other market towns continue to permit the slaughter of oxen, actions that run counter to the interests of poor peasants and must therefore be banned.


Fourth, the free flow and exchange of agricultural and industrial goods between red and white zones should be fully permitted. Except under special circumstances—for example, during periods of food scarcity—no prohibitions or price controls should be imposed (and prices need not be capped within the red zones themselves).


However, given the severe shortage of cattle in the red zones and its far-reaching implications, the export of cattle for sale outside these areas should be temporarily suspended.


Finally, along the red–white border, peasant farmers are intimidated by bandit forces and dare not cultivate their fields, resulting in vast tracts of land lying fallow. The only way to resolve this problem is to lead armed workers’ and peasants’ militias in a vigorous offensive against landlord militias, thereby expanding the revolutionary base forward. In this manner, lands previously deemed uncultivable can eventually be brought back into production.


We respectfully request that the above suggestions be discussed, implemented, and that you reply to us accordingly.


Mao Zedong, Director of the General Political Department of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, 28 February. Printed from No. 4 of the “General Political Department Bulletin” of the CRMC.


Notes: [1] “Bandits” refers to the Peace Preservation Corps. [2] See note [5] on page 244 of this volume regarding “provincial Soviets.” [3] The AB Group was a right-wing Nationalist organization established in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, in late 1926, primarily aimed at opposing the Communists. It existed for only a brief period. Beginning in May 1930, a campaign known as the “cleansing of the AB Group” was launched within the southwestern Jiangxi base area. This campaign gradually escalated, leading to serious confusion regarding the distinction between friend and foe.