(July 25, 1932, 11:00 P.M.)

To the Central Bureau:

1. The enemy's position along the Gan River: So far as the Guangdong
enemy is concerned, apart from Zhang Meixin's division, which has gone back
to Shaoguan for reconsolidation, and Ye Zhao's two regiments, which remain in
Ganzhou, the eight regiments of the Seventeenth Division are still concentrated
in Nanxiong and Dayu. It is said, moreover, that part of these forces will move to
Xincheng and Nankang. The Fifty-second Division is in Xincheng, the Four-teenth Division is in Nankang and Shangyou, and the Twenty-eighth Division is
partly in Ganzhou and partly in Wan'an. The Forty-third Division is in Suichuan,
one of Cheng Guangzhong's brigades is in Cengqian, and below Taihe are the
Fifty-ninth and Ninetieth divisions.²
2. After careful consideration, we think that the enemy troops in the upper
reaches of the Gan River south of Ganzhou are closely linked with one another,
and whatever the point at which we choose to cross the river and attack the
enemy in Ganzhou, we will risk being cut off by the enemy. If we attack
Xincheng and Nankang, this will incite the enemy in Ningdu and Ganzhou to
launch a concerted attack by converging columns, or they may confront us on the
other side of the river, thus creating an even more disadvantageous situation.
3. Consequently, we have decided to move toward the lower reaches of the
Gan River and take Wan'an first, in an effort to cross the river and wipe out the

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 1, pp. 273-74.
main force of four divisions, under Chen Cheng, Luo Zhuoying, and others, and
to take Ji'an and other cities. If the enemy cross the river to the eastern side, it
will be even better for the decisive battle. This operation must, however, be
extremely swift and secret. We will not concentrate our forces and commence
operations until we have made the decision. We hope that you will send a secret
telegram to the Central Committee.
4. Please inform us regarding the mistakes and shortcomings in our previous
operations.

Zhou Mao Zhu Wang

--- Notes

¹ This telegram was written jointly by Mao, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, and Wang Jiaxiang
in response to a request by the Central Bureau that the First Front Army, which was then
in southernmost Jiangxi en route back to the Central Soviet Area after the raid on
Zhangzhou, split into two parts (one on each side of the upper reaches of the Gan River)
and attack north toward Ganzhou.
² The Nationalist army units mentioned in this paragraph are as follows: Zhang
Meixin commanded the Fourth, Ye Zhao the Second, and Chen Guangzhong the Sixty-third divisions; the Fifty-second Division was commanded by Li Ming, the Fourteenth by
Huo Kuizhang, the Twenty-eighth by Wang Mao, the Forty-third by Liu Shaoguang, the
Fifty-ninth by Chen Shiji, and the Ninetieth by Wu Qiwei. The provenance of the Seven-teenth Division is unclear.


3. Chen Cheng commanded the Second Route Army of the Nationalist Army's "Ban-dit-Suppression Headquarters"; Luo Zhuoying then commanded the Eleventh Division
subordinate to Chen.