LETTER TO WEST FUKIEN ON THE WORK AT SHANG-HANG AND WU-P'ING

9 March 1932

/Text/ West Fukien Soviet Government
Executive Committee

Dear Comrades:

Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing have been occupied completely within a few days by the 12th Army of our Red Army in coordination with the broad masses of workers and peasants. Regimental bandit Chung Shao-k'uei and his forces were routed completely and fled to Kwangtung Province. Winning of this great victory at the start of expansion of the democratic revolutionary war will bear great significance on the development and success of the soviets throughout the country. Especially at a time that the Red Army is besieging Kan-chou, the seizure of the two counties of Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing will not only menace the warlords in Kwangtung, but also be of great help to the capture of Kan-chou.

The capture of Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing counties not only will expand and strengthen the West Fukien Soviet Area, but also will strengthen even more firmly the link between Fukien and Kiangsi. Particularly the capture of the city of Shang-hang, for it is one of the biggest key cities in West Fukien and holds an important position politically, economically, and culturally. Therefore, the occupation of Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing is not of a temporary nature, and they will be consolidated into a secure Red area in West Fukien and the city of Shang-hang will be turned into a Red metropolis. This is your great task. You must make every effort to accomplish it.

The People's Council has the following instructions concerning the work in Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing:

1. Implement correctly the Land Law, Labor Law, and economic policy of the All-Soviet Congress. That is a principal condition and basis for consolidating the Red regime in the two counties of Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing. Under this condition, arouse the broad masses of workers and coolies in the cities, tenant farmers, poor peasants, and middle peasants in the rural areas, and

laboring people to take an active part in the agrarian revolutionary struggle and in the soviet regime. They will have to gain some real benefits before they can be made to support the soviet regime enthusiastically. You will have to have the broad masses of workers, peasants, and other laboring people as the base before you can consolidate the Red regime in the two counties.

2. To arouse the masses of workers in the cities, you will have to implement practically the 8-hour work rule in the Labor Law, raise wages, set down a minimum wage standard, improve treatment, and enforce the conclusion of collective agreement and labor contract at the lowest limit. The government must take its stand with protecting the interests of workers and make these minimum benefits a fruition immediately. At the same time, it should actively render assistance to workers in organizing unions physically and in the course of work. However, there are several points which we must make clear here and which we must guard against as mistakes have frequently occurred in our work in the past: a) Concerning the implementation of the Labor Law and the protection of workers' interests, we have seen only official announcements that are void of content. The government has not actually put the law into effect and has not taken any concrete steps to implement it. Whether the worker has in fact received any benefits, the government has not made any inquiry or investigation. If the government only issues a notice and an order and then brings the matter to a close, it is passivity so far as upholding workers' interests is concerned; b) In safeguarding workers' interests, the government for the most part did not check over facts and the conditions of mass struggle. It simply used government orders to force the capitalists to comply and did not put emphasis on arousing the masses to rise up in struggle. On the contrary, it caused misunderstanding in this way among the masses, who for a time assumed a passive attitude toward struggle; and c) In implementing the Labor Law, we invariably did not investigate the local economic situation and the actual conditions and requirements of the workers' livelihood and did not set forth properly practical measures of implementation. Instead, we overstepped the limitations imposed by actual economic conditions in the locality and enforced the law on occasion. The result was that many capitalists were unable to bear their responsibilities and closed their businesses, thereby undermining the current economic policy of the soviet and affecting to a very great extent the economy in the soviet areas. This caused big increase in the number of unemployed and raised doubts among many workers, who became passive toward struggle and even went so far as to make secret compromise with and concessions to the capitalists. In the end, it curtailed the enthusiasm of the workers in struggle and weakened their class consciousness. This is very harmful. At the same time, we should support everywhere resolutely maintaining the struggle of the workers and begin passive in safeguarding workers' interests under the pretext of propping up the economy in a soviet area and carrying out the economic policy. In a word, the Labor Law must be put into effect under the conditions of resolutely safeguarding the workers' benefits and not violating the economic policy of the government, and in particular, intensifying the enthusiasm of the workers in class struggle and building up their support of the Soviet regime.

3. As it is imperative that the Land Law be implemented fully. The most important thing to do is to side with a clear-cut class line and never again allow the rich peasants to steal away for themselves the fruits of the agrarian revolution. There is a mistaken conception of land distribution in the past which must be rectified. It is believed that at the start of an agrarian revolution it is unavoidable that rich peasants will steal land once, so it is necessary to distribute land a second time, or a third time, before the matter is finally settled. For this reason, when people start out to distribute land, they do it carelessly. This is utterly wrong. We can only say that in an agrarian revolution rich peasants will inevitably endeavor to steal the benefits of the agrarian revolution and precisely because of this, we should be even more resolute in arousing the masses to deal a heavy blow at the attempt of rich peasants and with a clear-cut class line, not let the benefits of an agrarian revolution be stolen by rich peasants. This mistake has happened again and again in the newly developed areas of Kiangsi Province. The main reason for this is that when land is distributed, emphasis is not given to arousing the masses and distribution is carried out by orders instead of by the masses. In this way, rich peasants naturally make use of the opportunity to steal. Of course, the speedy distribution of land in a newly developed area is for the purpose of quickly mobilizing and winning over the basic sections of the masses in the countryside so as to consolidate this area, but to allow rich peasants to steal the benefits of land distribution, this cannot consolidate a new area solidly. As for rapid distribution, only by mobilizing the basic sections of the masses in the countryside to take an active part in the land distribution struggle can distribution be carried out rapidly and the attempts of rich peasants be dealt a crushing blow so that the benefits of agrarian revolution will not be stolen by them. Before a new area can be consolidated firmly it must have as its base the broad masses of tenant farmers, poor peasants, and middle peasants who are taking an active part in struggle. Therefore, when land is distributed it is necessary to hold a mass meeting and promulgate the land law of the Central Government in order to mobilize the masses. The committee on land distribution should draw many tenant farmers, poor peasants, and middle peasants as well, into taking part in its affairs. All members of the committee must be elected by the masses. The composition of members of the land committee must be announced and investigated at a mass meeting. Decisions made at every land distribution must be reported to the masses in a rally and only after the mass meeting concurs in these decisions will actual distribution be carried out. The most important thing is that when the land law is promulgated and the land distribution committees members are elected, it must be announced specifically that rich peasants can only share run-down fields and that they cannot join the land committee so as to arm the attention of the masses to them and bring about a struggle to deal a blow to their attempts and eject them or prevent them from sneaking into the land committee and usurping the authority to distribute land. In the past, when land was distributed in new areas, it was done entirely through the Red Army. Most of the time, the Soviet governments did not send anyone to give guidance and in the worst cases, just ignore the whole thing and let the Red Army bear the responsibility alone. In this way, on the one hand, it hindered the Red Army from performing its other duties.

At the same time, because of its other duties, the Red Army could not concentrate on distributing land. Naturally, carelessness in distribution set in. Without question, Formalism was very serious in the past within the Red Army in the distribution of land. But the local governments had to bear the main blame for this state of affairs, because they had relinquished their responsibilities and not exercised their leadership in the matter. This time, when land is confiscated and distributed in the two counties of Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing, the West Fukien Government must exercise positive leadership and perform the task correctly according to the above instructions and your own experiences gained in past land distributions.

4. You should pay serious attention to the question of middle peasants. In the past, instances of exclusion of middle peasants and assault on them under the pretext of carrying out attacks on rich peasants have occurred in many places. This is nothing short of undermining the coalition with middle peasants and trifling the context laid on the future of the consolidation of the Soviet regime and the success of the revolution. In your work in Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing this time, you absolutely must not recycle those mistakes of the past. Firstly, on the land question, in carrying out equal distribution, you absolutely must abide by the principle governing middle peasants outlined in Article 5 of the Land Law (...this can be carried out only with concurrence and direct support of the basic sections of the peasant masses. If the majority of middle peasants do not concur, they may not take part in equal distribution) and implement it correctly. Secondly, In the matter of fund raising, you absolutely should not harass middle peasants. In newly developed areas it in the easiest to start trouble over land raising. Funds that you intend to raise should not come from middle peasants. Thirdly, you must actively draw activists among the middle peasants into taking part in land distribution and particularly in excluding middle peasants from participating in elections and in the regime. In a word, strengthening of the coalition with middle peasants is one of the principal bases for success of the agrarian revolution and the soviet regime. You must absolutely oppose encroaching upon middle peasants and even go so far as to make concessions to them to a certain degree (like letting them take part in equal distribution of land).

5. In your work in the cities of Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing, apart from the question of workers and performing your duties in the light of the many fundamental rules and measures contained in the letter from the General Political Department on the work at Kan-chou, you must:

Firstly, act correctly in accordance with the economic policy laid down at the National Soviet Congress and the tariff, investment regulations, and loan regulations promulated by the Provisional Central Government, and apply the experiences gained at Ting-chou in this work. Also render the above documents into notices for publication;

Secondly, make every effort to prop up commerce and do not disrupt it by fund raising. As to fund raising, the targets should be graded and money should not be collected from small capitalists and a portion of the middle capitalists. All shops operated by reactionary headmen should be confiscated and the names of these headmen and the reasons for confiscation of their property should be published in detail. Such proclamations should deal primarily with confiscation of the property of reactionaries and not with confiscation of the stores so as to expose any attempt of the reactionaries to spread rumors;

Thirdly, declare formally as confiscated all premises of reactionary organs and make them the property of the Soviet government for distribution to various government organs and mass organizations for use. There need not occur such anarchical acts of various organs and organizations occupying these premises at will. The houses and property of reactionaries should all be declared confiscated by the government. A number of the houses confiscated may be distributed to workers to be used as dormitories and a number leased at reduced rent to poor people as residential quarters. Aside from cash which goes to the government, part of the confiscated property may be used to aid the Red Army and the masses in disaster areas, and the remainder distributed as much as possible among poverty-stricken people in the cities. You should oppose any move to transfer all things confiscated to the old soviet areas and not to distribute them among the local populace. You should oppose even more firmly such anarchical manifestations as various government organs and mass organizations going their own way to confiscate and dispose of the property of the reactionaries;

Fourthly, preserve absolutely such things as schools and culture. At the worst, send people around to supervise their safekeeping and prohibit vandalism; and

Fifthly, compel shops in Shang-hang to convert immediately the small notes and paper money they have issued into cash and withdraw them for destruction. In case of necessity, the government should send people around to exercise supervision. Henceforth, all shops should be prohibited from issuing paper money. You should pay attention to the cash money in circulation so as to prevent reactionaries and merchants from smuggling it out in quantity, thereby affecting the economy in the soviet area.

6. Fund raising should be centralized and concentrated in one organ to be set up by representatives from the West Fukien Government and the Political Department of the 12th Army. The different organizations and organs should be strictly prohibited from dealing blows to local tyrants. Set up a unified base for finance. Of the money collected, the greater part should be used to help the Red Army in expanding the revolutionary war. Strictly prohibit all waste and extravagance on account of wider a source of income. If waste does occur, harsh punishment should be meted out.

7. The work of suppressing counterrevolutionaries must be carried out correctly in accordance with Directive No 6 of the Central Government governing the establishment of committees for the suppression of counterrevolutionaries and all fundamental rules concerning the suppression of counterrevolution. You should be prepared to set up a judicial department and a political security bureau to maintain revolutionary order and carry out judicial work relative to the economy.

8. The setting up of a provisional regime is very important. Immediately upon its establishment, the revolutionary committee will put into effect all the decrees of the National Soviet Congress and the Central Government so as to carry out the agrarian revolution and the political platform, suppress the activities of counterrevolutionaries, mobilize the broad masses of workers and peasants, and set up a formal regime. These are the main tasks of a revolutionary committee. Every revolutionary committee must be elected at a mass rally. The West Fukien Government should make every effort to lead and direct the work of the revolutionary committees in various places. It should be resolved by the West Fukien Government that Shang-hang become a municipal soviet directly under its authority. When the work of land confiscation and distribution and suppression of counterrevolutionaries has been carried out to a certain extent, you should energetically proceed with work for the establishment of a formal regime. First and foremost, the urban and rural soviets should accomplish the aim of setting up a genuine representative system so as to lay a strong foundation for the soviet organization in the two counties of Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing. The establishment of all formal regimes must be completely in accordance with the regulations and directives promulated by the Central Government. Revolutionary committees must become organs to lead mass struggle, guard against the development of formalism, and prevent rich peasants and reactionaries from sneaking in.

9. The creation of regional armed forces must be carried out according to plan. You should discuss with the military district headquarters about the methods in doing it so as to build up the military might of the masses to defend the soviet area of Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing.

10. As to areas newly developed by the Red Army, the West Fukien Government has heretofore relied upon the Red Army to carry on the work there, while it altogether did not exercise active leadership or make any effort to build up and consolidate the areas. For example: Lien-ch'eng and Ning-hua have been occupied by the 12th Army for a long time. The West Fukien Government has not paid any heed to exercising leadership there, with the result that the newly developed areas cannot be consolidated. In the worst case, as soon as the Red Army leaves a place, reactionaries will reoccupy it and the place is lost to us. This is an extremely serious mistake. In the work at Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing, we absolutely cannot permit past mistakes to be perpetuated. You should muster and mobilize a large number of working personnel in the old soviet areas to go and work in the two counties, and responsible comrades of the West Fukien Government should go in person to Shang-hang to direct all kinds of work there. Now you must consolidate Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing with all strength. This is a most practical and most important task at present.

No other work is as important as this one. Therefore, we have decided that in order to consolidate Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing, the Fukien Congress of Representatives of Peasants be postponed. We hope that you will immediately notify the different levels of government of this postponement and take advantage of it to step up lower-level elections and remolding work.

In order to strengthen the work at Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing, the working comrades previously sent by the West Fukien Government to the Central Government for training can be sent back to you right away for reassignment to Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing to help in the work there.

Comrades! The consolidation of Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing is your most central task at the present time. You should accomplish this task with all strength and turn the two counties of Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing into the most secure soviet territory and the city of Shang-hang into a Red metropolis.

Lastly, we hope that you will reproduce this letter for distribution to the Political Department of the 12th Army and working comrades at Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing.

Please report to the Central Government at any time on recent conditions in Shang-hang and Wu-p'ing and on the work there from now on.

People's Council
Chairman:	Mao Tse-tung
Vice-chairman:	Hsiang Ying
	Chang Kuo-tao

"Red China," No 13, 9 March 1932